The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1886-09-25
A Test Case In Louisiana.
New York star.1


order. Ybe contest in the Fifth Com |
gressionai district Of that State, now
by General j. F. King, has
been very spirited, and 1t appears that
the members of the King faction hold
ing Office under the government can no
longer bring themselves to respect the
orders Of the administration 10 which
they are Indebted for their places. It
is stated that Mr.. F. s. Shields, Coliec-
tor of Internal Revenue; Mr.. A. q.
Gibson, Marshal OF the Western Dis
trict of Louisiana; Mr.. A. w. Craudeil,
Assistant Postmaster at New Orleans,
and Postmaster Heron of West Mon
roe, La, have ali left their official
duties and plunged into the contest ss
strikers for Mr.. King.
There is certain air Of probability
to this story, from the fact that Shields
and Craudell, although their Offices are
at New Orleans, took "a journey ofat least
three hundred miles, from the nearest
strategic point in Kings district, really
reside in that district, aud have for
years past been conspicuous as the
leaders and managers of Kings CAM
paigus. Indeed, they left their duties
at New Orleans once before, some time
in July, for the purpose Of travelling to
the other end of the State to organize
Kings committees. The incident gave
rise 70 a great deal cfunfavorable COM
mens at the time, for it happens that
federal appointments in Louisiana were
made upon the issue of civil service
reform more distinctly than in any
other State. The President appointed
a fall set of officials al the instigation
Of the sal!-sty,ed reformers OF Louisiana,
who represented TO him that the oppos.
ing faction was made up OF unscruPu-
ious partisans; and when these expon-
ents, of the True, the Beautiful and
the Good began to disclose the weak
nesses of the mortal politicians, the
surprise and the exclamation were
naturally noisy. But this latest MANS
fesiation OF theirs is even moro aston
ishiug, for in the interval the Presi.
dent issued his order expressly forbid ,
ing such acts as Messrs. Shields, Gran
dell and Gibson are accused Of commits
ting. So that now if the accusation be
just, they are violating not only the
spirit but the letter of their obligations.
We hope the story may turn out to
be untrue. AS the President is not
,uasauereding in this reform business
and did not issue his late order in q
spirit of idle pleasantly ne will be
likely to take notice of SO fragrant a
case o: contempt as this reported from
Louisiana.
REFORM IN LOUISIANA.
1t is worthy of note that the good
Democrats of the Fifth Congressional
die ret of Louisiana have sigr fed their
condemnation Of the interference by
federal officials in local politics. The
sitting member for that district, Mr.. J
4. King. has just been defeated FOL
denomination under circumstances thai
involve the most emphatic rebuke Il
i the officials in question. Mr.. Kings
campaign has been conducted from the
outset by Mr.. A. w. Crandell, assistant
Postmaster at New Orleans, Mr.. +. S
Shields, Collector of Internal Revenue
at New Orleans, and Mr.. a. Q. Gibson
cousin of Senator Gibson of Louis
lanai, United States Marshal for the
| Western District OF Louisiana.
These three gentlemen were appoint
ed by tho President chiefly because he
was assured that the other faction Of
| the Democracy--the one now in pos
session Of tho State sovernment-could
not be trusted TO respect his wishes ir
the matter O; civil service reform
| They have fulfilled the promises made
for them by p.unging into polite;
with all the ardor of ward workers
and employing the power of the fedora
offices under their control to influence
party primaries and local elections
Assistant Postmaster CraDdell of New
Orleans went three hundred miles to thu
extreme northern part OF the State II
boom Congressman Kings II -eiectlon
Revenue Collector Shields also of New
Orleans, does the same, and Unitet
States Marshal Gibson leaves the fed
eral courts to shift for themselve
while he pulls the King wires at tn
district convention. Assistant Post
master Craudeil of New Orleans j
chosen presiding officer of that body
and Collector Shields and Marsha
Gibson handle county delegations, ant
Mr.. King gets al! tho boosting tina
government patronage, skilifully man
ipu!ated, can communicate. But will
all this Mr.. King is defeated, and tn
Democrats choose their own candidate
Thus Mr.. King is disposed of, and
now, what about Messrs. Crandei
Shields and Gibsonn?
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THE eRiG.SAL THIRTEEN.