The Opelousas courier., 1892-06-11
AN Apparent Change, and What
an One 2

For long time great hew and cry
was kept up by the Farmers Alliance
about the choice and election of the
Hon. t. S. Adams as Governor of
Louisiana, Their papers Haunted his
name at the heads of their columns and
volumes of commendation of his fit
ness were published. At Lafayette an
effort was made to nail his name at the
masthead, and the Farmers grew ex-
ultant over the result of the delibera-
tions of the convention held there.
Thos. Adams was the fairest among all
their probabilities, and the Onealtogeth-
er desirable to the Farmers. They ex-
patiated on his integrity until he might
have been classed with Wilberforce
and Tell, and scarce unequal to Will
liam of Orange and George Washing
ton-in point of ability to conduct all
our public matters.
Since our Legislature has been in
session, the voice of praise has ceased
to be heard. When it first assembled
there was fluttering of the wings
heard in and about the purlieus of the
Capitol, but even that has died off-and
all we ever hear now is the echo of the
foot falls of the Saints, as they scamper
along the corridors, Railways and COM
mittee rooms, in their patriotic eager
ness to escape from the desperate pur-
suit of the distributable offices, after the
men. The race has been feet, but the
Saints have shown bottom of marvel
lous powers of endurance, and thus far
have eluded capture. The noble
Adams, who started out under such ap
parently favorable auspices, has had
the distance flag to fall on him, and he
is shut out. The stake is no longer
tempting to his ambition. The friends
who ardently backed him when the en-
tries were first made, have scratched
him off their states, and he has been
led back to his humble stall to partake
of the State pabulum which, in the
zenith of his popularity, was dealt out
| to him as an humble reward for what
he had done. ST. Landry has three of
his most ardent grOomsmen, in the
Legislature gentlemen who, in the
opening of the campaign, sounded his
| qualities at all times, everywhere, and
in the most vociferous manner. But
where are they now9 What are they
doing to reward himq We hear Of
nothing. 1t is very true, his name
continues to be mentioned in a most
j quiet way, in connection with the u.
S. Senate, but it goes only to remind
one of custom which prevailed for a
long time in some Of the countries of
the old world. The body of the head
Of the family, when dead, was EN-
balmed and set up iu one corner OF the
most frequented room, to be looked up
on and revered by survivors In the
olden times this custom had a good eff
feet, bnt we fear even that is lost upon
4 orr Farmer legislators. 1t is true
Adams still lives, and we sincerely
4 hope he may abide with us many
years. We esteem him as an honest
man in politics, and also in private
life, but he is dead, dead, dead as a
politician. Even the fertilizing ele-
ments Of demagoguery, applied by the
most experienced Saints, can never
again make Gubernatorial germ OF
him, and as to ever getting to the
United States Senate, he might as well
seek the mildness of the Pacific Coast
by starting to the arctic circle clad IN
the primitive habilment of Adam.
But why such change in the devo-
tions shown him by the Farmers We
can readily understand why he has been
dropped out of sight by the Saints, fol
we knew at the start that all the use
they had for them was to decoy the
; Farmers into their net. Adams was 8
good springing board furnished by tht
Farmers, on which the Saints were in.
vited TO stand, and from which they
| leaped into power.
10, thon fond moay, with what loud ap
plause
Didst thou beat Heaven with blessing Bo
lingbroke,
/, Before 7he was what thou wouldst have bin
3 be
i And being now trimmed in thine own de
sires,
Thou, qreedy feeder, art so full of him,
That thou proyok' st thyseif to cast him up,