The Opelousas courier., 1894-09-15
The st. Landry Kickers

Referring to the document circulated
here q couple of weeks ago.. calling q
Congressional Convention to nominate
a candidate for Congress in this district,
to be run in opposition to the nominee
Of the Democratic party wh0 will be
selected by primaries or the 9Th prox.,
the West Baton Rouge Sugar Planter
says:
Their ~denunciation of "tIe unpre-
%cedented, u~ndemocratic and revolution
airy steps taken by the district com
mltteo in ordering a direct vote of the
rare and racy in the extreme, particu-
larly when it is remembered that a
direct vote is far and away the fairest,
most honest and equitable method OF
nominating Il candidate yer devised,
as it gives to each and every Democrat
in the district the right to vote for the
man of his choice. On the other hand,
it is a notorious fact that district con-
ventions do not always express the will
of the people, because this method of
nominating candidates often enables
,Shrewd and INSCRIPTIONS politicians to
Ptie up and contest delegations, make
reprtheDsihie combinations and nomi-
nate a man who. placed before the
people N q direct vote, would be buried
nnder an avalanche Of ballots.
The direct primary vote has been and
will again be used by the Democrats of
the Fourth Congressional District in
the election Of Il standard bearer. The
rivalry between Oates and Johnson
opposing candidates for the Democratic
nomination for Governor of Alabama,
vas s,i1Ied ONE weeks ago by a direct
primary ute Two years ago the
Democrats Of this State resorted to
this method of determining the differ
ences between Foster and McEnery.
Cnnt! these circumstances the query
becomes pertinent: If il direct primary
vote is good 2rnugil for Tho people OF
the Fuurti. District. and was universal
Iy agteed to by 3!l the Democrats of
Louisiana in 1892, why should not the
same method nf dominating n cnDdi-
date prove acce;fotjc ~ the ST.. Landry
howlcia in 1894
The assertion tAsi NJ" 10 not want
any complicated returning board ma
chinery' such a. that projected by the
district committee" 10 equally puerile
and contemplate. The district ON
mittee is composed OF heightened,
honorable gentlemen. who would scorn
to IT ~perpetuate themselves in power
by returning boards or ether unfair
methods. As for the district nit
tee to serve during tIlu next two years,
the people Of the thirteen parishes com
prisiDg this congressional district will,
on the same day that they vote for a
nominee for Congress, select their own
member of the District Executive Com
mittee, instead of allowing the chair
mar of the nominating convention, or
the several delegations. to exercise that
prerogativc, IF has been done hereto
fore.
If the St, Landry howlers have any
grie against Cot. Robertson, let
them eight him iii the Democratic pri-
mary election, which Was called by the
legally constituted Democratic author
ity of the district. To pursue the i'm
polite, unWise and unwarranted course
they have mapped ont will be to read
Themselves ont of The Democratic party
without rhyme OF reason. We do not
believe, however, that the st. Landry
politicians will succeed in inducing any
great number of Democratic voters in
this district to join them in their pro
posed bolt. for which there never was,
is, or can be. the @faintest Justification,
excuse or palliation.