The Lafayette gazette. [volume] (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921, 1896-02-15
REPUBLICAN, POLITICS IN
LOUZSZAN4.

le When one of the late Republics
= conventions was held in this eli
Mr. James Wilkinson, who, by I'll
0y, was not q member of that COZ
vention. expressed regret that I'll
It white people of New Orleans coul
i not get around to Odd Fellows Ha
and have look at its session. w
regretted this even more than he
feeling sure that a single glance, q
even less than glance mere lis
n tenlng to the roar and tumult whic
prevailed in the hall-would hav
: thoroughly disallusioned all thos
who believe in the possibility of .
; decent Republican party in Louis
lana, where the rank and file of tn,
voters are negroes.
Very few whites, however, ven
tured there, as was only natural, TO,
the convention was offensive IN more
ways than one. But we believe that
the events that have occurred since
the meeting have had the same good
effects in setting at rest all doubts
among the white voters as to the ne
cessity of crushing out of existence
IN Louisiana the Republican party .
as visit to the convention wo,,Id
have done.
1t was natural to suppose that in
a contest like the present one. WI en-
the Republican party is putting on a
Pretense of decency, its members
would be on their good behavior.
The sugar planters and Populists
nave been pushed to the front to
give respectable cast to the fusion
ticket, and all the regulars were ex-
Pected to do was to remain as Quiet
as possible, to behave themselves as
well as they could and to avoid anv
open scandal.
they have failed. The Repub-
Acan scandals since then have been
SO offensive that the most stalwart
emoers OF that party, men known |
TO be not over-nice in political
crookedness, have declared their in
tention to drop out of politics-Re-
publican politics in Louisiana is too
1oui tor them to touch without being
defled.
We imagine that the Republicans
have been on their good behavior: I
that they have done their very best
but we can now see what their verv {
pest is, and what is their idea Of {
decency. II
Ever since the regulars opened Z
heir campaign it has been one long '
candal and disgrace. Political $
has not improved them, d
IS it sometimes does, but the Re-
publican party of Louisiana is the f
anne old party as it was in 1872 b
no 1Sz6-perhaps little worse, a a
title vller and more degraded. We k
ave put to read what the Repub- W
can leaders have to say of each a
ther tn know not only that we must e:
OF trust them with power, but to "
lllv realize the danger of allowing o,
re franchise to remain in the hands be
voters SO utterly corrupt as their NJ
l!ow-Republicans prove themselves of
De, SO ignorant of American insti- ar
'uons ana SO antagonlstlc to every tai
lea of honesty and decency, an
We do not know of single
Comment Republican leader against lai
nom the other leaders do not be
axe charges that he is corrupt and TIL
nal' ana a traitor at heart. He is mi
cused of bribing delegates and biz
'tnng primaries, of pocketing the
oney intrusted to him bv some A
esidential candidate, instead of dis
ing 1t to buy up delegates, of ac- hae
pting brides to change his pref ten
'ences, and of being ready to sell
to the Popul1sts, National Re-
blicans and Democrats, not once. no
many times. tt at money has ito
IN used right and left in the pur do
ase of delegates is the charge
de on affidavit by the Republi- wv
IS themselves. The only limit to wa
bribery seems to be the amount the
money the candidates are willing i,I
put up; and the feeling that it is the
less, mere waste of money, to 80:
men who are willing to sell @''
mselves oyer and over again. con
IN the last purchaser cannot be ran
that he owns the Republican of {
Ter he has bought, for the latter teri
S likely as not to betray him up ,l
election day, or in the St. Louis anu
lvention. erne
utterly INSCRIPTIONS have the brig
ubllcans become, so violative of told
I, SO traitorous to their own c,+.
y, that it has practically ceased
nave any existence save as eoii
), rushing one way or the other. pref
he sight of few greenbacks. silve
organization is chaotic. wan
one knows where it stands. be- ,h,.
e it is continually changing and 800
1g. tual
fine picture of the Pep,h1;. | thiCl