The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1897-09-11
The 4PPOINTMENTUF DEWAS

President Mckinley has appointed
HenIy Delnas, one 1T the most corrupt
negro politicians in tile State, naval
| officer Of the po,t Of New Orleans,
notwithstanding vehement protests
against the appointment by the most
influential ard respecJn BILE white re-
publicans of the State. 1t is said that
thu appointment has been made in
fultlment of ante-electi0u promises
made to Demas by ihe great Mark
Hanna, the manager Of the Presidents
campaign, based upon services rem
dered By Demas III the St. Louis
convention. Whether this charge be
true or not, it is generally believed to
be true, not only by the democrats
but by a great portion of the rank and
file OF the republicans in ana out of
the State.
If the charge be true, and the Pres.
ident knew of the corrupt bargain
between Hanna and Demas, as be
must have known, then by the APP
pOintment of Demas, the President
has ratified that bargain and stands
in al unanviable light befole the
country. If the President was Igpo-
rant of any such bargain, which is
rather q violent presumption, for the
matter has been recently 50 thorough
~ ventilated, that even the least
intelligent in the county must have
heard of the charge, he stands in the
n" less unenviable attitr de of having
placed knowingly in office a corrupt
aud vile man, over aud against tile
protest of respectable members of his
own party. For this ig ,oble act, not
even his most ardent admirers can
find sufficient excuse to exout,ate
him.
Now, what does the appointment Of
Demas mean 1t is. in the first place
II direct insult to the people of Louis
lana aud II slap iu the face of all
Intelligent and respectable white
republicans in the State. It is no
tice to white republicans that there
can be no such IA thing as a respecta-
BILE white republican party in the State
but that all who would be republicans
must swallow the obnoxious republic
can doctrine of social equality. 1t
seems to mean more than all tn it
signifies that the white man must
bend the kuee to the negro, if he
wishes to obtain political p%referment.
And as if to make the humiliation
still more calling, the President has
chosen the vilest and meanest of all
negro politicians to enforce his object
lesson.
l A. InpulIIntInn a q fro =.
it is nevertheless just what could be
expected from a republican admins
t~ration, and what this paper has
always contended would necessarily
happen, if we could judge of the
future by the experience of the past.
We don't meat to say that this paper
predicted that a republican president
would appoint Denas or any other
particular colored politician !; but il
did claim all along that the Negro
would remain a dominating factor i'll
the republican party Of tie State. aud
the recent appointment of President
Mckinley confirms the correctness of
that ~contention. 1t could no be
otherwise, for all the republican
leaders ont of the state care for is
votes, and as long as the negroes of
Louisiana continue to furnish the bulk
Of the votes in the republican party,
it is idle to expect Northern politicians
to a s their leaders aside at the die
tation of the leaders of the white
minority. That is the logic of the
situation, ard, as we have said on
repeated OCCASIONS, there is DO escap-
ing it. inexorable conclusion.
What will be tie effect of this
object lesson upon orr new republi-
cans who so recently started out, with
all the zeal and ardor of new converts
to reform the republican party of the
state and make out of 1t Il respectable
white republican partyi Time only
can tell. We believe however, that
many among them viii have their ewes
rudely opened by tilS rough deal 81
the President and will give ~ tile
pursuit of the ignas fatus which, has
engrosseG tier political attention tol
the last few years, and either return
TO their former allegiance ar await
further developments in the pnlitica
arena. We are lOath to believe tina
any of them will bow to the logic 0
the Presidents action, tor that wonlt
be humiliation too CRUSHING for promo
Southern gentlemen.
The white republican parry in
Louisiana remains now, what il hal
always been, a mere figmeut of a,
ardent ina glnation.