The Opelousas courier., 1897-07-17

Dnson. The election was a close one
ana thompson WAS returned elected
ne HoVernOr issued the commission
after Il maudamua proceeding agaula
hlm instituted for that purpose. Bn
Duson contested tie election and en-
joined him from acting, on the sroun,
that the election at the Leunvile bo,
had not been legally conducted, an,
that the election returns were wrDDy
The ease was heard and excited gfea
interest throughout tie parish TIL,
Jury declared Thompson elected. Dn
son appealed, and the Supreme Cour
reversed the verdict and Judgment o
the lower Court, and decided that Du
son had been elected by 5G votes
for IL time there WAS iull in politics
but the supporters of Thompson estI
after maintained that he was clecte,
sheriff. and ahnni have bad The office
In 1883 local matters had ir:onlt
much mixed. T. $. Fontenot l,a,
t""mcd ont AS IL leader in ST. Landry
politics. He was not pleased with the
attitude OF Thompson. who had AGAR
become an important factor. Gen'i T
| Z. Anderson came to the front as Il can
dltiate for the office OF sheriff
The Republican vote was unite .0naI
! To Il united Democratic vote in St. Ian
| dry. Neither F0ntenot nor THOMPSON
stood any chance of election on a di-
| vIded party vu.r. Something had to be
done. Fontenot had no admiration fol
Thompson nor had Thompson for Fon
ierot. Conriiation h"canie expedient
Bari offic' meetings became the order
OF liv uay and compromise Il necessity
1t was finally c"ncludeh that FOnte-
not should be supported for Sheriff and
| Thompson for Clerk OF the District
| CONT
Fontenot gave Thompson his honest
support at the nominating convention
IN fact, placed him in nomination and
! made Il little speech in his favor.
| Thompson WAS not present but lie was
| nominated. The election which fol-
| lowed, resulted Iii the sncctss nf both,
| but it 10y no means hirmoniZed the two
leaders in their pnilticat feelings
| ln 1892 We had two we'll defined rolit-
ical factions with I. 5. Fnntenot as the
leader of one and Chas. ~ Thompson
az the leader of the other. They were
both candidates for re- election, and
both we're returned elected
In 1884, White Supremacy leagues
were organized, and it soon became ap-
parent that the strategic point Of the
Fontenot faction was the elimination
| OF the negro vote. 1t ia needless to give
any account of their operations in the
parish Suffice it tn say that whilst
thompson and his faction claimed to be
white supremaciSts, they opposed the
methods of the Leagues They main
tanned that the lar should he oheyed
and he made "A rule nf conduct in
elections as well rs in all other civil
cnnhHct.
fractional feeling hecanle very much
emhittered and excited, and rs the
I'll # 1905 b1rJ
nf brave men We're nnder arms and
stood ready to ii sht to the bitter end.
Thompson was not IL candidate, but
FOntenOt again stood for the office of
Sheriff.
The result is known. Fontenot,
good man, soon passed away, leaving
his faction without an acknowledged
leader and on the 8tli inst, Thompson
was called to his long home.
AFTER ife's titfifat fa.as, .sbcy sleep we'll"
The coincsdepcass4 ~ .ek se.k.Is singular.
but it is not nnpree 1eas<sa In 1913 as
many as four veryiad tFvzS7v.u Led leaders
passed away in IA hs,ccession Sir
Samuel Romilly, Ler4xHs L4 .chei5 eion, Lord Fl |
lenborough and Sir Ph1ip Francis.
Both Fontenot and.nIhompson were
strong in the affectioEf of their respect
i've factions. The forsptr was ii mem
utE oi ~ ldIge taWiif. Ills connections |
were legion, III addition to which he |
great personal magnetism, on account |
of all which he was believed to be in
vulnerable and upconquerabie. But |
he came to his Waterloo, and went |
down. Thompson, too, was nIan of |
the people, was we'll known to have
worked his way uD. unsupported by
family or family influence, for he had
none. He won his way to popularity
by industry and the possession of those
qualities that command admiration and
attract men. He came of a family
noted for profound piety and unques-
tionable honesty. His maternal grand
father was Ezekiel Mixer. His grand
mother Sarah Hargroder Both chris
his father, was a native, We believe, of
Missouri. He was brought here in ear
ly youth by his mother Mrs. Beaucl.amp.
The old lady was Il. christian in the
fullest sense. So that Charles might
justly have said with the English bard
when looking at the portrait of his de-
parted mother:
my beast is not that detluce MY birth
From loins enthrened and monarchs of the
earth;
But higher far my proud pretentions rise
The son of parents passed into the skies"
In several respects, he was notable
man. In youth. prompted by tilal af-
fection ard "A feeling Of personal res
he voluntarily and prompt
" assumed the role of Pater familias
He provided for his mother. sisters and
brother-suppied them with the nrdi-
nary comforts of life-had his sisters ,
politely educated in good schools, and
kindly assisted his brother in qualify
ing himself for all business Of an ord-
nary character. There ace, compare
lively very few snch sonsHas the de-
As citizen he was qnietlS@s0,d law
abiding. He waoed and welded Mrs ,
Anderson, widowed daughter I
IT our distinguished and sincerely vene-
'ated fellow citizen Henry Lastrapes |
Garland, who is now, with his good
wife in Scotland or Ireland, whittier
hey went on tour nf pleasure and of
OF his wife, who sur ,
ives him, four children were born to ,
lim, three of whom survive.
He fingered long in great agony of !
,aID, hs Il all the attention and care that {
devoted mother, kind sisters, rela- :
ives and apxious friends could possi- I
'ly bestOw, but in despite of all, the
,Rtless spoiier came, and he died with
mt struggle.
He but turn'd about to make his pill
ow easy. then slipped into his shroud to
est forever. :
He was the friend of every man. ;
Who did deserve the name; ..
rom high to low, from rich to poor,
His bearing was the same" |.