The Opelousas courier., 1900-09-22

considered serious matter by
Col. Robertson, as he had the
positive assurance of the West
Feliciana delegation, or majority
of it, that they would stand by
him. Subsequent events demon
strated the unwisdom of this
course, as no sooner did the West
Feliciana delegation find itself in
possession of the key to the stu
alton than Il candidate developed
from within their own ranks, the
majority of the delegation Joined
hands with the Coco delegation,
regardless of pledges made Col.
Robertson, and by that coalition
the control of the convention
passed into the hands of the op-
position to Col. Robertson. The
Executive Committee by unani-
nous vote, Notwithstanding the
fact that at least two of its MEM
bers were bitterly antagonlstic to
Col. Robertson, declared the con-
test from Tangipahoa to be utter
ly without merit and recommended
that they be seated, but as the
adoption of this report would
have again given the control Of
the convention to the friends of
Col. Robertson, West Feliciana
furnished the vote to make the
majority against that measure,
thereby depriying Col. Robertson
of an advantage to which he was
fairly entitled and deprived a
great parish whose claims to reg
ularity were admitted by the bit
terest anti-Robertson partlsans in
the convention from its right Of
participation in the deliberations
of that body The friends of
Col. Robertson regarded this con-
duct upon the part of West Fell
ciana as ruthless betrayal of
confidence, and the agreement en-
tered into in the interest Of har-
mony having been violated by
West FeIiciana, and advantage
having been taken Of that agree
ment to rape Il parish and wrest
the control of the convention
from the majority and place it in
the hands of the minority, it was
determined t. restore the conven-
ton into the control of the ma
jority and to thwart this bold eff
fort of the minority to drive
roughshod over the rights of the
majority. Accordingly, when the
convention assembled on yes ter
day the parish of TangipaNoa
through Mr.. McClendon, one of
the legally elected delegates, The
regularity of whose credentials
had been admitted by even the
anti-Robertson members of the
committee, arose and demanded
that the names of the Tangipahoa
delegates who had been kept
out of participation in the con-
ventien for purely partisan rea
sens, whose regularity had been
certified to by even the Coce par
tisans in the Executive Commit
tee should be placed upon the
temporary roll of the convention
| and a ruling from the chair was
| demanded. The chair promptly
ruled that Tangipahoa was en-
| titled to be represented in the
convention and the secretary was
| ordered to place the names of its
delegates upon the roll. A vote
was then taken on a motion tc
take a 1ecess, the anti-Robertsor
delegates voted ON the roll call as
did also the Tangipahoa delegates
and, on this righteous roll call
the centrol of the convention
passed out of the hands of ar
usurpatory minority and passed
back into the hands of the right
| full majority, and political trick
| cry had met with its just retribu
ton. Then q remarkable scene
/ ensued. Frenzied with baffieC
rage the vanquished delegates
surged forward towards. the ros
trum and the demonstrations be
| came SO threatening that sheriff
Young, who, with many othe
spectators was present in the hall
was compelled to command th'
/ peace and threaten to arrest sew
eral Of the more turbulent dele
| gates. As an officer of the law i
| was plainly his duty to do this
and his prompt and determines
attitude unquestionably averted
| serious collision and probabl!
1 bloodshed. However, this unfor
tunate incident, brought on alto
gether by the rashness OF the an
ti-Robertson delegates, served t
! furnish Judge Coco occasion, i
his ineendiary harangue befor
the rump convention yesterday, t
make a violent and untruthfnl as
sault upon the Democratic majol
ity and upon the city of Bato
Rouge, charging them with hav
ing employed sheriffs, deput
sheriffs, the police and even tn
militia to override the people
will. Such outrageous exagge'
/ a 4