The Opelousas courier., 1900-09-22
The Bitter Bit!
And Now He HoWIS VOciferOusly
How Political Trickery and
Treachery Were
Neatly Cheekmated at Baton
Rouge.
1.-TWO Wrongs Do Not Make Right,
as Judge Lawrason Correctly
Says, But
The Somewhat Revolutionary Means
Employed Seemed 10 Exactly Fit
the Occasion.
How alc 'sKule or Rnin" Minority En-
gimeered Their Predetermined Bolt.
IFrom the Baton Rouge Advocate, Sept. Is


xineered Their Predetermined Bolt.
From the Baton Rouge Advocate, Sept. ISL.
The Democratic Convention
called for the purpose Of nomina-
ting q candidate from Congress
met and made its nomination and
a bolt occurred, resulting in a
rump convention and another
Congressional candidate lnas-
much as the deliberations result
inc in these extraordinary conse-
auences will be the theme of
much discussion both in the press
and upon the rostrum during the
next six weeks, it is we'll to sum-
marize as briefly, as candidly, and
as fairly as possible some of the
events leading up to this unfortu-
nate condition Of affairs whereby
the party was ruptured and its
success in the general election
placed in jeopardy. When the
delegates from the several par
ishes reached the seat of the con-
vention on Tuesday. it became
apparent to all that Col. Robert
son had carried fairly and legally
a sufficient number of the par
ishes to insure control OF the
convention by his friends and to
effect his nomination on the first
ballot. Under the rules which
had been adopted for the govern
ment of the organization of the
convention, the Executive Com
mittee, following the precedent
of National Democratic conven-
tions, was authorized to prepare
a temporary roll of the conven-
ton, subject, of course, to the
approval of the convention. 1t
was found, upon the arrival of
the delegates, that an utterly frlv-
olous contest had been entered
against the delegates elected from
the parish of Tangipahoa, the
purpose of this contest being pal
pabiy to tie up the delegation
from that parish and to prevent
its participation in the temporary
organization of the convention,
the delegates. against whom the
contest was instituted being friend
| " to Robertson. There was also
contest in the Point Coupee
delegation, but this was a serious
contest in which Democratic prln-
ciples were involved and which
required serious consideration at
the hands of the convention. Pro-
ceeding under its legal authority
the executive committee of the
district met the day before the
date fixed for the assembling OF
the convention and entered upon
the duty imposed upon it of pre-
pairing the temporary roll OF the
Ieonvention. So palpable was the
fraud attempted to be perpetra-
ted against the Democracy Of
of Tangipahoa, that the commit
1mittee decided. to place the Rob-
3ertsony delegates, against whom
the contest was instituted, upon
the temporary roll Of the conven-
Ition, when the Point Copee con-
test, beinga bona fide one, was
referred for adjudication to the
iconvention. Just at this junct-
ure, the delegation from West
IFeliciana, which had been elected
as a Robertson delegation, object
led to the proposition to place Tan
i giphoa upon the temporary roll,
| but its leading members assured
lCol. Robertson that if the COM
mittee would recede from its ac-
tien and amend its report by re-
ferring the contest from Tangi-
pahoa to the convention lie could
! Eoount upon the loyal support Of
1.-The delegates from their parish
/ West Feliciana). Being anx-
.Iious to avoid friction within the
| convention and desirous of main
tanning harmony in the party, Col.
q RODeftSOH, Notwithstanding Cudl
his friends absolutely controlled
1.-THE convention, yielded to the re.
II quest of the West Felieians
delegation who protested their
friendships for him, anda greed te
the proposition to amend the re.
port of the committee, take Tan
gipahoa off the temporary roll o1
! the convention and place it in ths
list Of contested parishes to b
!, passed upon by the committee
: This extraordinary sacrifice made
by Col. Robertson and his friendI
purely in the interest of part.
} harmony placed, anfortunatel..
il for him and for the Democratic
lparty, his fate in The hands of th'
delegation from West Feliciana
y las they held the balance Of powe
lin the temporary organization
] with the vote of Tangipahoa elm
mated. This, however, was no