The Lafayette advertiser. [volume] (Vermilionville [i.e. Lafayette], La.) 1865-19??, 1908-02-21
JUDGE COCO CHARGES
new ORLEANS BOSSES
With Violating Primary Laws by Announ.
cling Ticket of their Own and With
Attempting to Control Politics
of State.
New Orleans. Feb. IA, 1908

ANCN lSotlo l. w. wv
Bear Sir:
I wish you would give me
space in your paper to express
nv thanks to my friends for
their support of me in the first
primary, and to ask a continual
ton of the same in the second,
and to discuss briefly a few mat
tiers appertaining thereto. In
doing this I feel that the prin-
pies for which l stand are in the
interest of the people. In that
respect Col. Pleasant (who made
so valiant a fight and I stood on
common grounds, and l think |
may reasonably express the be-
lief that our combined vote rep
resented, in a great measure, the
verdict of the people against the
existing conditions of the Attor-
ney Generals Office, and that
this verdict will be repeated on
the 25th inst.
I feel that it behooves the
country parishes to stand f1rm
against the recent action OF the
New Orleans bosses in framing a
ticket for the second primary.
This is clearly against the spirit
and intention of the Primary
Law, and is an attempt on the
part of the bosses to control the
politics of the State as we'll as the
City of New Orlean5.
Their aim is to throw the full
weight of their organization a.
gainst the divided country par
ishes, and by that means to elect
men in accord with their views.
Their action in forming a Sec
tional ticket, in which New Or
leans gets three of the remaining
offices, and a parish within a
stones throw of New Orleans
gets the other, and by which the
balance of the State is bereft OF
representation on the State tic
ket, is unfair, and. if successful,
viii bring the country. as well
as the city. under the domination
of this powerful political ma
chine.
The purpose of the Primary
Law is to destroy machine poll
tics and to remove its evils. and
this open audacious attempt to
continue the system is not only
a violation of the law, but is an
insult to the intelligence and man.
hood of the people and an injus-
tice to the candidates who sub
nit their names under that law.
Those who know me can vouch
that my record as a Democrat is
straight, and that. from my ear.
lest manhood, l have staunchiy
and without deviation supported
the teachings and followed the
fortunes of the party whose SUI
pretnacy in this state is of para
mount Importance to Louisiana
and her development. No one
can fairly urge that legitimate
criticism of the u~ndemocratic
act of a small. tho powerful,
clique is to be construed as an
attack on a portion of the party,
the question being above person
ahties and one of principle.
Every candidate, in his an.
nouncement. expressed his ap.
pr0val Of the law and declared
his purpose to conduct his cam
paignsaccording to it's spirit and
intention. free from entangling
alliances with other candidates
or sets of candidates, and that
he was not and would not become
the candidate of any political fac.
tion or clique or coterie of men,
and that he would submit his
claims to the people on his own
merits.
My contention is that the
bosses violate the law when they
announce a ticket of their own,
and the candidates who become
a. ~oc of %bo .-.