St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1911-08-05
Opelousas, La, Aug. /, 1911.
To the Editor of the Clarion:

~ S44S S4A%A ia E
On July 9Th Mr.. Swords ir
telling of his candidacy fol
Sheriff, stated among other
things:
Il had the pleasure of casting
the votes of the nineteen dele.
gates at the Shreveport Conven.
ton for Johh T. Michel for Sec.
rotary of State, over the opposi.
ton of the chairman of the dele.
cation; we were under the unit
rule and | got the unit; and have
supported him since and am
supporting him now"
Your paper appeared on the
9Th. On the 9th / challenged
this statement
I stated in substance there
were only sixteen votes in said
Convention.
That the delegates had not
been instructed to vote as a
unit.
That the only votes Mr.. Michel
received at said Convention, were
first one, which had been cast by
me, and thereafter two, mine and
that of Buddy Baltic. . I also
stated that Mr.. Hargroye was his
opponent. This latter was an
immaterial fact. The material
ones being: How many dele
gates were there from st.
Landry.
Were these under the unit
rule.
How was this vote cast.
My contention being MI.
Michel received one or two Of
these votes, the balance had gone
to his opponent.
I further said $50 satisfied was
| of the accuracy of my state
ments) that some one examine
the Convention proceedings. If
[ am in error, as to the vote for
Mr.. Michel, | will pay one hum
dred dollars in cash to the Charity
Hospital fund"
Mr.. Swords went to the City
for this purpose. He examined,
or caused to be examined, the
Convention proceedings.
On the 18th inst. Mr.. R. S.
Landry, custodian of the same,
issued Mr.. Swords a long certi-
fcate containing extracts from
the proceedings tabulating the
votes as follows:
Michel, 278.
McClendon, IS.
Montegut, 100.
Wren, 16.
st. Landry's vote was as fol-
Michel z votes.
McClendon, Z votes.
Montegut, 2 votes.
Total votes cast Is.
Mr.. Swords paraded this
among the people as proof con-
elusive. Confirmation strong as
proofs Of holy writ accompany
ing this with the joyful declara-
ton I've got him."
Upon every side I met some
one saying: Swords says he's
got you" My reply was always,
I want the proof. / want to
examine these. I want to OBJ
serve the original papers.
Well, he held this proof LWhy
well imagined from the 18th to
the 18th.
Why did it not go in your
paper of the 22d? !,
Was Mr.. Swords endeavoring
to obtain proof aliunde? make !
inquiry for my examination !
Of the record upon yesterday !
in the presence of my son and s
Mr.. Landry, establishes that Mr.. !
record of the vote as !
above set out by him, is not cor .
rect. His certificate is a mere
natter of conjecture. | chal- !
enge his proof to the contrary.
Call upon any disinterested citi-
zen to examine the figures which !
ourports to show st. Landry's $
vote upon his roll, when the :
statement will be Forthcoming, !
hat from these figures no one !
an state how the vote was given :
'ther than from inference; and {
his inference is valueless-Would :
lot be received nor accepted as l
proof in any Court of Justice J
among a civilized nation. |
AS soon as | saw the paper, | !
to Mr.. Landry this paper :
to his record does not ]
correspond with your certificate. '
the certificate you say Mr.. 8
received Z votes. Here
to the record are seve- !
al figures. To my eyes, it ap- ,
BEARS as if there was a figure 4 '
md a Z. Again your certificate J
wards MI. McClendon Z votes. !
Here pointing to the record s
here are no figures. Such flg !
Tres as were in this column have !
been mutilated and obliterated
% that they are now undecipher-
He admitted the fact.
lie could not contradict his
'ecOrd. /
s TT II =