Year: 1878




In two respects tho coming election
in this State will be u most important
one. There is but one State officer to
he elected, and tho place he is to fill is
comparatively OF little Importance. The
question of real interest to the people,
and upon which they will be called to
act, are the Congressional elections and
the constitutional amendments, iuvol-
wing incidentally the question of u con-
stitntional convention. In regard to
the former we only wish to remind the
people of their unusual Importance
The Republican party realizes that its
only chance of salvation as Il national
organization lies in scouting Il mujcrity
in the next House OF rcpresc ,tltives, aud
to obtain this it will be IL, its every ell
ergy and use lavishly and without stint
all the means Of corruption that have
constituted for years the familiar meth
DDS of the party. We have every reason
to believe that extraordinary eNertiOns
will be made to carry at least two dis
tricts in this State. There are many
party eXigcncies which lead us to this
belief, and not the least of these is the
desire Hayes must feel OF striving to
vindlcate himself in d measure against
the charges Of fraud and corruption
with which he has been overwhelmed, and
of substantiating the Charge of murder
and Intimidation bY which Sherman and
his co-conspirators have sought to justi
fy their crimes. But this very consid-
Grafton should, and doubtless will,
arouse our people to at least equal eX-
ertions, and induce thcm to place in
nomination in the various districts their
very best and strongest men, in which
even there can be no doubt of tho char
acter of our next delegation in Congress.
The elections are certainly of great
Importance, yet the real, vital issue,
| the issue that must absorb all others, is
tho question Of IL constitutional convcn-
tion. This proposition is not placed
directly before the people, as it should
have been by the last Legislature after
| it had itself refused to call a convention,
| but 1T will be before the Baton Rouge
| convention, and by it submitted to the
People.


| Whether or not the question of 4
| constitutional convention shall be sub
| mitted to the vote of the Democratic
masses at the next election will consti-
tute about the only matter of discussion
and difference in the party convention at
Baton Rouge, and it will doubtless be
urged and opposed with equal earnest
i ness by those who favor and oppose the
proposition. The character of the con-
test may be predicted from that which
has recently transpired at the selection
in Ouachita of delegates to the Baton
Rouge convention.


| After an unusually exciting cavas$
and u thorough discussion of the qucs
ton, the Democrats of Onachita pro
nounced against u constitutional conven
ton. and instructed their delegates tc
oppose any such proposition. Upon
this question we believe that Ouachit:


will stand alone among the parishes OF
| North Louisiana. We know that il
the parishes West of Red River the feel
inc is unanimous in favor of constitu


tional convention. In this city there
will be made bitter fight in opposition


to it, but it will be made by the same
interests and by the same unscrupulou'


means . that contributed to dcfcat the


measure in our last Legislature. 1t viii
| be made by tho monopolics, the stool


Gamblers and scuch persons whose every