October, 1881

EAST BATON ROUG, Louisiana

Law

After the Civil War, political machines exerted strong control over Lousianna politics. Louis Wiltz, the Democrat who defeated Judge Taylor Beattie for the governorship in 1879, died in office in October of 1881. Wiltz was a French creole of German ancestry, who experienced great success in the Lousianna business world and became vice-president of the Louisianna State National bank before being elected...