The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1868-10-22
STUPID AND pREsuMPruous.

II would seem that the anonymous and
invisible ring of New York politicians who
proposed to swap candidates at the most in
opportune moment, have suggested another
project which is equally original, hl-tlmed'
impairment and stupid 1t is that the Ma
tional Democratic Executive Committee shall
Announce that Democratic electors, who are
now in the field shall be voted for, without
reference to existing presidential nominations,
and shall instruct those electors to reserve their
votes for a ticket to be nominated after the
November election, provided they form ma
iority of the electoral college This reveals
the true nature of the motives which actuate
the prime movers in the swapping" scheme.
II their object had been simply to substitute
other names for those of Seymour and Blair
as means of securing Democratic success at
the coming election, they would, of course,
never think of postponing such substitution
to some day subsequent to the election. 1t is
clear, then, that they did not desire change
of candidates for the purpose of improving
the popularity of the ticket Their conduct
is only to be explained on the supposition
that they are dissatisfied, for other reasons,
with the nomination of Seymour and Blair,
and have sought to take advantage of criti-
cal stage of the campaign to force an annul-
ment of that nomination. Having failed
to effect that object in the shape OF a
change of ticket on the eve of election,
they now, it appears, coolly propose that
the Democratic ticket shall be abolished al
together, and that some caucus, or cotsrie' or
irregular conclave shall choose the presiden-
tial nominees after The election. if in favor OF
the Democrats, and when such proceeding
would absolutely decide who should be Presi-
dent and Vice President for the next four
years. The whole scheme is unprecedented
and monstrous. In trickery and treachery it is
SO shallow and transparent as to be simply
contemplate; and in arrogance and presump-
ton it is absurd and preposterous beyond all
example. Just think of it. The plan is,
instead of having conventions to submit tick
cts to the ratification of the people, to have
the people to choose so-called college of
electors, whose sole function shall be to ratify
the names selected for President and Vice
president by some anomalous assemblage of
politicians. The people would vote blindly-
vote for nobody The whole question of the
Presidency would remain to be decided after
the presidential electionl The thing is stu
pidly wild and impracticable, besides being
fatty contrary to the essential principles of
Republican government. Suppose even-if
if it be a possible supposition-that
the National Executive Democratic Committee
should advise Democrats to vote for presi-
Dental electors without reference to presi-
dental ticket, it is certainly not supposable
that the Democratic party would consent that
any other than regular Democratic conven-
ton should choose the men to be voted for
by its electors. And inasmuch as Seymour
and Blair were the deliberate choice of
regular Democratic convention before the
November election, the idea that another
regulsr Democratic convention, faithfully
representing the party, would deliberately
reject these names after the success of the
party had closed the question of availability,
touches the very height of the improbable
and absrlrd