The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1871-12-27

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attic marriage" especially if - s =
expected to play the part Of ~
bride in such an alliance, and cam
be permitted to appear when -
partner receives company, e,
through our separate propert, is a.
chief support Of the establishment
Mr.. Blair assures us in his len.
that many Republicans d;sapo,ns.
of negro Suffrage and the reconst,a
tion acts. Democrats do not ~.
whether this is true or not. The, i. !
not propose to fight those lost haiti
over again. But surely Sena,..
Schurz and Trumbull, whom b 4,
giles out for mention as proh.hl 5
leaders of the dissatisfied Repubt
cans, stand by negro suffrage ~, {
have given uniform support to II.
reconstruction acts. Why shoup !
MIR. Blair introduce these ton;.
which belong to an effete past?. n,
do not perceive their pertinence AM
even if those bygone issues could i. i
revived, no Republican votes coula
be got by galvanizing them into /
transient, hideous life. These a..
topics which must be dismissed n.
oblivion, whether the passive pole, !
is accepted or not.
The main hinge of all Mr. Bla;y,
arguments is the assumed week.-mrs.
and declining strength of the Dem
ocratic party. He falls into the mn.
conscious exaggeration of earnest
men who wish TO carry point. tn
Democratic party has not been d..
clining in strength since the mismap.
aged election of 1868. On the con.
trary, it has made great and inspi,.
ing gains. In the Forty-frst Con.
gress, elected in 1865, the Delnocrai,
had only seventy-eight members d
the House; whereas in the Fortyss
cond Congress, elected in 1870 and
now just met in its first regular SCI
sion, the Democrats have 1O7 mem
bers, or thereabonts; gain of nearlr
fifty per cent. The returns Of ths
Congressional elections last year
show that the Democratic party q
the United States has clear maior;.
ty of the popular vote. We have
taken pains to go over and collate tie
statistics of last years Congressional
elections, and no person who. under
takes the same labor can reach n.
suit materially different from u
following:
Democratic vote for Congressman g, JAIN
Republican vote. 49,. .2,6e5<l
Democratic popular majority 56.H
The Republicans, who have n
SO long been in power in most Of u,
State governments, have gerrymsa
dered the Congressional districts, 4
that the number of Democratic Con
gressmen falls short of our fair GRO
portion as measured by the Demo
cratic popular vote. If the Demo
cratic party were fairly Representa-
in proportion to its voters who aetu
ally came to the polls last year, n
should have clear majority fth
present Congress. Bot even'judse1
by the number our Corsressmen VI
are nearly fifty per cent stronger thai
We were in the Congress elected i
1868. Mr.. Blair is therefore quit
out in his reckoning when be 1,
sumes that the Democratic party be
not been CANNING strength in tb
} last three years. We had a clea
majority of the popular vote last yea
and since the recent removal OF dil
reimbursement in Virginia, West VII
: ginia, Tennessee and Missouri, v
may count upon a large increase j
: our popular majority. Such BEN
the facts, we were never more certai
) OF anything than we are that the d
$ mocratic party will not accept Of u
passive policy. We shall take an ca
3 ly occasion to state our opinions o
this subject on broader basis th,
:. mere views of party success; but VIII
3 We have now said will suffice to sho
: that we have no faith in the 'passi,
e policy" We are for liberal polio
l q progressive policy which ignor'
j. dead issues and deals with prese
:. questions, policy which mounts in
: the saddle with its face towards u
a horses Lead and not towards
t tail: but still a vigorous, active cour
e geons, aggressive policy as again
), our political opponents. In this d
r liberate judgment, we are sorry
Y digger from some esteemed Democrat
e but We feel absolutely certain that :
J. shall be supported by the great ms
d of t b Democratic party.-[Nt