The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1872-03-02
So-called Party Of Reform.

of the Committee of Fifty-one
shall he brief and TO the point.
We are not recent convert TO
reform. When most of the men
comprising this Committee were
dorniants in politics, consulting
their balance sheets, their ledgers
aud their briefs, we were in the
forefront battling against the,
vile and miscellaneous men whose
viler measures have at last thaw-
cd the ice-gorge that then sur
rounded these recent ,informers.
We do not taketo the programme
of the Committee of Fifty Que,
for several reasons. One is that
the recommendation implies a
censure upon our past course as d
Democrat. ,
Now, greatly as we doubted the
policy, in the last canvass, of Sc
lecting third rate, conservative"
men to lead the Democratic party,
we, nevertheless, gave the ticket
our earnest and utmost support.
The ticket failed; but why9 "a
Its asserted, upon authority
undoubted, that of this identical
Committee of fifty one prominent
civilians of New Orleans, who now
propose taking the lead in defeat.
ing the Radicals, only eighteen
were registered at the last cleo
ton in this State! We did our
duty, but what were the non-reg-
istered twenty-three prominent
reformerS of New Orleans doing |?
Did they aught then to save the
State If they did not, what
proof have they to offer that they
will do anythingin the canvass at
hand!
These gentlemen have not cen:
s.dered, we opine, 80 much the
labor necessary to organize a
new party and harmonic the
best elements of the country,
as the mere novelty of
starting new political organiza-
ton. They have not reflected
that in each parish they must be
seconded and assisted by infuen-
tial men who are to give local di-
rection to politics and to organize
clubs and committees. They have
not reflected that their strength
must necessarily come froRl the
Democrats, who are 10th to admit
that men who will not register
and will not work, are the kind
of men to build MP a party and
carry a State. They have not
refie cted that the country is edu-
Gated by sad experience TO view
with distrust all POLITICAL move
meuts originating in New Or.
leans. They seem to have consid-
cred that National politics may he
brushed from the forum of State
politics by mere word, when it is
known that the pungent and
barbed arrows of political discus
sion will penetrate their armor at
every drawing of the bow.
Where is the need of this So
called Reform Party of the Fifty
one? 1t will be answered, that,
to secure reform, we must secure
Republican votes, and that to do
this we must organize a new
party We reply, that the move
proposed, is, we are satisfied, dis
tastful to the Carterites, and, if
agreeable to Warmoth, it is re-
pulsive TO the good people of the
State. In this, then, the plan is
impractible, but not only in this,
but is much more so in the mat
ter of an alliance ofany kind with
Republicans that will prove ac-
ceptable to the bulk of the white
people of the State. Who are
the Republicans whom we, and
thousands in the State like us,
can constantly support and will
support! What Republicans
have the Committee of Ffty-one
put down on their slate for State
offices, and what are their antece-
dents? Can a man advocate
their election who has persistent
~ and continuously fought the in
iquiteus rule of the Radical par
tyf Can he. defend them from
attacks, and advise his people to
vote for them as reliable men
who have been true to their trusts2
These questions suggest Difficult
ties wholly insurmountable.
The party to reform is not the
party of misrule, but the party
that has maintained its opposition
to misrule. To achieve reform,
there must be hard work. To
get hard work, we must look to