New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-03-19
GOVERNOR wARMOTH IN NEW YORK


Party observation-disclosures Cnsey's
CrOwd-GeneraI LOngstreet Deserts
Grant-CustOmhOuse CorruptiOn-The
SwindIing Legislative Schemes of
CRAMPS AppOintees Vetoed by the Gov
ernOr-The Prevalence of Bribery-At-
titude of the Negro Element-Steady
Growth of the Anti.Grant Movement
Liberal Republican Prospects.
Wereproduce from the New York Tribune
of last Thursday the following report of an
interview with Governor Warmoth by a
Tribune reporter:
Governor II. c. Warmoth, of Louisiana,
who has recently passed triumphantly
through an exciting contest with the Gus
tomhOuse ring, led by Collector Casey, OF
New Orleans, is spending few days in this
city, looking after the interests OF the New
Orleans. Mobile and Texas Railroad Com
panv in which his State is a large stock
holder, and which has just held its annual
meeting and election of directors. lie was
visited yesterday, at the Fifth Avenue
Hotel, by Tribune reporter, with whom
he cOnversed freely concerning the cOmpli-
Gated political situation in Louisiana. and
the prospects in that State of the coming
Presidential campaign. Governor War
moth is tall, keen-eyed, dark demonstrated
man. with quiet air of clear-headed deter
mination, and a straightforward but tenn
perate manner of expressing himself. He
NAV stop in Washington on his way home,
hut declares he will make no overtures of
Cancellation to the President The reporter
began the interview by asking:
''What is the general condition Of parties
now in Louisiana ~
I'VE have four parties" replied Governor
Warmoth, running there now at full blast.
There's the Democratic party, and the Re-
form party, which is an OtfshOOt from it,
under the leadership and control of the
merchants and property -holders of New
Orleans. Besides, We have the Republican
party, of which Lieutenant Governor
Pinchback is the leader; and then we have
the Customhouse Republican party, which
has Collector Casey and Marshal Packard
and Postmaster Lowell for its leaders. The
Reform party is violently opposed by the
Democratic Central Committee, which re-
CARDS the reform movement as an innova-
ton on the regular Democratic organiza-
ton and the rights of the committee. The
RefOrmers have called State convention
to meet in New Orleans on the twenty-sec
ond of April, and the committee has called
another for April IT, The probabilities are
that one of these wings, can't say which,
will swallow the other, and we shall have
at the next election only one opposition or
ganization. The split is not very marked,
and, whichever faction succeeds, it will be
supported by the other without boiling"
stWhat started this Reform movement
Charges of corruption in the city gov
eminent. We have a Committee Of Fifty
one there, but, unlike your Committee of
Seventy, its investigation terminated favor
ably to the city officials, notwithstanding
the bitter feeling against them. The COM
mittee, by the way, has four or five Repub-
icans on it. The Democratic politicians are
all on the side Of their central committee,
which, of course, weakens the Reformers for
practical work"
mo fraud was discovered then ~
"None at all. The officers of the city
government were appointed by myself, and
I believe it is now regarded by all the peo-
pie of New Orleans as probably the ablest
city government they have ever had there
certainly as honest as any The Demo
cratic Central Committee has lost the con-
tidence Of the people pretty generally, l
think, owing to the fact that it formed,
without authority from the party, COM
bination with the Customhouse Repub-
licans, with a view of 0verturning the
State government, and then resorted to
popular tumults and demonstrations of
force to accomplish that purpose. reaching
on one or two occasions to armed bands of
men parading the streets. These were the
attempts to overawe the Legislature, made
during the session last January. under the
lead of the Democratic Central Committee
and the federal officials, and lately investi-
gated by the Congress committee"
what is the strength CT this Custom
house party"
1T is confined almost exclusively to the
city of New Orleans. its few adherentS IN
the country parishes being in most IN
stances p0stmasters or collectors or assess
ors OF internal revenue. A few disattected
negroes, who have missed the political pre-
fermeut they were after, also support TINS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 2000 ont of the 15,0OO
negro voters in the State During the life
time OF Governor Dunn the Customhouse
leaders We're stronger among the negroes
than they have ever been since; and, In
fact, they have been growing constantly
weaker since his death. The attitude of
the colored men is shown by the fact that
ON of forty-tive colored Legislators in the
House of Representatives. thirty We're sup
DOIters of the State government, and out
of six colOred men in the Senate, four were
suprorters Of that government as against
the Cssay-Carter Democratic coalition.
H}ne ~ the colored CustOlnhouse Senators
us a bonded warehouse Keeper, and the
-. had fine Lieutenant Governorship i'll
lev II is lust to say, however, that these
nolored men. since the conclusion OF the
LEGISLATIVE ilnbroglio, have declared tneii
nnrnose to withdraw from -the casey lac
ton, and did cooperate VIII Us LII 10 ' sr
last days Of the session. ana Will w 81
ne What is the strength of the Liberal Re
publican party?" 1o,;s;.ra
..Tbe cenuiHe Republicans OF louisiana
of whose Central Committee Lieutenant
Governor Pinchback is president, eom S9a rs
limo. all of the colored people ofthe state
o. well as all the active white Republicans
except those who hold federal om Iia 70 ,bt
as General Longstreet friendly " 'n'
Liberal Republicans " ~ 70 the present
neen ns su ardent supporter Of General Grant