The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1872-09-07
THE FUSION.

obsolete Reform parties have thrown
US into an ecstacy of delight and en-
thusiasm, would be to make a mis-
statement of facts; to say that the
CHIEF will or will not support the
| ticket to the end of the campaign
would, in either case, be venturing a
prophecy which conscience viii not
allow us to do. We should be exceed
idgly 10th to take any course that
would tend to aid the triumph of
Kellogg and Grantism in Louisiana,
and if the situation remains as at
present, necessitating a support of
one or the other of the State tickets
now IN the field, we hardly anticipate
that our choice of two evils will fall
upon the Kellogg.
When it is considered that the
Liberals of the State outnumbered
the Democrats perhaps three to one,
and were the only party in the State
in accord with the National Liberal
party which supports Greeley and
Brown, the terms of fusion at once APP
pear one-sided and unfair. Even had
the Democrats consented to abandon
their platform and adopt those of the
National and State Liberal parties,
we would have been ready to yield
them the first place upon the
State ticket with better grace than
now. But III refusing to accept those
platforms, they have demonstrated
that the same illiberal, last ditch spir-
it which aetuated them when they
rejected the previous terms of fusion
offered by the Liberals clings to them
now, and makes the union of the two
parties more one of name than spirit
more one of expediency than heart
felt accord in principles and ideas. If
the present Fusion State ticket is
elected, the whole patronage of the
State and National Governments
conceding the success of Greeley and
Brown-will fall into the hands of
the Last Ditchers, and we refuse to
admit that such % contingency bodies
increased prosperity for Louisiana.
Look at the matter in business
point of view, which more or less af-
feets every man in the State: The
candidacy of MeEnery, who, seconded
by the New Orleans Picdyune and
other journals, is crying for repudia-
ton of certain inspected portions of
the State debt, has served to tighten
the money market and reduce the
value of perfectly legal State securi-
ties toless than one-haf the figure at
which they could be disposed of
three months ago. To cite single
example the bonds of the n. O., NJ.
and t. r. r., which a few months ago
brought 65 cents on the dollar, will
not bring more than Is cents now.
Furthermore, McEnery and his po-
Iitical associates have all along de-
nounced the men who. have been in
accord with Gov. Mammoth as car
-baggers, scoundrels, thieves and
moral lepers, who should be driven
from the State, one and all. Can it
be expected that these men will now
turn with willing hearts and lick the
hand that has smote them, and that
they will cheerfully give their all-nec-
essary support to elevate to power
and honor their abusers and revilers ?
We make the prediction right here
that they will not do it. They claim
the right to live in Louisiana and es-
pouse what political principles and
support what party they please, and
they will not bow to the dust before
men who have abused them without
reason, and slandered them without
offering to bring specific charges of
misdemenaors against them or adduce
proofs of their alleged dishonesty and
corruption. Far be it from us to deny
that bad, dishonest men have been
allied with the party which has sus-
tanned the Republican Government of
Louisiana far be it from us to defend
these men. But we do say that among
that party have been and still are
men as pure in principle and conscien-
tious in their devotion to the interests
of Louisiana as can be found in the
State, aud that this class has always
been, and is now especially largely