New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-07-23
THE LIBERAL STRENGTH.

for the Liberal party that the most san
guine friends Of the cause hardly dared to
hope for. 1t shows that the party has
majority Of the votes of the city, and the
increase that may be confidently looked
for between now and November will settle
the question of party supremacy in this
parish at least. Probably two-thirds Of
the voters of the Liberal party turned out
on Saturday, thus showing the actual
strength to be more than twenty thousand.
The party that can secure this number Of
votes in November will carry the city. For
we can not calculate with any certainty
upon polling more than thirty thousand
votes. Possibly thirty-fve thousand may
come out. But, in any event, four-ffths Of
those who vote against the Liberal ticket
will support Kellogg and Grant, leaving
the Bourbons just where they deserve to
be, at the fag end. Neither at this time
is there, nor before the election will there
be, more than thousand supporters Of
the Last Ditchers' ticket. By all the
rules of competitive chance, it ought
to be Withdrawn, unless its back
ers wish to make a burlesque of what
is very serious matter, and put in
jeopardy a cause in which they are the
loudest and liveiest in their professions
of zeal.
Already we hear of propositions coming
from the Democratic headquarters to
compromise" But we can see no party
of sufficient rank and influence to treat
with the Liberals on equal terms, or in
deed upon any terms at all. Of course,
these remarks do not apply to the Liberal
Republican organization, but to those who
are sitting in the old Democratic wagon,
with the horses gone, waiting for the start
The Liberal Republicans are openly and
sincerely friendly to the Liberal move
ment and will, if wise counsels prevail in
the fifth Of August convention, ratify on
the ninth the nominations made on the
first named day. But they have some
claim to be consulted in the making up Of
the ticket, Their forty or forty-fve thou
sand votes entitle them to this considera-
ton, and the Liberals will be wise to bear
that fact in mind. For the Liberal party
proper and the Democratic party COM
bined can not carry this State without the
assistance of the Liberal Republicans
The latter undoubtedly hold the balance
of power between the Kellogg party and
all others combined. And as the objects
to be gained are important, and the
case urgent, it will require the selection
Of the strongest men that can be
found as standard bearers. Rising young
politicians and old ones, who have for
some time had been laid up in ordinary
can not expect to come in at first for the
higher honors, but should be willing to
win their way up from the foot Of the
ladder by degrees. For, though the Lib
erals are strong, as shown by the vote Of
Saturday, they may lose a material per
ton Of their strength by imprudent seIec-
tions of candidates. The issues that
divide the people Of this city are founded
upon principles that strike down deeper
than the transient desire (howeyer earnest
that may be- for reform. For a case may
be easily imagined in which even reform
may be purchased at too dear rate. But
as the true principles Of government upon
which the Republican party was founded
are in entire consOnance with a wise ad-
ministration Of the government the peo-
pie may easily preserve the one, while
they effect the regulations that WILL secure
the other To some extent the voters at
the election in November will be infu-
enced by the same considerations that
divided the people in 1870. This was felt
in the primary elections on Saturday, and
will no doubt reappear in the convention.
The Democratic party, or rather the frag-
ment that remains of it, is bGsed solely
upon these issues. If their desire was
reform or improvement in the Legislative
department of the State, they would be
ready to cooperate with all those who were
for that end. But this can not
be done without burying those deep
seated prejudices which cling to some Of
the more obdurate old party hacks with
such a tenacity that death alone can re-
lease. And there are thosands Of voters
who are opposed to the Democracy, who
are equally as stubborn, and being by far
the more numerous, are as little likely to
yield. The Liberal Republicans to a man
will insist that none of the fundamental
articles of their political faith shall be
ignored in the great rush for reform. In
other words, that the reforms to be
Effected shall be on Republican rather
han a Democratic basis.
This is apparent in their utter refusal
o listen to any overtures from the Dem
,cratic party as an organization. But,
Ike the Liberals, they throw their doors
RELY open to all who choose to come in
n their individual capacity to work for
he true objects Of the new movement 1
Ind as the Liberals have efectually
bandcned the old tenets, and propose to
% to work on an entirely new basis, they
re recognized by the Liberal Republicans
S friends and allies. Thus the Democra-
Y is repudiated and rejected by all par
les. Their creed does not contain a
ingle element that commends itself to
ither of the other three. The supporters