New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-03-28
THAT "MASs MEETiNG."
Democrats on RefOrmers.

/ accordance with the good old usages; that
is, Mr.. Kelley, the president, announced at
the beginning that the president, vice
president and secretary be constituted the
executive committee of the ward, and
asked if there were any objection. No OBJ
lection appearing, this nice little arrange
ment was adopted. The speakers who began
to illuminate the surrounding darkness
were Messrs. B. +. Jonas, E. John Ellis,
All OF these gentlemen let into the reform
party. Mr.. Jonas, after calling to mind
the unpleasant fact that he had the honor
to address them last in 1866, and that the
party was beaten in lS70 alluded to the
reform organization as one whose only
effect was to divide the Conservative vote
at the tine he mentioned there being no
divisions thought of in the Democratic
ranks 1t is the party of expediency,
not of principle. The members he charac
terized as of great respectability" but
cast the whole weight of his speech against
their policy, which could only end in the
triumph Of the enemy. The speaker did not
colored men who were voters in the State
that for this reason the offices should be
appOrtiOned out to them in proportion to
their numerical strength, without regard to
| capacity or honesty. He intimated the Re-
| formers did believe it, and were acting
under it. The Democrats, owing to the lack
of interest of large portion of our popu-
| 49, 1.,I Il
| disastrous defeat, but, SO far from r being
| true, as the Reformers said. that it was "a
party of defeat" it had never in this State
been beaten before. Somebody had pulled
| his coat tails when he was delegate to the
| National Democratic convention, and told
| him not to be too sanguine when he an
| nounced that Louisiana would give Seymour
| 10000 majority. But he was in this estimate
far within the actual facts. In short, Mr..
Jonas tried to make the crowd believe that
| no reform party was necessary in the com
munity to insure a success in November.
Mr.. Ellis got on the same track he ran on
in the ward meeting in Jefferson, near the
Stock Landing, some time ago. In fact. it
was almost the same speech he delivered
there, OF rather it was distributed different
He went as far back as the war, and de-
sceDded by easy stages to the present day,
letting himself down slowly and stopping
by the way to exhort his hearers on the
awful dangers of living under the federal
government. He went tor the Reiorlners
on the social equality question: and. picking
out colOred man from the crowd. told him
he must work out the social equality doc
trine himself. whereupOn the colOred man
shook him by the hand. When the Reform
ers said they would give the colored man
any more rights than those guaranteed by
the laws; when thev said they would invite
them to their families and into their homes
and social gatherings they lied. The Demo
Gratis promised the colored men no special
rights, for they had all the rights they
wanted.
The speaker expatiated largely on the re
ported saying of some Of the Reformers,
who said. if it were necessary to save the
State. they would even vote for Grant.
This was not to be done under any consid-
Grafton. What guarantee have the Demo
Gratis they would not be reconstructed again
were such the cesel The speaker looked
upon such an alternative with unlimited
horror. Certain allusions made in the
speech to Democratic gospel the strong
hoarse moan to his voice, the touches OF
Biblical lore strewn throughout his dis
course, made it resemble al sermon. and
caused the table on which he stood to re
semble pulpit. His remarks were solemn
throughout.
Mr.. McCaleb leaped upon the table while
the meeting was roaring for Decatur"
and after Mr.. L. A. Wilt had been intro
duced, like jack in the box. when the
spring is unclasped, and simultaneously
announced that truth is mighty and will
prevail While the spectators were in
doubt whether the truth in question related
to Mr.. Witt, who had not appeared, or to
general principles, he astonished his be-
wildered hearers still more by saying he !
had been elected coroner to hold an in
quest over the Reform party and further |
Oh, lie said that ''the child died Ct bad |
nursing, and that such was the verdict |
already pronounced. In the way OF news. |
Blacl1man showing he .'had no confidence |
ii the Reform party" and hoped the |
sentiments attributed to Mr.. Marks |
were not true. .He then went on
to the coming election question. and said |
the Democrats were going back to free ]
trade. going back to hard money, going
back to many other things which no one |
will ever reach again. He characterized the |
Reform party as springing from the ''rich !
bondholders on Carondelet street." and |
said he, as soon as we get into power there's
going to be an investigation into the bonds
and aids given TO railroads and canals and
" don't care whether it's called repudia
ton CT not, we don't intend to pay dollar
ed and was used for legitimate purpose
The speaker went wild on the Democratic
question before he concluded to disappear,
and he went down with the same sudden
ness he leaped out, having garnished his re-
marks with that ode of Oliver Wendell
Holmes on the destruction of the constitu-
ton, found in every school reader IN the
land, beginning
"Aye tear the tattered ensign down,
Long has it waved on high
These lines were intended to apostTophize
the Democratic banner.
Nh Rogers rose to address his fellow
citizens ON call. and reviewed the remarks
OF his predecessors, at the same time giving
his own views of the situation, which were