The Van Buren press., 1873-01-28
The Present and Future.

In order that We may demand respect foi
our own opinions, We must not hesitate to
accord honesty OF judgment to others The
present situation of the Democracy of Aikan-
ras, calls for n display OF this wise prccept
The reform struggle Is over and The last act
In the drama has been closed. Tie curtain
has fallen aud We find, As heretofore. that the
machinery Of our Ubiquitous registration and
election laws. backed by the strong arm OF
The Federal Government. has put In Official
positions men who were not chosen BY thc
people, and many Of whom are very ohnox
ious to large majority of the people, As a
finale. the Ccutral Committee called a'on-
yention of the friends of the Reform move
menL to meet ut Little Rock, on the 4th Of
January. AS soon as the Convention met It
was fully comprehended that the only hope
Of bringing about an issue between the Re-
form officers duly elected at the ballot boxes,
and the usurping Baxter officials. was to form
separate government based upon the legis-
lature to be formed of those Conservatives
who were granted certificates and such as
were contesting seats. 1t being ascertained,
however, that the Conservatives who we're
granted certificates. intended to tacitly re-
coanise the bogus legislature by taking seats
therein, It became at once evident that the
last hope Of a legal l.su- was gone. The Con-
,ention having determined not to do any
thing foolish. merely put the ease on record
and resolved that II was impracticablc to do
anything further, and with dignity ad-
journcd. After the organization Of the So
called Legislature, ofcourse the next exciting
theme was the election ofa u. 5. senator, to
MI the place now occupied by Senator u. 4,
Rice. In the final ballot, Col S. W. DoGsry
was chosen. eighteen Democrats voting fyr
him. In casting their votes, these Democrats
boldly assumed the responsibility Of the act.
They were led to this by various pledges of
reform legislation, 1t now remains for the
future to show whether their faith was we'll
founded. IL they secure the promised lcgsla.
tIon. then, Of course, all viii be well at home.
III they !ai., the consequences are with them.
But the pertinent inquiry now, Is, what
course should DO pursued by those who we're
In tho reform movement. and who disapprove
W taC Stutr 80 Ny tic UctnoSTitS IN NUL'
ing for Col. Dorsey. We can in no event.
Deem il wise to war upon these gentlemen,
for exercising their high prcrogative of free
dom Of opinion. 1t Is not wise on principle /:
Il Il not good policy. fthey can accomplish
any good and succeed In having pledges full
nllcd, IL VIII only be done by presenting n
s,lid front In the Legislature and showing n
sound and earnest moral support from their
constituents, Everything that can be done
should be done to strengthen them, and moth
Ing to demoralzc them. Nothing Is more de-
moralixing than fire In The rear. Let them
feel their responsibility by knowing they
haye no excuse, because of lukewarm sup
port nt home. Further we cannot afford to
ught among ourselves. five war upon these
gentlemen. we simply do. IA the Gazette de-
hircs; we drive them into the Gazette camp
which is but the back Kitchen Of the Radical
temple. We trust they may succeed in all
ehcir undertakings. and we can assure them,
they will lind u faithful helper in us. In all
their efforts for reform While we fear, We
are not utterly hopeless.