The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1873-10-08
Straight Democratic Contest,

There will doubtless be Republi.
can nominee for President in 1876 who
will be the regular candidate. Whcth-
er the campaign will be like that of
1924, when all the candidates were of
the same party, and when the regular
Ecaucons nominee came out third in the
race, cannot now be determined.
IT a state of things analogous to the
events of 1924 does not arise three years
hence, then there will be one great op-
position party with its single candidate
in the field against the regular nomi-
nee of the Republican party. Now, it
is to the last degree important that at
the close of the elections of this pres
ent autumn the friends of reform
throughout the country should be able
to determine whether the Democratic
party as now organized is to constitute
the Opposition in 1876, or whether it is
to spring from some other source and
be composed of materials drawn from
many quarters.
The Democrats themselves seem to
understand this. Confident III their
ability to meet the demands of the ex-
igency, or at all events not disposed to
finch from trying the experiment,
their State Conventions are repndia-
ting the coalition of last year, reject
ing all proposals for new alliances, lay
ing down old fashion platforms, and
placing thereon as candidates none but
politicians Of the most orthodox type.
Even in Massachusetts, where the Dem
oc?ats never were successful except
through coalitions, and where members
Of that party are about as plenty as
blackberries at Tire north pole, they do
not try to take advantage Of the Re-
publican dissensions growing out of
bitter Butler and Washburn contest.
but merely echo the Ohio resolutions
and nominate straiglt.ou candidate
for Governor. The tenor of the discus.
SONS and the final action of the Demo
cratic State Committee of New York
in issuing their call for the State Con-
vention in October very clearly show
that the Democracy Of this State will
pursue the same course this fall which
has already been marked ont by their
political brethern in Ohio, Pennsylva-
MIA, Maryland, and elsewhere.
Upon the whole, it is perhaps well
that this issue is thus squarely made.
The Democrats could not try tile ques-
ton under more favorable circumstan-
ces than the present. Since the last
election the Republican party has lost
much of its prestige. The investiga-
ton of the past winter proved that
many of its most distinguished leaders
were stepped in corruption. The res
olutions of it's State Conventions this
year have been chiefly remarkable for
their condemnation of the most noto-
rioas acts of the party for some time
past, and for their censu,e of those
who have long shaped its policy and
worn its donors. 1t is obvious, too,
from the loosening ofparty lines in the
Northwest that large masses of the
people desire change in politics; and
all history shows that the party of the
Opposition suffer most by the weak
ening of existing ties.
If therefore, in the contests of this
fall the Democrats, even with the aids
we have pointed out, triumph in those
States which everybody knows they
must carry to elect President in 1876,
theirs will thenceforwarl be recognized
as the Opposition which is to encoun-
ter the Republican candidate three
years heace. If, on the other hand,
with wind and tide in their favor, they
are pretty generally beaten, then it
can hardly be doubted that large num-
bers Of the party will admit the fact
that its usefulness is gone and its
days numbered; while its ranks and
file, tired of achieving nothing but