New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-05-31
for the United States and in basing upon
such travesty violent ex parte Grafton to
the-public,
OUR POLITICAL HYPOCRITEs.

| iEiPdtCu CAdSb VI ptIoOuS VIII udfo AOu
been the curse of this city. And thong
condemned to occupy subordinate pos
ton in it's columns, instead of being take
for the leader, and set in double leade
type, it will be read by all and approve
by everybody except those whom
describes. The political hypocrites an
demagogues are therein sarcastically de
fined as patriots, ever on the alert to say
the country from the consequences of fol
lies committed by everybody except them
selves. The REPUBLICAN has been en-
gagged for years. almost single handed, il
combating these superserviceable pa
triots, who in the capacity of politica
missionaries succeed in setting communi
ties by the ears, and finally run away will
the prize contended for.
It does not follow that because mar
is able to point out such defects in a worl
Of any sort that will make people general
| ly dissatisfied with it, that he could dc
better if he had chance to try. 1t is al
easy matter to criticise picture, litera
ry work, the performance of an actor, OF
anything else, but it is profound mistake
to suppose the critic who pirates so glibly
Of what, possibly, he really does not un.
derstand, would have avoided any of the
errors he points out, and it may be &C.
cepted as an absolute certainty that he
would have been guilty Of others more
fragrant and glazing. General Lee is re-
ported to have sarcastically regretted that
all the worst generals in the Confederate
army were sent into the field and all the
best to editing newspapers and writing
criticisms on the conduct Of the war. But
it is in politics more than in any other
pursuit that the hypocrite reaps his har-
vest. With just sense enough to construct
few ungrammatical sentences, the ward
politician will mount the rostrum, where
he at once becomes modern Demosthenes
and rails at the men who are really trying
to do little something for the benefit OF
the country. Generally, Congress and
the President come in for one sweeping,
wholesale censure. Descending gradually
in the political scale, the Governor and
Legislature are represented to be just what
the orator probably would be if in Office.
These are the men who control political
parties in this city. Like the San Fran.
cisco Hoodlums, so graphically described
by Nordhoff, they are opposed to systems
which they can not improve, and de-
nounce practices solely because they are
not the actors. Nordhoff tells US the
Hoodlums are opposed to the Chinese be-
cause they work at low rates. But when
they are offered work at their asking
prices they decline it when the condition
is attached to it that they must
go short distance out of the city.
These so-called patriots are not confined
to any party specially, though they gen.
orally manage to join themselves to the
one having the greatest power to do them
good, or confer benefits upon them in re-
ward for their distinguished services
Not being sagacious, however, they fire.
quently make mistakes, and great noise
in consequence. Were the press to combine
against them they would be short lived.
AS they subsist upon notoriety solely, a
season of utter oblivion would about
finish them. But SO long as every local
reporter is permitted to lay their names
before the reading community every morn
ing in connection with some proposed
or as subscribers to charity
or the orator of the occasion at
ward powow, just so long will they be
kept alive. We believe there are enough
good people in this city to rule it properly,
md it is much more important that this
shall be done than that even the Republi-
IAN party shall be successful. The public
good is Of supreme Importance party
interests merely secondary. Unless we can
promote the first named, the second will
soon become valueless. We have every
:eason to desire change in some respects
n our own party usage. We ought to get rid
It once of the ignorant, the dishonest and
he incompetent. Men have been honored |
With the favor Of the Republican party
who have proved themselves unworthy of |
t. Unless such can be weeded out at the |
lext election there will be very light |
7ote. AS our principles are sound, we
ought to select candidates to match. I'm
fortunately we have not always done this
IN all occasions. The party is made to
blush every day for the disgraceful con-
luct Of some trusted one, while there is
IN incessant demand upon those who can
rame sentence in passable English to
!pologize for some official who is not
eally very bad, only little foolish. Let
Is have strong, self-sustaining men, such
IS will be able not only to sustain them
elves but have some strength to spare for
he weaker ones already in Office, but
Who hold over till next election. And in
making selections we should not be gov
rned too strictly by antecedents. If the
opposition could be persuaded to remit
title of their old war spirit and learn to
reat the negroes with simple justice, there
yould very soon be an end to three disa-
reeable elements: The old Bourbons,
be extreme radicals, and the superservice-
bic patriots who follow in the rear when
here is danger ahead, and in the van
rhen dividends are in sight.
THE SUPREME COURT.