New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-06-24
THE VACATION.

Ing OF the puDlc ScnOOlS ana tue eApectee
hegira of people to the North for thu
heated term, will afford the stay -at-home'
something of vacation or interruption
for time from the absorbing cares Of {
political and business life. There is {
multitude of questions which have beer
postponed by the events that are Incl
dent to the dog days, until the frosts ant
sere and yellow leaves Of autumn come
Carpenters election bill has been quietl.
laid to rest in its cold and dewy shroud
Buffers proposition to impeach our up
right jurist, j Judge Durell, failed ever
in the committee, for want of agreemen
about who Sd ould inherit his raj
ment; Eads and his jetties lie amicably
in repose side by side with the cana
bill, that bright dreams Of the earnest
people of this State. Even the levee
question with its great interests has beer
deferred, or perhaps defeated, and, with
the exception Of rather liberal sprink'
ling of aims, Louisiana is not much IN
advance Of the position she occupied a
year ago. m.. ..
The Republican party is entitled to the
credit of all the successes for this State
that have been achieved in Congress, and
is, at the same time, responsible for one
of the most signal and disastrous failures.
Had every member of Cur party done his
utmost to promote the st. Philip canal
bill, it would have been a law by to-day,
and we should now be on the eve Of STIR
ring events. But we are not exempt from
the difficulties which beset the blessed
Saviour while on earth. In selecting his
personal staff, he was SO unfortunate as to
include one disciple who became famous
for his ingratitude. We can not expect
to be more fortunate in this respect than
Omniscience itself, nor ought the great
Republican party, SO unanimous and
earnest as it is for everything that prom
Uses substantial benefit to the State, be
blamed for not having achieved success
against the gigantic opposition to the
cherished plan of a canal.
But as these things are Of the past, and
likely to remain in allegiance for a few
months, we may dismiss them from fur
ther consideration at this time. Our
first concern will be for the next election
here. This does not. promise to be very
exciting, for the reason that there are no
vital principles of political economy in
dispute. The main contest will be over
the public positions to be filled, and
the excitement confined to the candidates
and their i'm mediate friends. As there
will be plenty of time to think over these
matters, we want our own friends to en-
ploy the vacation in a careful review.
They ought to reflect that those voters
who really hold the balance of power be-
tween the Republican and Democratic
parties are more attached to faithful, in
telligent, honest service than to the alb
stract principles which so deeply engross
the attention Of casuists Hence, with
the exception of few thousand drilled
and disciplined voters, who habitually
cast the ballots handed them through the
clubs, there will be great discrimination
On account Of fitness, especially through
education. When business men are seek
ing employees they invariably select the
best experts that can be found. But
BOSS carpenter does not employ painter,
nor a merchant man who can not
read and write, merely because the
applicants offer themselves with no bet
er cred entails than can be fur
lished as result Of active intrigue. We
nay be thought little exacting, but we
INSIST that legislator should be able to
cad and understand proposed law, even
he may not be so far advanced as to |
write it. There were but few members of |
he last General Assembly who could do |
ither very well, and the white Democratic |
members were no exception to the rule.
Two of the ablest members Of the House, |
lowever, owed their seats in that body to
Democratic votes, and we shall not con-
ider it calamity to the Republican party |
or to the State to have them returned.
We allude to T. G. Davidson, of Living
ton, and j. P. Harris of Pointe Coupee.
t is within our knowledge that the lead
1g Republicans in the House frequently
onsulted these able men and counted
pom their assistance in a majority of the
ather few measures for the public good
hich were passed during the session.
The Republican party contains many
len Of honesty, education and expe-
ence-men whose names are not con-
ected with any of the doubtful schemes
1870, II, ~, and who can be tri-
elected; whereas, if we select
le incompetent and illiterate, we may
se the whole city delegation, as well as
Ie two sheriffs Success is sometimes
ost serious disaster, and is always SO
hen gained by sacrificing vital interests.
uring the summer vacation, then, we
,pe there will be such an examination of
e claims of candidates as will lead to
e rejection by our nominating conven-
ons Of the illiterate, the noisy, the
ivolous, and those whose records are
ID. Republican principles are nothing
1t mockery unless we can select men
ho understand them and sympathize
it'll them. The Democrats, having no
.inciples, need not be SO particular.
here is no occasion for hurried action.
e have several months before us in |