The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-09-24
THE SOUTHERN DEMOCRATS IN THE
NATIONAL CONVENTION.

we notlce tnat q good many partisan 1ou
mails are busy with calculations regarding tt
influences likely to affect the Republica
National Convention next year, and anon
the speculations one statement figures prom
nently-that "the South +" will come up
the Convention prepared to vote in soil
body. This would be only for the Souther
Republicans to pursue the political strateg
which has enabled them during the last fou
years to control the Republican majority
Congress.
1t has been singular spectacle in Washing
ton to see handful of men, mostly politics
adventures, with no solid influence in thei
states with constantly falling political powe
there, and unable last year to carry NOR
than two out of the twelve Southern States-t
see this handful of Southern Republican
control the great body of their fellow parti
sans In Congress by merely presenting
solid and unbroken front of opposition to al
reforms which would affect them, united will
sn unhesitating and unquestioning support
OF all the pet schemes of their "Northerr
friends"
In the Republican caucuses last winter
every proposed reform was choked by the op
position of the Southern men; and these were
the leaders, the speakers, the actors, the con.
querers, in every caucus or other meeting fol-
private consultation held by the Republicans
during the winter They succeeded not more
by their misrepresentation of Southern
affairs and their appeals for support, than by
their superserviceable zeal in abetting the
schemes of their Northern allies, which en-
Rbled them readily to divide the North
ern men of their party. That they
will pursue similar tactics in the
National Convention and thus control, if they
can, Its policy, If not its nominations, there
can be little doubt; though the fact that they
will come up as the representatives of States
which they cannot carry, and all but two of
which are sure to go Democratic will doubt
less weaken their power
We are surprised, however, that it has not
occurred to the spectators in the political
future that the Southern Democrats may in
their turn come up into the National Demo-
cratic Convention prepared to act together
and to cast solid vote. They will, of course,
be mum erically as strong in the Democratic
as the Southern Republicans will be in the
Republican Convention.
Morally they will be infinitely stronger, for
they will be the representatives in their con-
vention of great body of strongly Demo-
cratic States; Of a population which will swell
the Democratic vote and without whose help
no Democrat can hope to be elected. The
Southern Republicans, on the contrary, will
appear in their convention as the repre-
sentatlves OF rotten boroughs or of hopeless
minorities.
This being so, it seems not unnatural that the
Sou,h should exercise great and even pre-
ponderating influence in the next Democratic
Convention. 1t is the more likely to do so
because the Northern Democratic party is di-
vded upon some of the most i'm portant |
Issues OF the day, and because in the last two |
national conventions the South has felt that |
it was slaughtered by the Encouragement of
Its Northern allies, in whose hands it unre- |
servedly placed its fortunes. In 1868 and |
1877 the Southern Democrats came into the |
convention as the representatives of Republi-
can States, as men who could not carry their
states Tor their party; and they were natu-
rally modest. To-day all this is changed;
and it would be surprising, and argue less
political tact and ambition than Southern
men are credited with, if now, under greatly
changed circumstances they should once
more commit their political fortunes unre-
servedly to.their Northern allies
But supposing, what is thus probable, that
the southern members, acting in body, will
be able to control the Democratic Conven-
uon-it becomes a matter of great interest to
inquire how they are likely to use their power
IL may be taken for granted, in the first place,
that they will not desire the nomination of a
southern man to either place on the ticket
The imprudence of doing this is universally
agreed upon in the South. But, holding the
balance OF power, and being strong enough if
tney act together to nominate such men as :
Lney select, they will be able to survey the
whole field; and, what is of great importance,
lney can, II they please, prevent the nomina-
lion of unfit men.
AS to platform: the Southern Democrats
adhere more strictly and generally than their i
Northern allies to the old traditions of their =
party. They are generally free traders or q
revenue hoI Ia
experience of the monstrous and intolerable u
avis OF a redundant and irre1eemable cur b
'ency, and their industrial and mercial n
'ondition makes resumption of specie pay =
nents much less complicated affair to them h
nan to some Northern communities: thew l.
AVE fewer debts and much smaller debtor 3
lass than We. e
or course they hold to local self govern. O.
aent. wherever they have ruled in their "
wn Substantially in Georgia-they have =;
nown themselves honest and economical adj ~ =,
ainistrators the finances of Georgia are to- al
Jay IN better condition than those of most Il
.orthern States. As to civil service reform. D
hey are probably as favorable to it as any
lass OF Northern politicians in either party. ia
suppose, then, the South should come nm d
the Democratic National Convention next n,
ear in solid body: it is possible that it NAV fo
xercise the power which its numbers will in
I've II; and there is no reason why it should l.
OF use that power to force the Democratic al
arty back to its true and traditional ground. 81
Is certain that the Southern Democratic W
'aders, many of whom are men of undoubted ~
Official sagacity, have here before them an ~ q.
pportunity which. if properly used, would e
established them. not only in their own at
arty, but in the confidence of the country. co
ne whole country is ready for sound reforms. su
he Northern people desires nothing SO much 70
a perm Inent settlement-an open, final fl'
of the constitutional amendments: .,
nd with this precisely those reforms which ta
he Southern Democratic leaders can promise va
ecause their experience of past evils would OF
aturally lead them in that direction. A an
,und currency, an honest and economical tic
wise revision of the tax and ID
rift laws, removing needless distractions on r rn
'mnerce, internal and external, an i'm ..
roved civil service-to all these the expe ne
ence OF the last twelve years naturally leads its
em-if it has taught them anything. an
Whether the Southern Democrats will be CHI
lual to their opportunity remains to be an
zen. Many of them have been inclined snss
70