The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1875-10-13
Republican or Democrat.

pose to eliminate from the party ever,
element of discord. Mistakes were +
be forgotten; and the policy of the par
~ was to DC shaped so as to give ever,
opponent of Radicalism an opportuni
ty to show his zeal for the overthrow
OF the. rotten government which ha
so long oppressed the people. NIer
chants. tradesmen, laborers, mechan
les, professional men-all were To fin,
within the Democratic party polio,
they could conscientiogsly accept. Ii
this universally expressed wish fol
speedy action and the reorganization
OF the party, not one word was SAID
about the Wheeler Adjustment. Ne
issue of Compromise; no attempt tc
overthrow the Adjustment was ever
contemplated. If the Compromise
should prove to be what its advocates
claimed for it, they should receive the
ceusure. All that was claimed was
that in tie Adjustment, the people
never surrendered the results of the
election of 1872. Thls was to DO left
just where it was before Adjustment
In a late Issue of this paper we
have taken especial pains to announce
that the movement to organize the
Democratic party of this State con.
templated war upon the one who would
aid the National Democracy as op-
posed to Radicalism in the approach.
ing presidential campaign The move.
ment started in Monroe, and was star
ted expressly to rid the State of the
ambitions projects of aspiring leaders
and to mite the people where they
must nnito-upOn the basis of support
of the National Democratic candidate
for President next year. This was
aud is the leading, controlling idea OF
the recommendation urging the forma
ton of the Democratic party of Louis.
lana, and all effortssto place the prime
movers in different attitude are
without just foundation and tend ia
the miscarriage of their patriotic de.
signs. The Wheeler Adjustment had
nothing to do with the recommends.
ton, on the one hand, nor did the
White League of "a have any thing to
do with it on the other. 1t was 8
movement in the interests of all par.
ties, factions and individuals who
ought to be united in 1876 upon the
common platform of the national Dem.
ocracy in opposition to sectional
Radicalism.
Bnt it appears that this comprel,en
sive plan of action is to be disturbed
and its execution (Which is inevitable,
to be delayed, by the re-agitation Of
the Wheeler Adjustment. And this
disturbance further appears to lave
come from the supporters Of that meas.
ure, who, in this instance, have shown
a sensitiveness unjustifiable-so much
so that it may he suspected that theil
plans are being laid to force the Dem
ocra's iu this State either to endorse
the Wheeler Adjustment, or to enter
upon the next campaign with the Com.
promisers organized in sererate third
party. If neither of these purposes are
actuating the Compromiscrs, it is diff
cult to sec why they oppose a move.
ment avowedly started to heal all dis
sensions, by uniting the people upon
the basis of National politics and in
the interests Of National! reform. 1t
has been the originators Of this move
mept who have sought to re open the
Compromise question or any other yex-
ing local issue. Of such issues this
State has had enongh-and we should
think that the disappointed champions
of local expedients and bargains ought
to he satisfied with their experiments,
without further fruitless efforts in com
promising consistency and dignity for
the sake of temporary relief.
We would, therefore, advise the peo-
pie to keep only this leading idea in
view, namely: that they organize as
Democrats in each parish of the State,
and resnlutely set their faces against
all disturbing causee. If the Wheeler
Adjustment must be brought in, let it
be decent'y buried, and it's champions
told that in great struggle like that
upon which we are entering
the people will not permit the
infant OF Il week to come between them
and their solid interests. In such a
case forty Compromise members of the
are no more than any other
forty citizens, and the question of
whether they did right or wrong is an
insignificant matter compared to the
of a compact political or
ganization consecrated to honest home
rule and q national government under
Democratic auspices.
1t should be understood, by this
time, that Louisiana has been cursed
with schisms and fac
tlons-musbroom politics ont of which
have grown from 1868 to date nearly
a dozen parties of high sounding titles,
and little or no votes. 1t ought to he
that in 1868, as Demo
Gratis the people carried the State tri-
That the State has not
been redeemed, has been, mainly, be-
cause there was Radical and not