The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-04-24
CONSERVATIVES VS.. DEMOCRATS.
The Cohesive Power of Opposi
ton to Thieves.
HATRED or RADICAL OFFICIALS.
Cessation Of Federal Interference the ONLY
Hope Of the State.

NEW ORLEANS, April 10, 1875
The long talked OF "compromisen or adjust
ment, determined ON by the Congressional COM
mlttee, was completed on Saturday by the install
ment or o conservative In place OF republican
State Senator. Its terms did not entirely please
the leaders OF either party. the conservative
leaders conceived themselves TO be getting less
political strength than the election OF 1874 ac-
tually gave them, and the radical leaders, or at
least some or them, declare that 10 Is for them q
surrender OF political power in the State.
Meantime, however, wing or the conservatives
very strongly favored the COMPROMISE, and were
able to bring most or their SIDE into 1t; while a
ring OF the radicals, among whose leaders were
Governor Kellogg and ex-Congressman sheldon !,
accepted the compromise. ana General Sheridan's
advice silenced Plnchback, Senator West and
oJher radical opponents who were at first deter
mined to defeat the measures or peace. Thus
matters stood on Thursday, when the House for
maliy accepted the adjustment and unseated the
radical members whom tue Committee OF
Congress declared TO have been wrongly
seated by the Returning Board. But
when tue resolution OF acceptance was pro-
posed number OF conservative members voted
mo" among them Mr.. Witt, whom some OF the
conservatives desired to make Speaker. This at
utnde OF Witt encouraged those IN his own party
who dd not want him to be Speaker, and on FRI
day these succeeded. with the help OF q coDsidera-
bic radical vote, In defeating WIZ and electing
Estllete as Speaker.
THIS was the really important and decisive re-
snt OF the adjustment Tor II declared which the
two branches OF the conservative party should
control It's organization.
TnR COLOR LINE,
The state or Louisiana had, according to the
census in 1870 81 o5 whites and Sc sls black males
nj Z has sin han
proved by undenable evidence that the census
understated considerably the number or whites.
II was taken IN the summer when many white
people always leave the state, and the census
takers did not thoroughly record that part or the
white population wnicl Is scattered over the pine
hills back OF the bottom lands, on which the
greater part OF the people are gathered. | sup
pose tue truth to be tnat Louisiana has to-day At
least 10000 more white than black voters. Tue
conservatives claim at least 1900 more.
Now, in the election or 1874 parties were divided,
unhappny, almost entirely on the color line.
MIR. Packard, VINO unites in his person the two I'M
portant, and, should think, incongruous onnces
OF United States Marshal ana Chairman OF me Re-
publican state Central Committee. told me some
days ago that only 5000 whites voted the republ-
can ticket ana that the same number OF blacks
voted with the conservatives. IL Is, 1 think,
a lair statement that with the excep-
ton or the onlce-holders, state and fed
era, ana their relations, there were no
white republicans IN the State IN 1874 or &C the
furtnest but an inappreclable number. The rea-
son for this condition Of things 1 shall explain 10
You in detail in other letters. IL must sumce now
10 tell Jon generally that the ineficiency ana cor
ruption or the state government IN all its parts
leaving lawlessness unpuniahed, countenancIng
the most monstrous aud shameful frauds, and
continued thus for SIX disgracelul years, az last
united all the whites in one party, whose aim was
simply aud only 20 GUST the thieves Opposed 10
them in 1874 stood those rulers with almost, hut
not quite The wnoe negro population NJ their
backs.
now THE CONSERVATIVE PARTY Is COMPOSED.
The situation was one not different IN kind
from that IN New YORK city In 1871. The rank and
ME or the party which calls itself conservaEivs
consists IN part OF democrats VINO are naturally
opposed TO republican rule but In part Also OF old
wings, Know Nothmgs ami the mass OF citizens
not interested IN politics. These entered the
conservative party only 10 save tue STATE from
further misgovernment and sponation. IL was
and is, therefore. an "honess mems" party, aud
was called conservative and the name dem
ocrat dropped because there are IN Louisiana
a large number OF good citizens who are so
strongly opposed TO the democratic party that
they wan not actively ~ a. all. work with men
bearing that name. Many Of it, most sub stantlal
citizens we're opposed 10 secession, and to-day
think that act was "blunderIng democratic states
mauship,n as one said TO me the other
day. Here Northern man may very
commonly hear men VINO have been
active and foremost in the conservative
movement declare that "as soon as we have
driven on the radical thieves and robbers who
have so long spoiled shan quickly show
these democrats that they cannot hold she state.
There is not q shadow OF doubt that whenever
federal interference in the state definitely ceases
ana honest men have been put into power the
"conservativen party-tne white mans party
win lncontinently spnt into two nearly equal
halves, and each VIII try, win the help OF tue
negroes, TO beat the other. But 10 is toleraaly
certain that until this IL accomplished the white
men win stick together FOR they cannot AFFORD 10
do otherwise.
rHE MEANING oP THE WIFI STRUGGLE
The republican politicians stigmatize one wing
Of the conservatives as last ditchers,n and it
was these who desired wntz 10 be Speaker, and
thus the head OF the party. Now. they are not
'last dltcnersn or impracticsbe men at all. but
they are democrats. and wish. as Is bus natural
for them, to make the state democratic. To this
end they would ike TO keep the present conser-
vative party together permanently and use It's
strength for the democratic party. I cannot see
anything wrong about tnIs They cannot do n,
but il Is their natural course 10 attempt IL. But
the other wing Of the conservatives, which, in
the struggle over the speaKership. was,
curiously enough, led By Leonardo nat
editor OF the shreveport Times. whose extreme
utteranees last year we're so widely quoted as
proving the dangerous condition OF Louisiana
this other wing determined to beat Witt. and in
doing so had the sympathy, think maJ safely
say, OF the greater part OF the business commu.
NIFTY OF New orleans. Leonard VINO IL a bold poli-
tician, did not hesitate TO accept the help OF the
Uato0g wing of the renubltcana ana the witt