The weekly echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1868-1876, 1875-10-07
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The Influence OF the South.
Im9We are surprised thatit has no
occurred te the spectators In the
political future that the Southern
DEMOCRATS may 10 their turn come
mp into the National Democratic
Convention prepared to act to-
gether aud to cast a solid vote
They will, OF course, be numerl.
c;tlly. as strong in the democratic
is the Southern republicans viii
he in the republican convention.
Morally they viii be infinitely
stronger, for they viii be the rep
tesentatiyes in their convention OF
! great body OF strongly demo
cratic States I; 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 viii appear in their con
vention as the representatives of
rotten aboroughs or of hopeless
spinorities Pep 4
This being So, it seems not IN
natural that the South should ex-
else. great and even prrpOnde-
rating influence 10 the next demo.
cratic convention. B. 1t is the more
likely to do so because the North
ern democratic party is divided
upon some of the most important
issues of the day, and because in
the last two national CONVENTIONS
the South has felt that it was
slaughtered by the mismahage-
ment of it's Northern allies, In
whose handsit unrasarveGIy pIncad
its fortune S. In 1863 and 1872 the
Southern democrats came Tito the
convention as the representatives
of republican States, as men who
could not carry their States for
their party ; and they were natu-
rally. modest. To-day all this is
changed and it would be surpris-
iug, aud argue less politicalgtact
aud ambition than SoutheFnume
are credited with, if now, under
greatly changed circumstances,
they should once more commit
their political fortunes unreserv-
edly to their Northern allies. III
But supposing, what IS thus
probable. that the Southern mem
bers acting In a body viii be able
to control the democratic oonven-
tion-it becomes a matter of great
interest to inquire how they are
likely to use their power. IL may
be taken for glanted, in the first
place. that they will not desire the
nomination of Southern man to
either place on the ticket. The
.mprudenee of doing this il uui7sl
Versally agreed upon in the South.
But, holding the balance OF. powei
and being strong enough il they
lct together to nominate such men /
IS they select, they will be able toll
,uryey the whole field and, what |
s Of great Importance. they can if |
hey please prevent the nomina-
ion OF unfit men, ri uttam
AS to a platform the Southern |
democrats adhere more strictly |
md generally than their Northern |
lilies to the old traditions of their |
larty. They are generally free
raiders or revenue FefOrmers
lhey have bad bitter experiehce
II the monstrous and intolerable
wills Of aTedand ut aud irredeen-
tble currency, and their industrial
md commercial condition makes
assumption of specie payments a
much less complicated affair TO
hem than to some Northern com
they have fewer debts
nd a much smaller babtoF class
han We, OF course they hold lo
zeal self-government. Wherever
hey have rultd In their own States
notably il Georgia--they have
hown themselves honest and
cuuomical administrators; the |
Of Georgia are to-day ia |
better condition than those 0f /
tost NorfhaNn Sf,te AZ as,,sl