New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-02-21
A TAuHT OR A CHALLENGE FOB REFORM.

| party has been so clamorous. The argu
ment of the Bee to prove that no possible
result of the next presidential election
with forty-three Republicans to twenty
eight Democrats and two Independents
can be effected by steady resistance to the
Republican State government, the utter alb
dication of all representative rights by the
city of New Orleans and the Democratic
interests of the parishes, until 1877. II
its yesterday s issue the Bee makes another
point. 1t is that the legality Of the acts
passed by the Republican Legislature
has been heretofore acknowledged. Thai
notwithstanding the alleged injustice
"these acts have been imposed upon the
community; that these acts are to-day
obeyed by all, Or at least recognized as
obligatory by al. !"
The inference is added that the present
Legislature, though in the Bees opinion
no more legal than its predecessor, will
find the same acquiescence in its acts as
in those of it's predecessor. This recog-
milton of the inevitable is more obvious
in the remarks addressed to the Repub-
lican Legislature.
First it is charged with timidity, APP
parently because if the new election bill
| which Senator Edmunds moves as a sub
| stitute for the caucus bill should be
oJo,kol %ho Torcorx,o l;veu mould bovo q
majority, owing to the negroes turning
their backs" on the Republicans, and then
the Republicans in the present Legisla-
ture would have something dreadful,
though unexplained, to apprehend; there
fore 'this timidity accompanies the Leg
islature in all its deliberations. We
really can not see anything particularly
scary to an American in this very remote
possibility. We should suppose that when
present power is threatened with future
responsibility, it would be most natural
for present power to disable future re-
sponsibility. "Hold on boys" cried a
Georgia major during night attack by
Indians, "hold on till daybreak, and We'll
give EN- h-llr' But" replied the In
dian leader, Weatherford, we'll give you
h-ll before daybreak''
We can see no reason for tinlidity or
hesitation on the part of the Legislature,
nor can we admit, with the Bee, that "they
do not dare to take any initiative for
reform" Still less do we admit that the
propositions Of reform which they have
presented are really not in earnest. The
Bee has surely never read the passage Of
reform measures, nor has it examined the
bills which will accomplish so much for
peace and economy.
But we have given reasons heretofore
why the Bee is a sincere economist. Its
constituency has suffered infinitely from
the war betw capital and labor. Capt.
tai cut off by apprehension of civil war,
the sugar planters can not receive the aid
from factors indispensable to sugar cul-
ture. The Ia borer prefers the simpler
and more certain crop Of cotton, and the
cotton money goes above Canal street.
We believe the Bee is sincere in its wish
for reform. 1t is a good property, and
with regular and thriving business
community, need depend very little upon
the ephemeral profit of politics. So, hay
ing admitted the probability that the acts
of the present Legislature may by hook |
or by crook come to be obeyed as have |
been those Of the preceding Legislature,
the Bee begins TO taunt the Republican
Legislature with not having done what we
have assumed the Bee really wishes done.
1t begins by quoting some supposititious
invitation to the Democratic
members to ''come in, and upon our
honor we will vote with you upon all re-
forms necessary to the good of the State"
1t is natural perhaps that the Bee
should deny to any Republican any sense
Of sincerity, but is its explanation Of
this timidity logical? If the reasoning
be correct that the acts Of the Legislature
will be submitted to as those of its prede-
cessor, where is the necessity Of more
members The necessity of quorum is
an imagi nary and futile objection. The
claim a quorum, and who
can look behind the journal record of the
Suppose the Bee were to
admit the theory that there may be some
honest men in the Republican party;
suppose it concede that there may be
some men so sensible as to know that the
fund Of State and city patron
age is the true cause why Republicans
are prosecuted and Republican prin-
ciples denounced, can not the Bee
see that such sensible Republicans
want more members, not to get
\ better quorum than they have, but
10 command sufficient majority to ex-
ecute the reforms which the Bee may de-
sire in the sublimity of its principles, and
which the sensible Republicans desire not
,nly for principle but for the interest of
he Republican party. Does the Bee per-
,eiye that if the Republicans have quorum
enough to get their pay, or to secure the
protection of the federal government,
hey have no other need Of additional
members than to secure bona file reform,
IS against all dissenters of whatever
party
But the Bee really wishes these reforms
because it tries to push the Legislature to
hoir ona ckrnanf II SAYS. |