New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-02-18
CHANGERS AT THE SOUTH.

Il Unconsciously the Changers at II
South. have expressed their convictio
that the political theory Of those VIII
lead the South is inadequate to the indul
trial salvation CT the South. What
. that theory? Just what it was before tn
war. The industrial prosperity was 81
sumed to consist absolutely in the mali
tenance Of slave title. This was to b
effected by political combinations whic
would secure the non-interterence of Ii
federal majority with this title. This wa
the basis of every party platform and {
every compromise. As this theory d.
pended greatly on the maintenance Of tn
existing situation, no measures were eve
recommended by the leading politician
Of the South which would promote imml
grafton, education or transportation. Fo,
eign influences and foreign ideas we're az
| pretended as threatening possible chang
Of condition of affairs deemed satisfac
tory. Abolition was the spectre whicl
appalled, the rich man from the fear o
loss, and the poor man from the dread o
negro equality. Most men over thirt.
years of age can remember when Henri.
Clay, Willard Fillmore and John Bell wer'
denounced as .Abolitionists, and thos'
Southern men who voted the Wing tickle
were regarded as the insidious or uncon
scious age nts for destroying the property
and sacrificing the rights of the South.
Such is the mildest explanation Of mo-
tives which could have inspired the
Southern Democratic leaders to oppose
such measures Of material development as
were then common to the Western and
Northern States. Under the fear that the
federal government might deduce from
the construction of roads or the i'm
provement Of rivers the power to in.
terfere with the property and social
interests referred to, such measures of
local improvement were resisted. For
nearly half century all federal aid to
modern modes of public development
were absorbed by the more wise or less
scrupulous States Of the North and West.
The leaders at the South still pursue the
same tactics without the same conserva-
tive object. Not one Of them, in any
State, recommends any work of domestic
development. Instead of advocating the
education of all, they demonstrate against
education maintained by taxation. Rather
than invite the immigration, which can
alone give. value to the waste lands and
build up the mechanical interests of the
South, these leaders make the life of the
immigrant family barely tolerable if he
will subscribe and support such political
tenets as the local politicians shall pre-
sent. In some States, as in our OVID,
business and industrial interests are held
to the party issues made by
the party leaders.
The industrial classes have suffered
rom this total subordination of business
o politics. The cause which withdraws
capital from the factor prevents an ad-
'ance to the planter. The disturbance
which alarms the colored voter renders
lis labor far more irregular and his con-
racts far more insecure. The want Of |
domestic manufactures pays over all the |
rop money to the artisans of Philadelphia |
r Manchester. The social prescription
+ immigrants reduces the value Of lands,
nd the want Of confidence in our men
nd markets sends the business of our
tiles to communities which lave nothing
lse to do except to work at trades or sell
merchandise. The dignifed determine
on to leave the unrepresented Changers
nder the exclusive legislation Of party
hich the Democratic leaders stigmatize
} corrupt and rspacious may leave taxa
on undated and reform improbable.
To these injurious consequences may be
lded tina: no concerted application is
emitted to Congress for the protection
our river crops or the improvement of
II river outlet, in consequence of which
10 interests of capital and labor are
ike endangered.
It is the work Of the Southern Demo-
attic leaders to present Louisiana, laid
aste by floods, pale with famine, torn
: distracting dissensions, bankrupt and
beggar. This will look we'll on trans
'rency to figure on every Democratic
mpaign stand and procession of 1876.
ouisiana possesses but the small polit-
Il influence of seven electoral votes in
rec hundred and sixtysix, being some
ing less than two per cent. So the
will be worth more than
9 vote. To secure this sympathetic
fuence, the individual interests of
,uisiana must be sacrificed. The prac-
al must give way to the picturesque.
le Changers do not see this, and the
ne truth seems to be steadily boring
way through the prejudices Of the
ldlords and merchants.
The Changers recently met in Charles Q
i. There they avowed doctrines which c
3 political leaders Of former period o
'uld have never permitted. There they e
ked of national railroads and national Il
rbor improvements and affirmed the o
ngerous doctrine tn at in the compensat- t.
industry and commercial prosperity of v
;tate consist the rights of the people o
4 fha xvelfaro of the neoD!e
IN our own State this grange associa- a
Il has assumed important proportions