The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-03-12
HOW TO ELECT A REPUBLICAN,
PRESIDENT.
From Harper's Weekly, March -. !

situation there should b. thoughts OF thlr
party, and there are reports from Washlngto
of conferences lately held there upon the sui
ject But those who would prevent the peri
Of a Democratic restoration must see that tn
effort to organize a new party at this tim
could only end in the election of a DemOcrS
in 1876 There is no doubt that a clear mi
jority of the people Of the country distru'
the Democratic party; and while they do ne
question the patriotism or the high charactt
of men like Governor Iilden and some other.
they doubt the power Of such men to direC
their party.
There has always been very little indepen
dence among Democratic leaders. They fea
the following which they alter and to whicl
they yield. Even man OF the character Q
Sen tor Thurman, with his eye upon th
Presidency, takes occasion to allude to tn
Roman Catholic as the grand old Church
The Senator was thinking OF the Irish vote
There is this difference between the two
parties, th 1t hemass of those who are inclined
to the Il publican organiz.t are better anC
wiser than their leaders, while the Democratic
leaders are very much safer than the mass OF
their party. In deciding upon this political
action, therefore, the vot r must lool! over the
shoulder OF Gov. IIldcn or Senator Thurman,
and see what stands behind them.
He will see there manv of the most danger
ous elements and tendencies in the country
The surviving passions Of the war; the kind
OF barbarism and impotence OF law which
slavery breeds III the society in which it has
long existed; jealousy of the negro; hostility
to the common school system; cxtravagtn
dogrnas of State sovereignty; the most re
lentless party tyranny thess and such as
these are the tendencies and influences which
are maSSed behind the Democratic leaders
and 1t Is to these. not to an ideal Democratic
party, that the government OF this country
would be intrusted in the event of Demo-
cratic success
Bat while there is scarcely one Of the Re-
publican leaders who commands the enthusi-
asm and confidence of the party, the voter
can see over their shoulders the great mass
of those who sustained the war, aud who
gladly approved the principles of reconsruc-
uon-a compact multitude of industrious and
intelligent voters, trained to obey the law and
to seek the remedy of all evils in the courts,
and not by revolution and intimidation and
every form Of lawlessness. And it is
because the leaders have not responded
to the convictions and demands Of this
following that they have forfeited the
party confidence, and have been deserted at
the polls. The country is not in the party
sense Democratic, yet it hesitates to sustain
the Republican party. The problem. then,
IL how to reunite the majority in the only
organization which can hopefully contest
the election with the Democrats. And there
is but one way IN which it can be done.
To attempt the formation of a new party,
which would have no recruits from the Dem
ocrats, IS mere suicide. Yet to push stolidly
on the course which has been pursued for
some time rs destruction quite as sure.
The policy Of Republican recovery, then,
Is the nomination, in 1876, of a candidate
wholly free from any completely with the
policy which has alcnated the sympathy and
support Of the country, and the adoption of
platform which shall show a spirit of pro-
found confidence III the principles Of free
constitutional government, and resolution
to secure honest and economical admin
istration iy prompt return to specie pay :
ment and iudicious reform Of the system of
the civil service Such a nomination and
such pla form would be III themselves the
evlder ce that malign cCunses in the domi- 5
nant party We're abandoned, and that those
who have been always Republican, and would
still prefer to act with the old organization,
might return with the old zeal and confidence
The republican party, 50 renewed, would '
elect President in 1876, for the real strength
of the Democratic party to-day is nothing but I
the fear that the late Republican course ]
which has divided the party can not be ar /
rested. Once show that it can be and Shall {
be- and the schism is healed. a
Ii this can not be done, the Democrats will t
succeed IN 1876 If it is to be done, every {
man who wishes it must begin to work at once a
The work Is to be done in the newspapers. in v
the primaries and the conventions. If every a
leading Republican paper would say distinctly Il
that 1t is inheXibly opposed to the renomina- il
lion OF General Grant, and for good reasons "
which it should state, the work would be be- S
gun. The denomination of General Grant b
would dissolve the Republican party He was a
supported, If not elected, in 1872 by the d
votes OF those who sustained him As choice Il
u evils. 1t IS unnecessary to say that that o
was not our position. But if he should be tC
'enominated, every intelligent Republican in IL
he country would know that it was not O
he filr and free expression of the wish of the CO
'arty and all those voters of 1872 of Il
whom We speak, with an immense addition. al
would refuse to vote, or would sustain the "
Democratic candidate, or would vote for
bird man. The Republican party, we re- al
'eat, would be dissolved by the renomina- +
ion Of Gen. Grant; and if we were asked L
whether, i'll view of the present condition NJ
+ the Southern States, of the menace of the III
White League, and Of possible civil confu- CT
ION, he would not be sustained and elected, IL
re say without hesitation that we believe We
he country, by an immense maj )rity, wouli hi
refer TO take the risks of his defeat rather sa
han OF his election. The President has had br
IN his power Tor many months to do an tn
immense service to his party and 10 the co
ishes Of all patriotic men in the country by tn
istinctly declaring that he would not accept Us
denomination. His silence has furnished De
ne Of the most powerful arguments against yo
lie Force bill, which be favored Every day W.
lat be had declined to answer has dealt a 50
ow at the party by encouraging the sus- rel
cion that he tolerated the idea And since, tel
ther because he does or does not entertain pl'
e thought, the President declines to declare tel
mself, the Republican party must speak it.
e ITS press give no uncertain sound and let wa
cry Republican State Convention Of the ma
ar echo the resolution of the New IIamp- fly
ire Republicans, that il is "unalterably OPP pa
,sed To third term. dol
This, OF course, is but removing an obstruc- vo!
IN. Livery delegate to every convention yes
ould be man whose views upon the ten moi
nces which have brought the party into dis for
edit should be clearly known, and his 1t
uraue SlJuld also he op,,r,yaI T. | the