New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-03-21
DEMOCRATIC LEGISLATION.

DEMOCRATIC LEGISLATION.
That Democrats can not be relied on t
carry out any useful or reform measure
is plainly apparent by their work in tn
several States where they have gaine'
political power. They boast of the goo'
laws they will enact, and they do nothing
save in the way Of attempting to perpetu
ate their own existence. The Democratic
journals accuse them of SHINING continu
ally by omission and commission, ant
missing the golden opportunity of gaining
responsibility by respectable action. II
the State of Illinois the Democrats have
majority of eighteen in the Legislature OF
joint ballot, according to their own ad
mission, and the reform measures" in
troduced in that body have become the
laughter and by-words of even the
Conservative journals. Its reforms
have all been acted in the crablike
progression peculiar to the party Of
traditions. With high promises for future
good it gave the command of forward,
march," and straightway crawled back
into the old slums of party policy. 1t is
the nature of the beast. The fret great
effort made by the Democratic Legislature
of Illinois was to repeal the registry law
| to make future Democratic majorities
easy to attain. It was simply an act to
open wide the doors to ballot boxes for the
entry of fraud; fraud which was so plain
and palpable that men of all parties united
in favor of enacting the original reglstra-
ton law, which was good one, and salts
factory to all but ward politicians. The
Legislature of Illinois has been pro-
nounced a nuisance by large number of
intelligent Democratic voters.
The Democratic Legislature of Indiana
has been run as sort Of mileage and per
diem harvest. Nothing good was accom-
plished at the regular session, and fail
ure to pass an appropriation bill forced
the Governor to call an extra session to
give the patriots another "whack" at the
treasury. Conservative journals in In
diana have been driven to the defense of
Legislature unparalleled for reckless and
extravagant legislation.
The Legislature Of Missouri has been
remarkable for mistaken party zeal. It's
most brilliant triumph was to make a
Senator Of Cockrell in place of Schurz,
for the reason that Cockrell had been
General in the Confederate service, and
had used what little talents he possessed
in efforts to break up the government Of
the United States. The Democracy showed
itself not opposed to soldiers as rulers,
provided the soldiers had followed the
tattered banners consecrated by the dog
gerel Of Father Ryan and upborne by JEFF
Davis. To represent them in the halls of
a national Congress the Missouri Dem
ocray preferred a CORY Confederate war
rior to Conservative Union statesman.
The Legislature Of New York has
shown itself active only in trifing meas
ures calculated to perpetuate and increase
the powers of Mr.. Tilden. Tammany
has been strengthened by city fortifica-
tons; for laboripg men bill has been
to punish combinations and
trades unions seeking to protect their
craft by apprentice sytenls, bill which |
the Neacs characteristics as most danger |
Gus and improper" The Legislature of !
New York has done positively 10 good to
the State.
The Pennsylvania Legislature had
Democratic majority Of twenty-one. The
power was used to repeal the local option
aw. Democracy and whisky are INSOFAR
able, and the inalienable right to get
Trunk upon all occasions without him
trance WIS the greatest ''reform measure"
Pennsylvania Democrats could conceive.
They could think of no other s'internal"
and it is question whether
,r not whisky-lined stomach can be
,lassed in that catalogue.
Connecticut has Jared no better at the
lands of the ruling Bourbons. It's Cen
raj Assembly has been marked for ex-
and absurd legislation.
What the Democrats did for New
has already been made ap.
parent in the tidal wave of reaction. For
year they had been all powerful. They
made clean sweep Of all good officials,
nd foisted bunker fossils and bad men
lpon the people. They destroyed most
'erfect and satisfactory Judiciary system
or the sake Of removing upright Republic
an judges and putting Democrats
be benches. They failed to enact such a
iquor law as they had promised to the
'rohibitionists, and failed to act against
he centralization Of railroad power &C.
ording to promises made the Changers
t the same time they were careful to re-
istrict the senatorial districts to take sur
lus Democratic votes from one candi-
ate and give them to another
no needed them. They failed to ac-
omplish any good thing, and in the
,rc;ble language of an old Democrat
raised hell generally" It was thought
le Democrats Of New Hampshire slightly
Terdid the thing when they were legis- {
ting, and now they know it. X
If We were to seek examples nearer
,me of what Democrats would do if they
,uld, Louisiana has 0 most fruitful re- Y