The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1876-09-23
PROGRESS OF THE CAMPAIGN.
BY EMERSON BENTLE

III IA0 ICpuotiCuu OttaCO COinulit6CC,
they have been uninterrupted in any
of their appointments, and deeds of
violence have less frequently come
to our notice in the public prints.
This may be due to the policy of our
opponents in some localities, and to
the loyal sentiments of right in others.
Whatever may have produced ces-
sation of hostilities, the fact alone
should occasion thankfulness. We
have from the official organs of the
Democratic party repeated declara-
tions that all in their power shall be
done to preserve the peace during
the campaigns. If it is now preserved,
it is possibly due to the good faith of
this pledge, and it is more congenial
to reflect upon this as the cause of it,
than TO indulge in the suspicion, which
may be unfounded, that the neces-
sity of carrying the October State
elections for the Democracy by keep
ing the "bloody shirt" out of the
way, has brought it about.
With almost perfect quiet within
our borders, and relays of speakers
constantly on the move, in the inter-
est of both parties, composed of their
ablest defenders, there is nothing to
distract the minds of voters, aside
from an earnest contemplation of the
merits and issues involved in the
choice of the opposing array of candi-
dates. We have been denied the
chivalrous spectacle of joint discus
sion between. Messrs. Packard and
Nichols, in response to q generous
Republican challenge, but the next
best thing is to he allowed the priv
ilege of holding mass meetings in
peace, and to make such converts as
we can across the great barriers of
prejudice which Democracy persist
emily arrays against us.
That converts are being made, is
not sHrprising, when we are informed
that a respectable number of whites
are found in attendance at Republican
meetings, for truth is smighty and will
prevail. The Democratic leaders were
too sagacious to trust their Office
seeking nropensities to the mercy of
joint discussion, and the danger of
penetrating the veil Of misrepresen-
tation dawn alike over intelligent and
non-reading whites through their
crafty devices The men who will
only read Democratic papers or listen
to Democratic speeches are reliable
to count on in filing offices for ring,
but the men who determine to hear
and weigh the issues of both parties
generally become proyokingly inde-
pendent, and scratch their tickets on
election day. The result of scratched
tickets is to hamper the rings and
make better government, as witness
nearly all the Northern States-and
the result of following the party lash
is misgovernment-as witness nearly
all the Southern States, without re-
gard to the party in power.
There is need of reform in Louis
lana, and the agencies are interviewer
between political parties, and even
outside of them. The Republican
party as pre-eminently the advocate
of law aud order appeals with conf
dence to the masses, and requires no
special instruction from the State
Committee to the people, to allay
suspicious that it either silently OF
openly conspires to indirectly annul
tile suffrage of any class of voters. 1t
is hopeful of success, because con-.
scious of fair majority of the voters.
1t is the agency through which it ap-
pears to many the most practical to
accomplish reform. It's public pro-
fessions in that direction are as ex-
plicit as those of Democracy. Its
candidates, as general rule, are
equals of their opponents. But re-
form does not begin at the surface of
politics, it travels by way of the. club
room to the Legislative hall. The
door of the club room is salways open,
the aspirations of Republicans for the
good of the State are not different
from she best of Democracy; why
should prejudice continue to be a
barrier between the political union
of the whole people, and the conse-