New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-04-11


lrHB next POLITICAL CogvBs11os
Within tho next few weeks both Of Il
political parties into which this State
divided viii hold conventions for Il
purpose Of selecting candidates to b
voted for in November. And first i
order, before the assembling Of thes
conventions, comes the formality Of choos
ing the members of these conventions
This duty is nearly always left to the pre-
fessional politicians and Office holders, VIII
are conceded, by general consent to exc,
more influence if they do not possess NOR
political wisdom than man who have thei
private affairs to attend to. Under tn
long established practice of strictly draw
ing party lines, all the members of tn
respective parties become pledged to tn
support Of the nominees of the conven
ton, with no better evidence of fines
for the positions they seek than the fac
that they have succeeded in securing tn.
party nomination. Once their names ar,
on the ticket, they appeal confidently fol
support to the better class of Repub.
licans or Democrats, as the case may be
the orators Of either party are expected
to stump the State in the interests Of
nominees who are unable either to ex-
plain or even understand the principles
of the party they are ambitious to repre-
sent
The late Democratic convention at st.
Patrick Hall affords an illustration. The
delegates were chosen by less than q
fifth of the Democratic vote. They were
not selected from the better class of their
own party, and what they did in the con-
vention has come to nothing, because it
did not receive the sympathies Of even
the masses of the Democratic party.
Again at the convention held in Baton
Rouge in 1872, one of the successful can
didates was accused Of having bought his
nomination. And though this reported
became notorious before the
day of election, his name went into the
ballot-box with the rest on the ticket on
he excuse that the party must be sus-
aimed intact
In the course Of one of the interviews
o which modern politicians resort to get
themselves before the people, which was
published in a city paper last week, "a
prominent Republican leader is reported |
o have said that certain club, COM
'osed, as we understand, of some two or
hree thousand Of the most active Repub.
lcans in the city, would have no influence
Vhatever in the election Of delegates to
he Republican convention, and none at
u in the convention, but would no doubt
lake their influence felt in the election.
he Southern Republican Club was the
referred to. As political mat.
rs have been conducted heretofore, this
ew of the case is pretty nearly correct.
be great mass of the voters of the respec-
ve parties have generally had no voice
electing delegates to conventions, and
lid very little attention to the proceed ,
gs of these assemblies. The party ma
linery is generally controlled by the
Ard clubs, and they in turn are manip-
ated by their presidents and commit
ss who are selected at the behest Of
me central authority. To cure these ,
lis, which exist alike in both the great 2
rites, the thinking men of each have =
med plan BY which something like
tied action can be had at the election. !.
% Democratic Conservative association :
the parish of Orleans stands in some ;,
n relation to the Democratic party that !
Southern Republican Club does to =
Republican party. We are not in the ;;
rets of either of these clubs, and do :,
know what form they will adopt to -
~ out their purpose, but the respect a,
members make no secret of their in p
ton to oppose in solid phalanx any Il
nlnation that does meet their entire n
'roval. There is no doubt that this r,
ermination will be carried out, and ~
re is as little that it ought to have its m
ct In the State convention. 1t may be cr
enough for the ward clubs to elect p,
gates to the State convention who will n
'e upon ticket But it will be diff az,
If not impossible to elect it in Nov IN,
'er in opposition to a united body of n,
three thousand voters, who claim the of
t of scrutiny and revision. an
. do not know how far the reporter -
authorized to speak the sentiments mo
he prominent Republican leader" 10
how much Of folio wing the leader w.
but there is no doubt that very many a. i,
icians presume too much on the -.
r OF party discipline and make III
Ter efforts to conciliate or buy over n,
leaders to their personal interests nor
they do to gain the confidence of av;,
mass OF the people, including a very aim
body Of nom partisans, who are r. a
IS glad to vote for reputable candi- ion,
when there is the least chance for tbae
S.. Those of the better classes can,
incline to one side or the other nnts
ally prefer to have the odium olive
q dishonest official cast on lica,
'ro9..'on ia'nef 'nan 'nelr own imp