New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-05-12
TKi| -Oot SIRVATIvE &0VH RU4-

AAASASses~>e~~
mel " thH' ci ~ c6hSefvdnSe II mSn
political views, and have no sympathy
whstever with the ultra, brain-sphttng'
ofice-grabbing Democracy. Aeretofore'
during times of high political excitement
the Democratic leaders have managed to
GORGE business men into public express
sions of approval. and what is much more
effectual, into contributing all the money
required in the conduct of the campaign.
The Democracy has always been, on the
eve of sweeping away the last vestige OF
Republicanism, assuming the reins Of
power. and visiting summary vengeance
upon the heads Of all who had in any
manner aided 81 abetted them in the
election. By such threats, and others
which the political leaders know how to
employ with effect the mercantile COM
munity has been forced to contribute the
means 10 carry on every Democratic cam
paigu since reconstruction. And whether
the bummers.l lost or gained the election,
they at least gained the campaign fund
and personal support out Of the forced
contributions.
Perhaps the Democracy of this city may
not be aware Of the change which has re-
Gently come upon us. Capital has just
been taking q reckoning of latitude and
longitude, and finds it has been sailing
out of the true course. 1t has paid heavy,
exhausting contributions to . party whose
very policy is destructive to every bust
ness interest. They find that instead of
applying the proceeds Of forced loans to
securing the enactment of REFORMS and
elscting honest men to Office. the money
has been squandered for whisky, for arms
and ammunition to shoot honest aborers
and to maintain an army of idlers and
mischievous political bummers without
work. So long as merchants and business
men can be coerced into furnishing the
sinews of war, there is sure to be war. If
the negro or the carpet-bag9er be not the
object of attack it will be something
else Our merchants begin to see
also that with the determination, sup
preston or exodus Of the colored
people, bankruptcy will stare themselves
in the face; for the whole force Of the
Democratic party can not be depended
upon to produce either cotton, sugar, rice,
corn or tobacco, and without these crops,
and that in abundance, the whole State
must relapse into condition Of pauper-
ism. Aud the oft repeated threat Of Loss
Of patronage has become stale and lostits
force. It just begins to dawn upon the
average conservative mind that the colored
laborers and servants, male and female,
of this State earn and spend more money
in the. course of year than the poor
whites do, as many of the latter have not
yet settled down to work, preferring to
eat the bread Of dependence from the
hands of relatives who have yet little
LETT. or exc out o miserable existence by
eenteel mendicancy. 1t is impossible
that these radical changes in opr social
condition should not attract the attention
and influence the. action Of those who
own the capital and conduct the business
of this great comm ercial city. And as
heretofore their purses have been opened
BY fear, so in future they will be closed
as the fears vanish.
Whatever plan of campaign may be
adopted by the Democratic leaders, they
may rest assured they can not depend
this year upon the merchants Of New Or
leans to furnish the means for conducting
it. A conservative movement has been
begun already; not especially to create a
third party, for the State at all events,
no matter what may be done in the CITY,
but to come to general understanding
about the conventional political extor-
tons. Too much good money has been
squandered already under the shallow
pretense OF redeeming Louisiana, and the
poor State is in as deplorable position
as ever. 1t has cost this business COM
munity more to sustain the Demo-
cratic party ont of Office during the
past eight years than it has required to
run far from inexpensive State govern
ment. In many cases the Democratic tax
has been promptly paid, and the State
tax neglected until the doubly assessed
victims are at last engaged in hopeless
contest with the sheriff and tax collectors.
We are assured that one of these items OF
expense will be discontinued hereafter,
and not appear in the cash account OF the
| Conservatives. If the Democrats can
carry the State and elect their ticket in a
fair contest there will be no objection.
Perhaps many Of the merchants have
sympathetic leaning for that party. But
| it will be done if at all by the politicians,
unaidsd by the money of those who, as a
class, do not care a copper about the
squabbles of partisans.
The professional men, such as lawyers,
doctors, preachers and priests, are gener'
ally Democrats and sgitators Of the very
| worst type The mechanics, merchants
and bankers on the other hand, are not
They are only timid, and by their timiditJ
are easily made victims by the designing
the unprincipled and the profigate Of tn
three classes above named. And the rob
bery is committed under the shallow pre-
tense of patriotism Of redeeming the Stat
| ~,