The New Orleans Democrat. (New Orleans, La.) 1875-1876, 1876-07-03
THE BARONS.

The Republican very adroitly avail
itself OF the local discussions in The
Democratic Conservative party, arising
out OF the organization of the ward clubs
to attempt to array those of our people
who are suffering for the want Of EN-
ployment against other classes of the
community, and to fix the responsibility
for the poverty and distress of large
numbers of working men upon the
Democratic city administration. II
terms those Democrats and Conserva.
tives who are seeking to secure safe con
venyentions, through the proper organ
izations of the clubs and the fair election
OF delegates, aristocrats and barons, and
jnsinuates that this element Is confined
to merchants, property-holders and
professional men who denounce all other
classes IA firemen, roughs, bummers
and rowdies. The distinction thus
made exists only in the vicious
and fruitful imagination OF the RepubH-
can. There are rowdies, bummers and
roughs i'm the Democratic party, and
there Is undoubtedly movement In the
party to destroy the influence of this
class in our politics, and we trust the
movement will be successful. But the
rowdies, bummers and roughs do not,
as the Republican assumes, constitute
the working men or the distressed work
ing men. The rowdies are men who do
no work and somehow or another are
never ia need OF it. The movement
against their influence Is as much in the
interest Of the working men as 1t is in
the interest of business men and prop
erty holders, because it is in the interest
OF good government. The intelligent
working men understand this fact, and
thousands Of them are cooperating in
the movement. If the movement is an
aristocratic one, it represents the aris-
tocracy not of money or social position
but Of honesty, patriotism and common
sense.
1t is natural that the Republican
should look with an evil eye upon such
a movement in the Democratic party.
Its own party Is composed of nine
tenths Of the riff-raff OF the State, and
is wholly destitute OF all the elements
OF integrity and responsibility, There |
fore 1t would like to see the Democratic
party fall into the hands OF those who |
whould drag it down to the level Of the |
Radical party. The Republican does
not wish to see an honest party Of re-
form in Louisiana, led by men OF high |
intellectual and moral qualities; it does
not wish to see party moving forward,
supported by the sympathies and active
aid of the good men of the State. to
overthrow the present corrupt and pro-
fligate government, and to establish in
its stead an honest and capable admin
istration. The Republican longs to see
the DemocraticC Conservative party as
debased as its own in the hands Of bum
mers with no end in view save that of
seizing the spoils OF Office. Were this
the case, in the common degradation it
could escape the honest denunciation
heaped upon it, the better elements of
the population would hold aloof, and
the contest would be just what the Re
publican and its people desire-a dis
scramble for the spoils.
This is the secret of its insidious effort
to represent one class of men in the
tic-Conseryative party as aris-
tocrats and barons. and Of its charge
that this class denounce the working
men as rowdies, bummers and roughs.
The Republicans insults the patriotism
Of the working men by so fragrant an
effort to array them in hostility to their
it insults their intelli-
yence by so puerile an attempt to allure
them into its camp Of plunderers, and
L insults their self-respect by identify {,
Jag them in it articles with the rowdies
lad roughs, who, in common with other {
,lasses of citizens of the Democratic !
Conservative party, they are opposing. I