The New Orleans Democrat. (New Orleans, La.) 1875-1876, 1876-05-14
AVOID "RABID LEADERS," AND GIVE
us A THIRD PARTY.

papers to denounce as rabid politician
leading citizens. We hear the changes
r,,ng daily in this behalf and the peo
pie solemnlv warned against extremists
against last ditchers. against straight
out Democrats. II IL but recent tina
extracts from the correspondence Of .
leading New York Journal were paradet
which spoke most disrespeetfully o.
Governor MoEnery and ex-Speakel
Witt. and still more recent. that one ol
our congressman. Mr. Ellis. was re-.
ferred to as rabid extremist. by a
leading city daily We hear the advice
given by men who like the neutral
ground-by men who affect great con.
servatism men who cannot be iden-
titled by either party-that the people
should avoid extremists. and nominate
only rcrv conservative mrn. These
persons charge that all the evils that
afIlot the people are due to the conduct
and teachings Of the last ditchers. and
these charges. which are UNANIMOUSLY
are good citizens who. in their blindness.
are talking Of a third party. Even If
these charges were true. tho idea Of u
third party. in view Of the fact that all
the elements opposed to lawless Radical
lam were united and triumphed in 1874
and were again united into one party
to wit. the Democratic and Conservative
party. by tho January convention.
would be the very superlative of politi-
cal madness. IT the charges are true,
that er5vmists have done all the mis-
chief. then the remedy Is not to divide
the anti Radical elements. not to organ
izo u third party. but to 20 heartily
into the primary elections and see that
mono but tho very best men arc nomina-
ted. But there Is not one grain Of truth in
these charges against the Democratic
leaders and masses. There has been
nothing rabid. nothing extreme in their
conduct While embracing nine tenths
OF the white people Of the State. the
Democratic party have. repeatedly.
with the view Of conciliating all. opened
wide their doors. and not only received
into their counsels men who were not
Democrats. but have actually. time and
again. placed upon their ticket can di-
dates who had opposed the Democratic
organization. In 1865. they. in the
interest OF Cancellation. nominated
]. M. Wells for Governor. and hts cleo
ton began the story OF our woes. In 1868,
they, In the interest of concliation. made
no nominations. and voted. generally. |
Tor Judge Taliaferro. a bitter Repub-
lican. for Governor. In 1872. finding
the people divided. and that many |
patriotic citizens deemed it best to fol- |
low the Liberal alignment Of that year.
under Horace Greeley. the Democratic
party withdrew their nominated cleo
toral ticket, and Withdrew every nomi-
nation that their Convention had made.
with the exception OF their Governor
aud Education Superintendent In 1876
they yielded to tho compromisers. and
accepted the ill-starred Wheeler adjust
ment, and carried II out In good faith.
Against all of these compromises and
fusions the last-ditch element pro
tested. but when made they faith
fully observed them. Ii their
had been needed. II they
had not been overborpc by the com
promisers, the liberals. tho party
men. the middle men. the respectable
whose remedy for an evil
consists in accepting the half Of IL. we
say. IL the last ditch element had con
rolled In 1879 and in 1875. we would
have escaped the evils that now envi-
ION us. Fusion, with the leader of a
corrupt Radical administration. was
,ur course in 1872. 1t gave the pretext
or overthrowing the legally elected
state government. II we had stood by
he McEnery and Jonas ticket II would
lave been elected by large majority,
md the induction Of the elected officers
would not have been interfered with.
n 1875 our grievances were made the
ause OF the nation. Governors, Legis-
sturcs, Congress. the press. mass con-
entions. all over the Union, denounced
he De Trobriand outrage. A Con-
ressional committee reported the
acts and the pressure OF public ,
pinion was SO great that relief
ould not be withheld, for
he Louisiana question was, at last, to
g met and settled. Her cause had been
lade the cause OF every State, and the
surpers and their Federal supporters
TODD at bay. Then cane the willy. Z
Wheeler. ;. Then came the
and the conservatives to
ne front. Fundamental principle and
right were trampled in
le dust. and by a bare majority Of the
Conservative Legislative
aucus, the adjustment was consumma-
d.
McEnery, Mari. Wilt, Ellis, :
Doth, Bruins, Ogden, and hosts of the
ibid leaders. held up the constitutional
ghts Of the people, argued. entreated,
sisted, struggled and labored to defeat II
lie deep laid scheme that had been
ade by the snarer, but in vain. 1t was