The New Orleans Democrat., 1876-05-03
THE DEMOCRATIC CONSERVATIVE
POLICY

tack upon the Louisiana Democrats,
and the policy pursued by the Demo
Gratis and Conservatives Of the House at
the last session Of the Legislature. The
| Times broadly intimates that the Demo
Gratis and Conservatives organized a
shameful partisan" warfare, and con-
spired to deprive the State OF all legisia-
tive relief for the purpose Of attach
| ing the odium Of utter failure
to the Wheeler adjustment.
Then we are told that its North Lou
isiana hero has done more himself for
the State than all the ultra Democrats
combined; that what reform legislation
we did get was due to him, and
what we failed to get was owing
to the obstinacy Of the Demo
Gratis, who refused to be meekly
led and controlled by the Admirable
Crichton of Caddo. Not satisfied with
this fierce bill of indictment against
the Democrats, our neighbor affirms
that the January convention was
called by a close corporation
against the protests OF nearly the
whole State, and that the unwise ac-
ton OF the Democratic caucus was due
to it's influence.
We think we have never read q more
unfair and iIliberal article in the col
umns Of a paper protesting to be fair
and independent In the first place, the
Times ignores the fact that the January
Convention was not what it calls an
ultra Democratic Convention. but con-
vention composed OF Democrats and
Conservatives that there was no So
called ultra Democratic caucus, but that
the caucus was composed of Democrats
and Conservatives. The charge that the
and caucus organized con-
spiracy to defeat relief legislation with
. view OF fixing the odium Of failure
upon the Wheeler adjustment is pre-
posterous. 1t must have originated in |
the ignorance of the Times Of the facts
We cannot believe that an independent, |
lon-partisan paper would Intentionally |
20 fatty misrepresent case. There
was great deal of opposition to the
FALLING of Che convention on the part of
hose who feared that its action would
cad to u permanent split between
he compromise and the anti
men. But the result
lissipated all such fears. Compromise
nen and anti-compromise men met in
st. Patrick's Hall in spirit of kindness,
md with a determination to reconcile
I'll differences in the interest of Louis
ana and, in the end, there was almost
perfect harmony there. Mr. A. H. Leon
srd alone sought to create discord he
.lone opposed the memorial and the res
he alone displayed spirit and
. determination to disrupt the party, and
Irray the compromise men against the
men. Every other
nan III the convention who supported
he compromise arose and declared his
cordial acquicsepce in the action of the
The gentleman from
Jaddo stood upon the platform singly
md alone: his was tho one voice that
ought to mar the glad harmony which
rave hope and promised redemption to
louisiana. Compromise men and anti
]
evotion to the State, agreed that the
good or bad, wise or unwise,
'as a matter Of history, and should no
onger be n militant question. Mr.
alone clinging to the compro-
lise, insisted that the recognition OF its
Tisdom by every Democrat in the
tate. was the only condition on which ;
o would harmonic. He seemed to
hink then, as he seems to think now,
hat the Wheeler adjustment is all Of
olitics, all OF craftsmanship, all of
atriotism. He seems unable to escape {
rom its shadows, there is nothing to
i'm in the past, present or future, but
he Wheeler adjustment. He is what
'ictor Hugo would term, "the sonnam- {
ulist Of a vanished dream" E
The caucus which the Times says '
as the the result OF this convention
nd organized a conspiracy TO t
ast odium upon tho Wheeler adjust
lent, was composed Of representatives
no had held different views on the :
ompromise. Allthe compromise men, '
ers of the House, and they were a
cry large proportion Of the Demo- s
ratic-Conservative members were
lembers Of this caucus, participa- /
ID in its proceedings, and in a great G
leasure controlled its councils. {
ces the Times mean to say that these !.
participated in shame +
Il conspiracy to defeat relief legisla- c
On, that odium, shame and disgrace {
light be fixed upon them? Such, at
ny rate, is the inference from its arti- :,
e. a
The failure Of relief legislation is due a
ltirely to Mr.. Leonard, Kellogg and I
10 Radical Senate. The Democrats :,
Id Conservatives started upon n
dicious line Of action; but "
every step they were fought I
7 Kellogg, Mr.. Leonard and the u
,Dafn Tho fhaprv Of fbo no,,o VI