New Orleans Republican., 1876-01-01
A SMALL ArrhTR,

The primary elections which took place
on Wednesday have been underlined and
posted as a general movement Of the
people against Radicalism in general and
the late compromise in particular. Hence
we have watched the proceedings with
some interest from beginning to end.
Like the Bulletin, we think the result is
eminently satisfactory. 1t shows that the
main body of the Democratic party do not
sympathize with their putatiye leaders in
this attempt to countenance further agita-
ton. With all the drumming and be-
seeching, with high flown appeals to
''come out" and the fervid invocations to
patriotic action, we find that barely five
hundred voters turned out in the most
populous ward in the city; and what
makes the matter worse, majority
of that meagre number was sufficient
to beat the impracticable element nearly
two to one. The result was about
the same throughout the city. Not one
tenth of the Democratic vote was cast
Had there been general turn out, some
of the old party hacks whose names were
on the tickets and were only beaten,
would have been buried beyond the reach
of the deepest sea plummet. Two or
three hundred votes in each Of the great
tenth and eleventh wards, and five hun
dred in the third, were all that could be
rallied, and large majority of these voted
against the policy as we'll as the success
of nearly every prominent participator in
the st. Patrick's Hall meeting. Whatever
may be thought of the political effect of
the recent mass meeting, it is certain that
''the people" refused to indorse its reso-
lutions at the polls.
The Democracy have in effect manifest
ed disapproval of the proposal to hold
a convention at all The people have
almost ignored the call Of the parish COM
mittee to come out and vote. A majority
of those who voted at all gave their suf-
frages against the originators of the revo-
lutionary scheme, while those who re-
mained away showed their contempt for
the whole proceeding.
We sympathize with the slaughtered
gentlemen. They we're probably sincere
in the belief that they and their excess
sively foolish notions are really popular.
They have become so full Of their own
Importance that they imagined every
body else was equally impressed. And
yet to-day they stand naked before US;
sh orn of all delusion, they appear as men
who have not the half of FIVE hundred
friends in the most populous ward in the
city. These gentlemen have either fallen
into the error of overrating themselves OF
|ethey have somehow lost their hold on the
masses. So long as their batterrs we're
employed in dislodging Republi'
cans from Office, and making va
cancies to be filed, all the Dem
ocracy cheered them, and let them
publish their oracular platitudes in ''tht
name of the people" without question
But when they present themselves as can
didates to fill these vacancies, they arr
rudely pushed side for men who are Ger
tainly not so prominently known to thil
community. The boys were satisfied K
let the graybeards demolsh Radicalisu
and enjoy all the fame due to such feat
But that is all The youngsters think the.
know something about running State con
ventions, and have proved their abilit.
to conduct primary electi ons: