The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1876-01-05
ympathy of Republicans, and shat.

tered the party.
This is matter Of general consci
. BUSINESS, but the evidence also is con
,, elusive. The election of 1874 occur
} red when this spirit seemed to b
hopelessly paramount, and the Re
publlcans were SO universally route,
that had there been a Presidential
election they would have lost the AID
ministration, only two years after til,
I great victory of 1872. In 1872 tn,
Republicans carried New York b,
fifty thousand majority. In 1874
with one of the best candidates 70,
Governor they ever had, they lost the
State by fifty thousand. The secret
was Republican disgust. For in tn.
meantime the third term had beer
suggested, or a practically indefinite
continuance of the intolerable tenden
cies which had dissatisfied the party
In the New York Convention--con.
trolled by Mr. Conkling, the immedi
ate, especial and enthusiastic friend
of the Presidents resolution disap.
proving the third term was smoth.
cred. The result of the election
showed that defiance of the intelli.
gence of the party was not the way
of success. The result, however,
was attributed by the managers to
the hard times. But this explana-
ton was discredited this year, when,
although the times had not changed,
the Grant leadership in the Conven
ton was passive, the third term was
denounced, certain tendencies of the
Administration were Indirectly CEN
sured, the proceedings showed that
the party was independent of the Adj
ministration; and Notwithstanding
the prestige of Governor Tilden's Ca
nal reform, which the Republican
Convention cordially approved, and
his skill as partisan leader, the ac-
tual Democratic majority of last year
was reduced from fifty thousand to
less than four thousand. The secret
was not that the times were better,
but that the Republicans-the indie
pendent Republicans who give the
party its majority--saw that it was
possible to reform the evil tendencies
with which they were disguised,
without directly or indirectly supper
ting the Democratic party. The IA
vorable Republican result everywhere
was due to the same causes as in
New lork-the feeling that the incu-
bus was loosened from the party.
The Indispensable condition of sue
cess in 1876 is, therefore, evident.
1t is that the candidate shall be in
himself the proof that there will be
no continuation of those things which
have SO radically alienated immense
numbers who would prefer to vote
the Republican ticket, but who will
not vote 1t merely because it is the
Republican ticket. Republicans
oHght to see clearly that rs Grant
himself could not possibly be re-clec-
ted, SO none of the Grant group can
he elected. 1t is the Administration
which has endangered and defeated
the party, and any candidate who
would represent substantially con-
tinuance of the Administration in the
general character and spirit that. we
have mentioned would be'surely de-
feated. The signs ofthe times upon
this point are absolutely unmistaka-
BILE. The only man whom the Re-
publicans can elects some man whom
the Administration coterie would
strongly oppose, because his career
and character would be the guarantee
of total change in the tone of the
Administration Harper's Weekly.
4 ~ H.