The New Orleans Democrat., 1876-04-30
THE PEOPLES PARTY.


tionary, impracticable and proscrlptive
| party, and proposes the organization OF
a Peoples party (which shall absorb
the Democratic and all other Conserva-
five parties, and draw to its support
large number of white and black Repub-
leans" We have read Mr.. Leonard s
letter with great care. He has been our
long time friend. He has been an un-
tiring worker in the cause OF Louisiana,
and has devoted much time. and given
much money to the long struggle
against Radicalism. There Is no
man in the State more entitled
to fair and unprejudiced hearing and
Judgment at the hands Of his fellow-citi-
zens than Mr.. Leonard, and there Is no
man in the State who is more disposed
to believe him honest and right, or
whom it can more deeply grieve to pro-
nounce a judgment of condemnation
| against him than the editor OF TINS
| paper. For months past, however, 1T
has seemed to US that this gentleman,
honored and trusted by the people OF
Northwest Louisiana, has been drifting
i'm a dangerous direction, and his letter
to the Shreveport Times, reproduced
here i'm the Republican and Times, reads
like final declaration OF revolt against
the Democratic Conservative party.
a.! Mr.. Leonard does not attempt to con
| ceal the fact that Louisiana is in de.
plorable condition. nor even to deny that
| Radicalism has had something TO DO
with the origin Of our troubles. lie
even admits that the Returning Board
acted harshly and. in measure, unjust
| ly. He attributes, however, the most
| of our sorrows and wrongs to our own
Imperfect comprehension OF the situa-
tion and the Inherent defects in the
methods we have heretofore adopted.
and gives us Il miniature edition of one
Of Morton's lectures on the impropriety
and folly of violence and intimidation.
The central idea Of Mr.. beonard's the
orv Is. that the sum and substance Of all
that is folly and wickedness in the coun-
try is the Democratic party. Dissolve
the Democratic party disgrace It's
trusted leaders, who for ten years,
through good and bad repute, have
stood out against the plum
derers Of louisiana tear down
its banners on which are blazoned
the principles Of the constitution
stiCmatize every man who calls himself
a Democrat as an impractlcable,
n reactionist, o pro5criptionist; dis
band the trained legions which. through
years of defeat have never faltered in
the fight for the redemption of the State,
+, end who have rallied to their standards
ut every bugle call; break up, on the
eve Of the campaign, the only organiza-
ton in the State which stands for the
true interests of Louisiana against War
moth, and Kellogg. and Packard, and
their robber bands, says Mr.. Leonard,
and then form mongrel party, com
posed of Radical and independent bum
mers, negroes, office-seekers and weak
kneed Democrats, and the State will be
saved. This is Mr.. Leonard's plan, in
brief. We hardly think it is acceptable.
We have looked in vain in this siDgU-
lar letter for the statement OF some
reason why we should cut adrift from
the Democratic Conservative party, and
for some platform of principles upon
which the new party is to be organized.
We are told, it is true, that the Demo.
cratic party is reactionary. impractica,
bic, illiberal and proscriptive." But we
think we have heard something like
this before; VIC think we have heard
Al I. 1ni n nj
Logan, and from Warmoth, and kel
logg, and Packard, and all the
smaller rascals who follow in the
trains Of these greater ones, and the
charge has lost its force. The
only platform we are offered by the new
party is, that the best men shall bt
nominated. Is there anything novel ol
tangible in this proposition? Nothing
1t is the veriest twaddle. Every party
and faction af1irms its purpose TO nomi
nate the best men. The Radical party
promised this, and it nominated War
moth, and Wickliffe, and Clinton, anC
Lowell, and all the other thieves anc
bummers who have made this State
their prey. A politician who proposes
to dissolve a great party, whose princi
, pies are rooted in the constitution, and
whole policy touches the popular heart
, and to substitute for it a mongrel or
, ganization proclaiming no platform bu
, the nomination of the best men, is un
wise and unphilosophical-we might al
most say, ridiculous. A party thus or
raDized ont of the bummerS of all thu
) others would be in politics what Jacl
Falstaff' S ragamuf1ins were in the CAM
) and field. But waving this fact, wha
) sincerity is there in Mr.. Leonard's pro
: position to nominate the best men? I'll,
! is willing that the National Republican
party shall carry the election, and tha
: the Radical party shall elect its Stat
e ticket, and many Of the parish officers
+ Now, we submit, that honest Louis