New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-08-26
THE MERCHANTS AND THE WARD CLUB

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There can be no doubt that the leading
politicians who are now organizing ward
clubs and having themselves or friends
elected officers, or delegates TO nomina-
ting conventions, prefer the money to the
advice of the shopkeepers. The patriotic
duty Of bleeding the merchants of New
Orleans for political purposes, and then
taxing their business, in the way of Ii
censes to run the government on grand
scale afterward, is rarely permitted to
fall into desuetude. Previous to every
election, therefore, we see these dealers
spoken of in the most fattering terms.
They are alluded to in the turnkey papers
as q distinct and privileged class of
very high order, and fattered into the
belief that they possess political sagac-
ity in direct ratio to their power
to draw checks. This generally lasts
up to the eve of the election, or, at
any rate, until the club canvassers have
scooped in the last nickel it is possible to
obtain, either by lattery or threats. After
this the merchant generally relapses into
political obscurity, and is left in quiet to
contemplate the course of the market for
pork and molasses For it is we'll known
that the average merchant rarely ever
votes. He is supposed to take very
deep interest in politics. The political
editor, and his tender, the reporter; the
ward club president; the delegate, the
candidate, and the best friend of the can
didate, hardly know how to act until the
merchant has been heard from. But he
does not vote. If he did, the chances are
his colored porter would cancel his ballot.
Therefore he does not think it worth while.
The merchant, however, is an important
factor in Democratic campaign. Why?
Because he pays, OF can be made to pay.
When, therefore, an inquisitive re-
porter came back to his Office the other day
after nosing expedition among the shop
keepers, and reported that "the mer-
chants are not satisfied with the way the
campaign is conducted" it denoted
stoppage of supplies. What does the Or
binary professional politician care for the
judgment of these tax ridden merchants
so long as they can be made to subscribe
and pay? Do these shop keepers expect
The Democratic party to be run according
to the narrow notions which govern bust
ness transactions? Why, the State and
city may as we'll be given over to the Re-
publicans at once as to be put under any
such niggardly policy. These merchants
should be given to understand at once
that it is money, not opinions, that is
wanted from them. For, what with torch
light professions, room rent for the clubs,
q little for printing, good deal for
whisky and more than all put to-
gether for trading purposes, it takes a
good deal Of money to conduct this
campaign in the city, even though
there be no opposition-no Republican
ticket in the field. Where is all this
money to come from if the merchants re-
fuse to furnish it, and where do the mer-
chants expect to get anything if the ward
club politicians withdraw their support
and countenance from them. Let US
hear no more grumbling when patriotism
makes demand on the textbook, and
as for the manner in which the campaign
should be conducted, what do the
plodding shopkeepers know about the
strategy of politics? Come down with
the dust, gentlemen, for the "boys" are as
Cood aS dead. hroka