The New Orleans Democrat., 1876-05-07

pOLITWTANs AND MERCHANTS.


so near the opening Of the canvass, and
under circumstances under which re-
organization OF parties is so clearly an
impossibility, that It wears sinister
aspect, and leads us to believe that it Is
instigated by the enemies OF the State.
The Inauguration Of this movement is
always preceded and then accompanied
by appeals to the over cautious conser-
vatism Of property holders ana
business men, who are told that ex-
treme men, aspiring politicians.
ward bummers, and political dead
beats, are controlling both parties; that
( the ultra Democrats have sway there
will be violence; that plate glass In the
show windows will be broken: that
business will be interrupted and bad
men elected to office. Then the mer-
chants, who seem to be regarded BY
these third party patriots as the pro-
posed victims of all the politicians and
their Vaccinations are advised to bolt
bad nominations .and finally they are in
vted to join with the purists and form
new party, in which there will be no
politicians. no bummers. no caucuses,
no party machinery. no ward clubs, and
In which nobody shall be elected but
merchants, on some u ne thbhd party
patriots,
Generally there are few influential
merchants" captured, for there are men
Of soft heads among all classes OF the
community, little private caucus (the
very thing the non-party men are eter-
nally denouncing) Is held, and the move
inent in the interests Of peace and con
servatism and against extreme democ-
racy il organized It soon transpires,
however, that the very worst and most
prohigate politicians in the State are
the secret movers; that these are
frequently aided and abetted by
the leaders Of the Radical party.
and that inste I'd Of being a plan To
wrest the politics Of the State from ex
treme men, and to protect the material
interests of the community, the third
party is neither more nor less than a
movement OF wornout party hacks,
political dead-be and Hessans. to re-
establish their influence. The mer-
chants or other honest men who have
been trapped find their influences for
good crippled, and the whole thing
collapses when the campaign really
opens.
The efforts to create the impression
that merchants and property holders
have political interests separate and dis
tinct from those of their fellow citizens
are perniciou5 In the extreme, and are
calculated TO withdraw large portion
OF our mos. intelligent population from
our counsels, and to weaken their zeal
in the plan Of political redemption which
should be common to us all. There
is no such difference Of interest
Our State has been grossly mis-
governed for years; II has been
plundered, impoverished and disgraced.
and every good citizen, laborer, mechan-
ic, professional man and merchant il
interested alike in the thorough
organization and success Of the party
which opposes the present regime. We
have such an organization the Demo
cratic-C Conservative party. This is not
an exclusive organization y excludes
no old line Wing; no conservative no
merchant, nay, not even the noble band
OF purists who met In the rooms OF the
Board Of Underwriters to devise u pat
ent plan for the salvation Of Louisiana.
Why then should the merchants and
property holders be advised to reject
this organization?
We cheerfully concede that it Is i'm
portant that the property holding, mer-
camille and professional classes OF the
community should take part and be rep
resented in our political organizations,
and in our nominations. But we can
not see that the public interest can be
subseryed by leagt,ing the business men
in au exclusive political organization,
or by famiiiarizing them with the idea
that it Is right and proper to bolt our
nominations. Such a party organiza-
ton would be the heighth Of folly, and
such loose ideas Of party discipline
would lose any cause on earth.
The mercantile interests OF the State
are immense, aud the mercantile COM
munity, as a general thing, are honest
and patriotic men. But it must be borne
in mind that the interests Of the work
ing people are also immense; and our
experience is, that working men have as
clear a comprehension OF right and
wrong as othermen, and that upon their
patriotism there is as much reliance to
be placed as upon that OF any other
cIass Any party movement, therefore
which would exclude them or ignore
their interests would be criminal, IL ii
were not supremely ridiculous.
The true policy. then, for all men,
merchants or others, who feel that
our politics are in danger OF falling
under the control Of extremists, ward
bummers, and corrupt politicians, is
not to withdraw from participation in
public offices, nor to be led into the