The New Orleans Democrat., 1876-06-03
nan MEN AND INDIFFERENT MEN.

| Louisiana must enter the campaign as
"a reform party If It hopes tounify the
opposition 10 Radicalism under its OF
ganiaation. Mere professions of virtue
will not meet tho demands Of the situa-
tion. The organization of the city
clubs the character Of the delegates to
tho State Convention. the standard oi
the nominees and the general manage
ment Of tho canvass. must b. such as tu
inspire tho people with confidence IL
the capacity and purposes Of the party.
if il ia designed to awaken their onthusi
nsm aud combine their strength.
It. is folly to suppose that the Demo
cratic party. or any other party. IL Tree 81
corrupt clements. or even oi corrupt
captains. To attempt to utterly Tree
the party Of such clements would BE-
Quixo,ic. The enterprise would hn
| futile. But IL is practicable to keep
those elements in suhordination. and
our best efforts should be directed to
that end and to placing the control Of
! tho party in tho hands Of our best and
truest men men whose abilities aud vir
tuee commend thom to the confidence Of
tho people. In this work. vital to the
best intercets Of the State. il is the duty
Of every good citizen Nipin.
| It ia impossible for Us to sec the con
sistency of men who complain that the
bad clclnenta Of tho Democratic and
Conservative party arc likely TO control
| il. and who at the same time refuse TO in
terest themselves in the management Of
the party. II eeems to us that the State
has no worse enemies in times like
these than those men of wealth and inllu-
cnce who refuse to give either time OF
complain of the depreciation of proper
ty. tho decline Of trade and tho spread
Of lawlessncss. We are FREQ To con
cede that in tho Democratic Cunsory-
ative party there are bad elements at
work. elements strong, too. and eager
to obtain the mastery of the party. In
deed. there never yet existed n party IN
nycountry. or in any time. Of which the
Same thing could not have been said
and. until human nature shall he on
tirely changed. there never will exist u
party Of which the same thing will not
with truth he said But there il an
other fact We must recognize III our sit
uation which has not been go general
that Is. that there are multitule- uf
mon of property. intelligence. ini'u
cnCe and wealth among us who rcfuseto
participate in public affairs. Tho FIRST
Fact ths nxiefpplf. ,E ,spryubf r1Iurntp
in the pemooretic- c-Conservative party
springs from the imperfvvsion of human
nature. the second fact the iuainer
enc9 Of men Of property aud business
to the public interests ia moro derlor-
able. because it springs from the decay
OF civic virtue. the decline OF VA
triotism and the growth Of greed ana
seliishness.
If Louisiana is to be saved. she Is to
be saved by the Democratic Conservative
party: and II tho Demoeratic-C -Conserva
tive party Is to save Louisiana. our peo-
pie must unite in general effort to
nominate good men to all offices. from
the lowest to the highest. and then. in
one harmonious. sustained and vigorous
effort to elect them. The platform must
be, In truth as in assertion. -oform in
eve,, ptancn OF the government. the
abolition Of all needless Offices: the re-
duction Of all exorbitant salaries |
and fees in short. rcmodeling
of the whole State government
with view 70 reducing its cost, increas-
ing its vigor. and lessening the burthen
OF taxation. Upon this platform every
honest man in the state can stand. |
Why. then, should not every honest |
man in the State do what lies in his
power 10 secure the control of the party
to mon whose character will give a
to the platform. and to insure
the nomination OF mon whose election
will bc guarantee that it will be car