The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-07-18
THE ANT1-NIOHOLLs PARTY.

WHY hls dBlS 6bHbeSIlbH Hilu EIEeWu anu lHT
seeing leaders, have been industflously labor.
ing TO create the impression on the public
| mind that o grave difference has arisen be-
| tween the Governor and the Democrats Of
Louisiana.
The prosecution of the members Of the Re-
| turning Board has furnished the parties en-.
gagged in this laudable enterprisea convenient
| basis for their operations. They represent,
| ON the one hand. that the prosecution was in
| stigated by the Bourbon or Last Ditch Demo
| Gratis, and, on the other, that Gov. Nichols Is
violently opposed TO the whole proceeding
and that he has declared his purpose TO resent
1t as breach OF faith, and to pardon the
| criminals so soon as they are convicted.
Thus the discharge of very plain and i'm
perative duty by the Grand Jury and District
Attorney Of Orleans has been exaggerated
into matter of political significance, and the
Governor and the Democratic party are
freely furnished with ready-made and an
tagonistic views and opinions Oh the subject
The motive of this is made very clear by
the suggestion Of an anti Nichols party which
has been recently thrown out by the press
and is now being worked up and circulated in
every direction. We do not hesitate to say
that no such party exists. The statement
that the Democracy are hostile TO the Gov
ernor is the most baseless story ever invented.
That many prominent Democrats have
differed with Gov. Nichols upon some of the
measures of his administration is certainly
true. Two weeks before the nominations at
Baton Rouge were made the DEMOCRAT pre-
dicted that the man elected Governor by the
Democratic party would go into Office the
most popular man who ever held q high posi-
ton In the State; that within the first year of
his administration he would become the most
unpopular man In Louisiana, and the best
abused man In Louisiana; but that If he was
of the right stuff; IL he was the man required
by the situation, he would recover his popu-
larity and surrender his office at the expira-
ton of his term universally honored and
beloved az the savior 6f the State.
Neither Gov. Nichols nor any other living
man could have satisfied public expectations:
no human being could have met the hopes
and expectations of the Office seekers, and no
man without supernatural power could have
fulfilled the hopes of the people who antici-
pated a miraculous transition from poverty
and ruin to wealth and prosperity during the
first weeks of the new regime.
We knew the storm woul1 come, we were
certain that thousands OF voices which joined
in the glad chorus that swelled around the
new Governor at his Inauguration would
change their applause in q very few weeks to
denuneiations and curses. How could 1t be
helped? How could any human being satisfy
the eager exaggerated and impracticable
hopes and expectations of eight hundred
thousand peopleY The storm did come. The
Governor did many things from which many
men dissented. There were many Democrats
who objected to some OF his measures and
appointments, and there were In every quar-
ter Of the State disappointed hopes and con-
seauently curses loud and deep.
As we have said, 1t could not have been
otherwise. But the people have had time for
reflection: the sober second thought has come
to them. and the impression is widespread
and Is still growing that, in the main, the
administration of Gov. Nichols has been
wise, temperate and, all thing considered. for
the best.
SO far from the Democrats being In opposi-
ton to the Governor we believe that his best
and strongest support right now is, in the
Democratic party. The Democrats do not
look upon him as a party chief or leader, and
we believe he does not desire to be 50 recog-
nized They do regard him, however as q
resolute, conscientious and incorruptible
Chief Magistrate of the State, who will pro-
tect the public interest and preserve the honor
of the commonwealth.
In Louisiana there is no Nichols or anti
Nichols party. Such classfications are
the baseless suggestions of schemers who
hope to divide the Democratic party, by ar
raging some elements Of its against the adj
ministration, and the administration against
the Democratic party. There is In the State
q clique Of schemers who, SO far as we have
learned. have no political theories or princi-
pies; whose stock In trade is vague and UNI
meaning denunciaton of the Democrats us
violent men, Last Ditchers and Bourbons.
None OF them can tell In what respect Demo-
Gratis are extremists; none of them can give
any satisfactory account of their own opin-
ions or public ends, and all of them, so far as
we can learn, are aspirants for place of some
sort or other
These very excellent gentlemen have de-
vised the scheme, we fear of capturing the
Governor and Of running his administration
as a sort of anti-Democratic machine I'm
fortunately for them, the Governor seems
to have a will of his own, and to act on
his own Judgment, while the Democrats, SO
far from being violent and extreme men, de-
sire only peace and the rigid administration
Of the law. As Gov Nichols Judgment
prompts him to pursue policy calculated to
secure these to the State, the Democracy and
the Governor continue, despite the puerile
plottings of puny politicians, to remain In
harmony.
We believe there is no serious division in the
ranks of the people who elected Mr.. Nichols
as to the policy oil his administration. We are
certain that there is no division in the Demo-
cratic party, and politicians at home and
abroad who base their calculations upon any
such division will be badly deceived. Lou
isiana is Democratic, and will remain Demo-
cratic for the next twenty-five years.