New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1877-03-06
EMPTY HANDED.

two years past that the Democratic Con-
gress would give to Louisiana fair share
of the national appropriations. We were
told during the sessions of 1867 that
our Representatives would return to their
constituents with the levees and the Pa
the people that this would be impossible,
after the Democracy had adopted the Hol-
man resolution. During the late canvass
we were assured by the same Democratic
press that Messrs. Gibson and Ellis had
been promised the passage of these acts.
The REPUBLICAN again explained that
without the repeal OF the Holman resolu-
ton this would be impossible, and that
even with that repeal the complications
of political session would render the
success of such measures extremely diff
cult. 1t now appears that these Repre-
sentatives have acknowledged that
There is no prospect of the passage of the
bill granting governmental aid to the con-
strnctiOn of the Texas Pacific railroad and
its branches,
This they attribute to 'the disturbed
condition of political affairs, growing out
of the presidential question:" which is
just what they were told last year. We
take occasion to repeat that the passage
of any appropriation for Improvements
would have been always impossible un-
der Mr.. Holman's resolution or with q
Democratic majority pledged and COM
Initted against public works within the
States. The election of Tilden would
have arrested the Southern Pacific rail-
road permanently. But the Louisiana
delegation makes singular admission
that
We must look to the next Congress for
the favorable consideration to which we
were fairly entitled from the preaent. We
believe that the bill requiring the endorse
meDt b. the United States of the bonds of
the company and branches will pass the
Forty fifth Congress, it earnest and con-
certed efforts are made and kept up by
those who are vitality interested in its sue.
cess.
So it would seem that while Louisiana
was fairly entitled" to an appropriation
from Democratic Congress with ma
jority of about sixty, it must rely upon a
Congress in which this majority will be re-
duced to five or none. If Democracy is
governed by the principle announced by
the last House, how can our delegation
expect to carry an appropriation against
this small majority? As to that, indeed,
how can our Democratic delegates pre-
tend to belong to the Democratic party at
all? We will give the explanation which
these gentlemen withhold. 1t is that this
important measure can only be carried
through by Republican votes. Then
Democratic members expect from the
Republicans in tho next House a
support which will defeat the opposition
of their own Democratic friends. We
will go further and say that if Mr.. Tilden
had been elected President he would
have vetoed every bill for the sppropria-
ton of money for a Pacific railroad to
compete with that of New York.
With the aid of Republican Representa-
tives and the approval of a Republican
President, New Orleans can obtain rail-
road of which she has been deprived by
the narrow policy of the Democratic Con-
gress. Certainly Messrs. the Louisiana del
egation will rejoice with us that the Demo-
cratic rule in Congress has been broken
down and Democratic President de-
feated. If, however, these gentlemen will
not give their assent, all their constitu-
ents who wish either Pacific railroad or
a national leyee, with security, will re-
joice that the revolutionary Congress is
at end and a Republican President
elected.