The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-12-29
THE SENATORIAL ELECTION TO-
DAY.

0 "a Democratic Voter sends us q comm,
nication propoundng q series of importar
| and pertinent questions to Mr.. O'Donnell tn
J Democratic candidate for Senator from tn
, Fourth District. We believe that we con
cur In nearly all the views the author of tn
( communication entertains himself on tn
questions propounded by him: but, as tn
communication seems to have been writer
with view of running an Independent can
ddate, we declined to print 1t.
1t was no crime on the part of the Distric
Convention, as our correspondent intimate
1t was, that it failed to put forward plat
form of principles for its nominee to stant
upon.
Until the reorganization Of the party
| through q State convention called by the
State Executive Committee, the Baton Rouge
platform stands as the platform Of the De.
mocracy, and every local convention ie
called, and every candidate nominated, upon
| it's principles. Mr.. O'Donnell was nominated
| by District Democratic Convention, and his
constituency must therefore hold him to an
account for any vote he may cast in the SEN
ate against measures based upon the prin-
cples of the Baton Rouge platform. But,
from what we have heard Of him, we are fully
convinced that he will support every meas
ure of true reform and relief that shall
come before the Senate.
The nomination, upon the whole, we are
strongly disposed to believe was iudicous
one. The working people throughout the
whole country are discontinued with the con-
dtion of affairs and are organizing them
selves into class parties. The gravest evils
will result from this movement If it is not
checked. And how is it to 55e checked? No
sensible and dispassionate man will deny
that, while all classes of the people, except
those who represent the money power,
have been sufferers from the bad legis-
lation of past years, the working people
have been the greatest sufferers. Their
complaints, therefore, are not groundless;
they are not unjust nor without truth.
How, then is the tendency among them to
organize into class parties, hostile to
other cfasses Of tie community, to be re-
sisted The railroad magnates, the gold men
Of the East, and the leaders of the Republ-
can party, declare that it must be done by in
creasing the army to fifty thousand or sew
enty-fve thousand men, that the people may
be controlled and kept quiet by the bayonet.
The Democratic party, upon the other hand,
stand for the reduction of the army and the
destruction of all monopolies, for justice to
the people as well as to the bondholders, and
for such other legislation as will give new life
and vigor to our trade and industries and con-
prosperity to the masses of the
people.
The working classes are satisfied with the
Democratic policy. But while they have SO
much at stake they not unnaturally de-
mand reasonable representation in the
party that their interests may be presented,
discussed and defended from their own stand
point; and there is no sound reason why they
should not have this. II they are given such
here there is no danger of the
organization of those pernicious class parties
only less destructive Of peace and prosperity
than race parties. .=
We think, therefore, that the harm ony Of
the Democratic party and the interest Of New
Orleans and Of the State, may be advanced
by the election of an honest, intelligent work
ingman and Democrat to the Senate, and
such a man Mr.. O'Donnell is. We see no
reason, therefore, why every Democrat in the
Fourth District, who has registered, should
not go to the polls to-day and vote for the
regular Democratic nominee.