The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-03-14
WASHINGTON lNFLU ENCEs.

WASHING ION lNFbuENCEss
Our Washington special this morning
In reference to dissensions among Lou
isianians In that city, does not refer tt
our accredited representatives there
who we believe are harmonious ant
unanimous In their suggestions. New
ertheless the dispatch should war;
the members of the Legiela
ture of the danger of permitting
their purposes to be swayed by tele
grams from the national capital. d,
listening to advice from there, they are
apt to peril the gravest interest of ths
State upon the biased judgments of pol
iticianH who, assuming TO advise and In
struct, comprehend 90 little the plans
and wishes OF the Administration, that
they are themselves divided In opinion
1 and fully az much at sea as are the too
cautious representatives who wait with
bated breath the coming of every tele-
gram, as though 1t was to be a revela.
fion OF certain plan for the settle.
ment of the status of the Nichols gov
eminent.
From our representatives In Washing.
Ton our friends in the Legislature can
obtain much valuable information to
guide their action by. But no end will
be accomplished by permitting our State
affairs TO be influenced and controlled
by Washington ideas, or by the views
and wishes Of the Republican leaders
there. A little reflection. and a little
or that boldness OF spirit which ia
absolutely necessary to extricate
any people from difficulties such
IA surround ami embarrass us,
would convince the members OF the
Louisiana Legislature that the proper,
indeed the only safe thing for them to
do, In this crisis, Is to act upon the plain
and simple proposition that their body
In the Legislature Of the Government of
louisiana; that It has the same rights
under the Constitution of the United
States that the Legislature Of any other
State possesses; that the business
now before 1t Ia to elect Sena-
tor to represent Louisiana In the
United States Senate, and that
&c Is bound In duty and honor to elect
a man who, possessing the brains and
integrity to At him for this high Office,
represents in his politics, his purposes
and his social surroundings, the people
who created the Legislature.
We have heard much during the past
few days of the Importance of electing a
man to the Senate who would be unob-
iectionable to the Republican majority
.uf that body. Indeed, many OF our
Friends seem to think that the question
al Importance to be considered In this
election Is the social and political
relations the man chosen may be
likely to establish with Jim Blaine
and O.P, Morton, and the list OF sup.
posed availahlee, whom Democrats and
Conservatives are discussing. en-
braces In its sweep q motley crew OF
politicians, from those who have strad
died the fence for ten years to pro-
nounced Radicals.
It seems to us that this Is an entirely
mistaken view of the case. The Repub
lican Senators, as well as the Demo-
cratic Senators, will be guided in their
action In this matter by no personal
considerations; nor will the poll
tics OF the Senator we may elect
determine their votes. There is an in
finitely larger and broader question
Involved. When the Senate comes to
vote upon seating the members from
louisiana they will divide, not upon the
social qualities or political views of the
claimants, but upon very great ques-
zion OF public policy. Those who have
determined, in the interests Of party,
~ keep alive the enholy fires
of sectional hate, will vote for the
man who claims under Packard's
credentials. Nopersonal considerations
win inducethem to release their grip