The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1878-08-18
Party Discipline.


gotten to be q nuisance as we'll as q die
grace. The man who gets nomina ated by
the Democratic party for office in New
Orleans is considered elected, and conse
quently the science of nominating hal
come to be something wonderfully exact
1t is confined pretty much to close corpo
ration of self constituted rulers. They fiz
up among themselves who is to be nomi
mated and primary meetings are controlled
accordingly. The right delegates are
sure to be chosen, because the machinery
is arranged for that purpose. The right
man is made president of the Central Ward
Club, whether fairly elected or not, and he
sees that everything works smoothly.
This system is as despotic and absolute as
was the Republican Returning Board. 1t
grinds out just such nominations as are
ordered and none other.
The consequence of this ia that nom
inations become q subject of barter and
sale. The man with the longest purse gets
the good will of the wire puiiers and they
steer his bark straight into the Office
which he has bought. Although this
rule is not universal in it's working and
although its efficacy may be greatly exag
gerated, the people seem to believe in it's
existance. In our opinion they are not
we'll pleased with it. Men of independence
hardly care about going solemnly through
with q ceremony that has been allotted to
them without their Co operation and voting
for ticket that they hear of for the first
time at the polls.
In fact if the Nationals should be wise
enough to put unexceptionable men in the
field in the coming election, they will
probably have a good chance of getting
them in. Some of the very best friends of
Democracy would be much pleased, just
now, to see it well thrashed. Some of the
strongest Democrats would rejoice to see
the usurpers, who have taken possession
of their party as piece of property, hurl-
ed down from their impudent elevation by
a thoroughly good defeat at the
polls. As a non-partizan paper, a
paper which takes no sides in
politics, we think, ourselves, that
a right good rout of the Democratic party,
horse, foot and dragons, might be an ex-
cellent thing for the party itself. Its cue
cess is getting stale and the staleness is
getting so strong as to be offensive.
OF course, our remarks refer only to
State affairs and offices. When there Is
question of nat ional politics, then the polit-
matter of first Importance. His vote or his
action is to inflaence the national policy
directly, while the election of State off
GERS can have no such effect except in
directly.
The great burthens under which our
people groaned during Radical times,
have been as yet but slightly diminished
under Democratic supremacy They are
principally tbree-1st heavy taxes, 2nd
licenses, Sd monopoiies. What has Dem
ocratic rule done 2 Taxes are not percep-
IDLY different, licenses still choke off small
operators for the benefit of heavy ones, and
the Louisiana Lottery is as bold and def
ant as ever. On the second of these points
the National party of the State has put
itself clearly on record. But it has appar-
emily been afraid to declare war. against
the Lottery, or to commit iteelf on the
question Of the tax rate.
1t will therefore remain pretty much q
question of the best men, and we should
advise every party that makes nominations
to put forth well-known, substantial citi-
zens who do not live exclusively on pol
itics and whose honesty can be relied on tc
resist the seductive influences of liberal
offers. We think the people are tired oi
seeing their offices put up to the highest
bidder and of voting for men who would
be vagrants if they were not in office.