The New Orleans daily Democrat., 1878-10-27
THE CITIZENS ASSOCIATION AND
IT'S ALLIANCES,

| tent that 1t proposed to influence the nOmina-
| tion Of good men by the Democratic conven-
tion, we gave 1t o warm and hearty support;
and we are satisfied that, II the respectable
and influential gentlemen who compose the
Citizens Association had labored directly with
| as much zeal as did the DEMOCRAT to secure
fair representative convention, or with the
same zeal they themselves are now exerting
| to defeat the Democratic ticket an unexeep-
tionable ticket would have been nominated,
and our people would not be, OF this critical
period. threatened with {, serious rupture, en-
dangering the supremacy Of the Democratic
party.
| We very readily concede that the reg
| ular Democratic ticket Ia not as satisfactory
as 1t might be; there are certainly several
candidates on 1t for the Legislature who have
no claims upon the party and no claims
upon the State for public service. Yet the
| ticket as it stands is an average one; there
are q number of estimable and able men on 1t
and both the city and State must be served
by It's election even as q whole.
The Citizens Association have also put %
ticket in the field on which there are some ex-
cellent names as well as some which are ex-
|
their ticket is perfect, still it must be
clear to the comprehension Of the most ordi-
nary intelligence that il 1t can be elected at
all it can only be elected by an alliance
with the Nationals, Native Americans
and Radicals That the latter party, with
| which are identified all the woes. sorrOws and
poverty of Louisiana during the past ten
years, is perfectly willing to make the alliance
| II the National or Native American ticket can
be Withdrawn from the field is an open secret
Indeed only O. day or two since in discuss
ing such an alliance with one or more Of ''the
citizens" leader of the Radical party, @
prominent Custom-House official, expressed
the views Of his party on the subject by tell
ing the anecdote of the farmer who said he
would associate with murderer or a burglar,
for the time being, to kill a snake. The Dem
ocratic party is the snake this Radical chief
desires to destroy and to destroy which he
and his party are ready to make temporary
combination with our estimable friends of the
Citizens Association.
How far 'the citizens are prepared to go
to make this alliance, we cannot say; but II
they are not ready and willing to make it; il
they have not projected it, or if they are not
projecting it; II they do not base their
hopes of success upon It, then Is their
movement utterly illogical and Quixotic,
or insidious and dangerous. Without an
alliance with the Native Americans
and Radicals their movement has not the
shadow Of O. chance Of success, and therefore
tits Ouixotc IF the alliance is not made and the
movement is nevertheless carried forward,
it will serve simply to detach several thousand
voters from the Democratic party, and thus
weaken 1t to an extent which will enable the
Nationals and Radicals to run in their ticket,
obtain possession Of the city government and
q large number Of seats in the Legislature.
Hence, If it is not Quixotic, 1t is insidious and
dangerous.
Now we do not believe that the Intelligent
gentlemen composing the Citizens Associa-
ton are deficient In sense, and therefore we
are sure they do not expect to elect their ticket
without outside aid. We know them to be
public-spirited and patriotic citizens, and
therefore we know their purpose is not to
pave the way for the Radical party to regain
control of the city and State.
We are then forced to the conclusion, that
the plan and purpose of "the Citizens Is to
form an alliance with the Native Americans
or Nationals and the Radicals to defeat the
Democratic city and legislative ticket. Have
our friends considered the disastrous con-
sequences which may flow from their success
by such instrumentalities
An effort has been made, in Washington
to organize q revolt against the Demo-
cratic party throughout the South and
in some States, with partial success.
The great aim and object Of the Re-
publican party In this canvass is to vlndicate
the decision of the Electoral Commission and
Hayes fraudulent title. The National party
was organized in Louisiana, as the Inde-
pendent party was In Georgia, to decoy into
It's ranks disaffected Or deluded Democrats
and Conservatives with the object Of allying
them with the Radicals.
This scheme has proved a failure in this
State But if these elements can enter into an
alliance with sorespectable, so wealthy and intlu-
ential body of our citizans as that which con-
stitutes the Citizens Association, and win
q victory In this metropolis and parish, the
moral effect will be tremendous. It
will be terrible blow to the Democratic
party in this State, and indeed throughout
the whole country; it will be heralded
throughout the Union as an Administration
triumph, as great Republican victory, as a
vindication of the count of the Returning
Board The first object of Mr.. Hayes, on
entering the White House, was to organize
an Administration party in the South en-
bracing large element Of the better classes
of the Southern people, and he and his cham
pions will point to the several honored and
talented gentlemen elected by the combina-
ton of "Citizens" and Radicals with pride
and glorifcation; they will claim their cleo
tion as The work of the Republicans, and hold
it a success of the Administration policy.
The defeat of the Democratic party in New
Orleans by such men as compose the Citizens
Association and the loss of the Legislature to
the Democracy by the election Of the Citizens
ticket will form the theme of the Republican
orators and Journals from the opening of the