The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1878-11-27
THE POLITICAL OUTLOOK.

THE POLITICAL 0UTLOOK
Howexst much people may diffe
4 las to what will be the resnlt 81 til
Icontest in 1880, the recent election
9 have clearly defined the battl
ground.npon which ftis to be fought
Strategy for advantage Of position
has. been superseded in the clea
reality of positions taken, of bate
: ries planted and the hosts marshal
: ing for the strife. The battle groun'
is not one gained by strategy, nor j
} it the result Of choice by either side
Both parties seem taken by surpris
and feel that it has been forced upol
them by fate. It is the negro agail
that bette NOR to American peace AM
American prosperity. The North i
furious that the negro should not b,
theft to exercise what they term BIZ
fright Of free suffrage;-that is, tina
J, he is not permitted to convert hi,
sanctuaries Of worship into politicaI
meetings, and blend his religion with
4 his politics; that his political lead
ers are not permitted to organize
them into secret and nightly clubs,
land fill their minds with fears and
Ejealousies and prejudices and hopes
.Iof political reward. In a word, be-
cause q few men are not permitted to
have themselves elected to office by
playing upon the prejndices of an
ignorant and depraved race. With
the North it is matter of theory
with the South it is q matter of life
and death. The theory of the North
that the negro is capable Of self gov
ern lnent has: been tried Ia the South
by actual experiment. Ten years of
misrule, which for ignorance, venali-
ty and ruin is unequaled ia the his
tory of civilization, ougAt to con.
vince even the North of his utter
unfitncssa for seif-governmeat.-
There is no mockery so bittersas the
poor ignorant negro playing South
ern legislator. 1t was the clown IN
tragedy, bat tragedy that was real.
It was barbarism in the solemn garb
Of civilization revising its laws and
morals; the commune digging down
the column Of the Vendome; the
Gau!s in, the, seats; Of the. Roman
Senators deyising ways and means
that they might pilfer Rome accord
ing to law. His rule was the mil
ienium OF, Tramps. Flatterys and
fawning upon his lap were found
more efficient than the drill and
crowbar of the burglar; they, were
the open sesame, which not only
opened the doors Of the Treasury,
but the doors to honor and power
The dreams of the Eastern romance
were realized. Beggars in money
and character were lifted from pow
erty and dishonor and made Cover
nors and Judges and Treasurers and
rulers, and they plundered and riot
ed until there was nothing to plum
der. Southern civilization we'll nigh
persisted. The rule of the negro had
been more, costly, and more desola-
ting than the ruin and ravages sof
war. The North once more demands
that the theory of the negroes capac-
ity for self-goyernment stall be tried
again; that political adventures
shall again be permitted, by fawning
upon the.lap Of the negro, by pan
dering to his passions and supersti,
lions and vanity and capidity, to
make themselves Governors and ru
lers of the South. The South feels
that she cannot-that,ti it would be
worse than the. bitterness of death.
The bette eoir stands by in wonder.
idiocy at the strife, and the carpet
Dagger and the hungry Office seeker
Of the Republican North dances in
glee, while the toiling and starving
laborers of the East and West look
on, and looking forget thu golden
chains which bind them to- nnremu.
nerating toll. The moaied ofigarchy
of the East, has unexpectedly. sue
ceeded in throwing the empty barrel
to the whale, and the toiling,miliions
have beer made,t to forget that, while
the sweat of their brow lights up the !
festive halls of the rich and makes
their Golfers overflow With useless
wealth, the omnipotent power ofcon-
traction measures to them their
scanty r. rratiions, day BY day, with
more unerring parsimony than the
scales Of the Southern master meas.
ured the ration to his slave. B.