The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-07-25
THE GEORGIA INDEPENDENTS,

The first programme for the FILL campaign
announced by the Republican COMMITTEES In
cluded q free use Of money and an Immense
amount Of missionary work, under the mgls
Of the Bloody Shirt" in the doubtful dis
t1icts Of the South. Hayes eccentric end
elastic civil service reform was to supply the
money by means of voluntary contributions
from the beneficiaries Of the same, and cam
neiDn orators were to be sent from the
North TO SOW the seeds Of partisan bitterness
and arouse the negroes by every appeal TO
their preiudices and ignorance 1T was thought
by this meanE that one or two congressional
districts in each State might possibly be saved
to the Republican party. This was certainly
n bold and daring project, the exigencies Of
which the ordinary Radical evangelist was
not prepared to meet, more especially since
the yicss;tudes of Anderson and Weber and
MeIin admUnished him that the promises OF
politicians are as treacherpus and uncertain
as the favor Of princes Upon such precarious
chances Of being rewarded for their work,
these orators were not disposed to incur all
the risks and labor Of such a crusade and
for this reason, perhaps, that scheme
was abandoned It may be that this pro
granme was not authentic: but In any eysnt
II seems TO be relinuushed, and Zach Chand-
Ter has been telling the Washington CORES
pondents that the plan now Is to make no
nominations In the South, but TO rally the Re-
Dublicans on any and all candidates who may
announce themselves In opposition to the regu-
lar Democratic nominees. In Georgia this
idea threatens to take shape in what Is called
an independent movement. For some time
past these independents have been carefully
nursed by the shrewder Republican
Journals at the North such as the New
York Times, while the Herald, with
its ruling passion for sensation, has been
writing them up in default Of the annual sea
serpent at Long Branch. But the concurrence
and persistence of these Journals has not been
entirely without fruits. They seem to have
impressed ut least one prominent Georgia
Democrat" with the idea that perhaps the
tides of fate are ut their flood for him. and he
has accordingly addressed a letter TO Mr.
Key. asking an allotment from the Republi-
can campaign funds for Georgia The two
strong points In the letter Of this prominent
Georgia Democrat" are, first. that this money
Is to be given TO hint Is to be called "re-
lishment of nm administration paper at At
lanta and second that Keys famous letter Is
oil the platform his party needs and is pre-
oiseIy what the South wants. This soft-saw-
der Of this Georgia Democrat has not been
without its allurements for Hayes and Key,
and there now seems 10 be reasonable pros
pect Of the thing coming 10 head. Why
Georgia. with its 10000 Democratic majority
has been selected rs the State In which TO in
augurate this independent movement, per
haps, the little marplot Stephens, and such
Democrats rs Dir. FELTON, may be able to OK
plain.
These gentlemen are known to be very
loving friends of the administration
Stephens declared that If he was not nomin-
ated for Congress on the regular party ticket
he would run as an indepen lent, and FELTON,
Is already in the field for reelection in Oppo-
siton to Judge Lester, the regular nominee
Judging from the tons Of the Georgia papers.
the movement is a most formidable one, and
threatens u disintegration Of the Democratic
party Of so serious character that it could
not have been brought about by men Of less
influence and reputation than these,
1t will be very hard for these men to make
the people believe that they have not acted
advsedly with the administration in this
movement to destroy the unity of the Demo
cratic party. 1t may b0 that such is not the
case but the readiness with which the
managers of the Republican campaign have
seized hold Of it is proof enough that the per-
sistonee of the independents in their course
is an alliance with the Republicans in hostil-
ity to the Democrats. AS the Atlanta C0naii-
tuition truthfully says
The aims Of Tndependentism are not to be
mistaken. The name Is to be used as n snare
for unwary voters, while the new party, If
successful, under the fostering cnre Of the
Hayes administration and the efforts Of IL few
whose greed for office will lead them to any
point Of the political compass, will embrace,
in q revised, corrected and modified shape,
the very essence Of that Republicanism that
has brought ruin to the South and all manner
of ealamities to the country.
SO far no movement similar to this has
developed itself in any other Southern State
but Georgia; but in no other State has the
canvass been opened. 1t is q movement
which needs to be carefully watched, for the
next Congress is O question Of too great i'm
portance to the Democratic party for any
chances TO be taken in o single district Of the
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