The New Orleans daily Democrat., 1878-11-02
A NEW LINE OF DIVISION,

vote tOr state Treasurer and members OF
Congress, and yet all that we fad In the ad-
dress of the Citizens Conservative Associa-
tlon relative to the election of these Important
officials Is the following:
80 for as State or national politics are con-
eerned we repeat what we stated In our first ad-
dress, that Ignoring political preiudices we
TO resume theit party. allegiance whenever, In
their opinion, political principles are invoived
Consequently, for ali other than parochial
nosni nations those advocating and promoting
the obj cts we have In view are perfectly free to
act as their judgment or preference dictates.
Ii becomes necessary In presenting q ticket
the State should also BIZ filled up. Believing
that those presented by the Democratic party
will ns g, whole, prove most acceptable to our
community, we have adopted them. But In our
organized capacity we decline urging their
clnime aganst the convictions Of any who,
While While aeG!0rdpg onr ticket their support. have
Had 1t been practicable for us to have pre-
sented only ticket embracing our nominations
we would have done so, but the elections com
tivksf tPf t2se'hsF 'ompes our submitting general
Thus while expressing no preference as on
organizat ion for candidates on the general
State IL ket and explaining the necessity for
asspclating our nominations, we keep consist
ently, within the bounds Of the purposes for
which we were formed. and our supporters OF
every political onns plexion can vote for the can
didates we indorse without violating their party
allegiance or abstaln1nR from expressing thelF
political preference.
The tame and equivocating language In
which the fCltizens" refer to the election Of q
State Treasurer and members of Congress is
In startling contrast with the eloquent and
vigorous appeal they have made to the peo-
pie to vote for their city and Legislative ticket
Indeed, the address reads almost like an invi-
tation to the voters to sacrifice two Demo
cratic Congressman and the election In the
State at large for the sake of half dozen or
more individuals the "Oitizens' have singled
out for mayor, administrators and Legislators.
and endowed by sort of Star Chamber pro-
cess of sanctlioation with greater virtue dig
nifty end ability than all other men.
Men who are looking to the real interests Of
this city and State, their speedy emancipa-
tion from debt and restoration to sound and
economical government, find 1t impossible to
understand the anxiety of the Citizens Asso-
citation about Wilson. Hunt, Mary and Marig-
ny, and their utter Indifference to Burke, FL
lis and Gibson.
The Mayor and Administrators can do little
else than administer the laws honestly and
efficiently as they find them; their powers are
too limited to enable them to accomplish any
great and sweeping reforms, and however
amiahle their intentions may be. they can
promise the city but little relief from It's bur
den of debt and taxation The measures neces-
sary for the relief of the State and country
must come from the Legislature and Congress
Now the Citizens Conservative Association is
composed almost exclusively Of business men.
and 1t assumes to represent the commercial
classes and interests OF this metropolis:
yet when measures of the utmost Importance
to the trade Of the country are TO be brought
before Congress: when the tariff is to be re-
formed: when the financial system OF tho gov
ernment Is to be settled when questions of aid
to our Southern enterprises are TO be urged
and passed or defeated, we find this political
party or association, which assumes to
represent especially and authoritatively the
commercial classes of New Orleans, actually
issuing q manifesto OH the eve of an election
declaring that the election of John Will
eon, for Mayor over Isaac Patton, and Of
Aristide Mary, o colOred Republican, for
Administrators of Assessments over Wash.
Marks, Is of the highest Importance,
and that the question of the election of O
State Treasurer and of members of Congress
is of 50 little Importance that they are indif-
ferent who their followers vote for, for these
exalted positions.
The "Citizens' furiousIy assail the Demo-
Gratis for cracking the party whip for, draw
ing party lines and insisting upon all mem
bers of the party voting the straight ticket.
Whatever may be thought of the Demo-
,,t; ,riH nhor hat If ia
silly or absurd. or inconsistent. BY party
discipline we held the party together for ten
years and saved the State and city. But what
are we to think Of this new political party or
association, composed of the wealth and in
teligenco of the commercial classes. which
insists on drawing their party line on a
mere municipal ticket and refusing to draw
it in the contest for a State official and men,
bers of Congress which draws the party line
and cracks the party whip in matters in
which no political issue is involved and pro-
claims its freedom from all party obligations
in matters involving the highest and most
important political questions
We doubt If any large part of our busi-
ness men concur in this remarkable policy
of the Association. The merchants of New
Orleans like those Of all other cities, are men
of common sense and information. They
know that during seventeen years Of Republi'
can rule in Congress values throughout the
Union have decreased fully one-third, and the
debtor class, unable to meet their obligations
after a fruitless struggle have gone down into
almost hopeless ruin. They know it is literally
true that for the last five years every hour
the clock has struck, day and night, has toled
the financial failure of an American citizen,
and that the long list Of bankrupts included the
city and the country merchant, the manufac-
turer, the farmer and the planter. They know
that during this long reign of Republicanism
cormorants and adventurers have fattened
upon plumber and increased the debts of the
Southern States over two hundred millions OF
dollars. They know that under q tariff
framed in special interest, our foreign COM
merce has dwindled away, that our ship
ping is rotting In almost deserted ports, and
that the producing classes and the property
holders have been bound hand and foot and
tx>f fh, nf hp a.