The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-02-16
REMOVAL OF THE CAPITAL.

Senator Goode was we believe, the original
mover of the proposition TO transfer the capt.
tai OF the State To Baton Rouge. The public
therefore are Interested In knowing the rea-
sons which prompt him TO advocate this i'm
portant and expensive measure. We regret
that we are unable TO print the speech he
made Cd the subject yesterday In the Senate.
As IL il, we can only lay before our readers
two OF its most extraordinary and salient ar
guments. The Senator favored the removal
because n New Orleans mob In 1876 assembled
on Canal street and denounced the compro-
mise known as the Wheeler Adjustment. and
because the press Of the city has 80 violently
attacked the present lie gislature.
We say these are extraordinary arguments
for representative Of O free people to use In
favor of any measure. They are the argu-
ments which Turk. or a Russian, or an Aus
trian. suddenly transpanted from those arb-
trary governments into Senate or House OF
Representatives Of d constitutional govern
ment might be expected to make Such a
man. accustomed to see the people held In
absolute subsection, the press kept under q
strict surveillance and papers suppressed and
cism of the government Ia indulged in, might
BIO expected to express astonishment and ex-
perience hot resentment at such demonstra-
ton az that made by the people against the
Wheeler Adjustment, and such criticism az
the DEMOCRAT Inns been compelled conscen-
tiously to make on the Senate. But, none the
less that demonstration was largely HympaS
thiaed In by the great majority of the people
OF Louisiana. and the uttetanees of the DEM
ocRar have been endorsed from one end of
the State to the other.
II the object of Senator Goode Is to pocket
the Legislature and carry it off to some 10
cality where r,ass meetings Of the people. or
IA he perhaps regards them, mohs of the rab-
BILE, cannot protest against Its proceedings
and the press cannot critcise It's measures
why has he chosen Baton Rouge2 II the OBJ
iect is to secure protection from the people
and the press he ought to have selected some
retired spot. difficult Of access, on the border
of Texas, or Arkansas or Mississippi remote
from navigahle streams and railroads. and to
which the telegraph has not yet penetrated.
In such spot the Legislature would be safer
than In Baton Rouge. Buteven in such a place
We assure the naughty Senator the Argus
eyes of the press would be upon him and the
rlamors of the people be heard. though not
30 etlectually, perhaps, as here Bad leaisla-
ton might be accomplished; rings might lie
organized; monopolies granted new privf-
legcs. before the work could be discovered:
but Ia the end 1t would have to come
TO light and tho Legislature would be held
ID, an account. In this age the nress cannot
he elnded, and, therefore, the people cannot
Ne imposed upon for long period Of time.
We apprehend that the Senator said more
thnn he meant, and we advise him to amend
his argument, We advise him to sustain the
capital in locality where It's proceedings are
ronducted In the light Of Intelligent criticism
and where there Is always current OF public
opinion running against rings ana JOBS we
know that several Of what are caiiea t'le leaa-
ing Journals hero belong boy ana SOU 70
rings. and that they dakre"hot open their
mouths against single monopoly or ring In
our midst But in greet city like this there
will always be press to voice the wll' Oh 'he
neople. to denounce Jobs and support meas
urys az real benefit to the public.
Remove the capital 10 n country town, and
while the Senator could not entirely protect
IL from the criticism of the press. he would
remove it from the influences of popular opn-
ion and turn 1t over to the power OF the rings,
1t would be impossible to convey the force OF
the public opinion of State which centres
thIphs and works in a city of 25e,ooo people to
atown like Baton Rouge; yet every monopoly
and ring in the State nay. every combination
10 nut up a job-would organize its lobby, its
strikers and its machinery. and ship them up
to the capital to work on the Legislature, ana
they would work on it successfully.
we speak not especially IN the interest o.
New Orleans, and certainly with no unkino
feeling toward the people Of the charming
little city which it is proposed to convert into
n capital. We doubt, indeed, If the removal
would injure New Orleans in the least. We
speak only in the public interest, in the III
terest of good legislation and economy.