The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-04-22
THE FALL ELECTIONS.
THE ISSUES OF THE COMING CAMPAIGN
As YET UNKNOWN.
The Democrats waiting for the Republic
cans to Lead OFT In the Fight ana
select the Hattls-t.r0und.
IHnaciRl Gnrraannndanca OF tho namncrnt


select the Battle-Ground.
Especial Correspondence Of tho Democrat
RIaGs HOUSE, |
Washington. April 1s. 1878
THE TWO PARTIES IN CONGRESS
have beguD-in desultory nrld half hearted
fashion. it Is true. but still enough to call -
beginning-to manGeuvrs and sklrmisb. pro-
limnaryto
THE GRAND BATTLE or NEXT FALL.
As usual, the Republicans arc leading of,
and. MS usual. the Democrats are waiting for IN
opening. Ms thsy say in the parlanee Of tho
prize ring. 1t Is tho same old story
For twelve years I have seen that same
Democracy toeing the same scratch every
two yenrs. game MS badger. the pct Of bad
luck and the Drotege OF worse management but
still hopeful, game and smiling. Beaten again
and again. now BY strategy. again by its own
foolshness, and yet again laid low by blows
below the bolt. still again 1t comes UP smiling
as Of yore, and bearing no mark OF either age
defeat or punishment. Still. as by fatality. 1t
waits for the foe TO load of.
That means that in the coming campaign tho
Democratic party. In accordance with what
some Of us begin to fear Is It's irrevsrsible GUS
tom. will be found mastering for the defensive.
Tho Republicans. IA usual. are to pick tho field
strike the first blow. and then the Democracy
| ars TO do tho best that remains for them. It s
hard to teach an old dog now tricks, and, there
new notions. The Democratic party has been
from time to time recruited with new adherents
and reviyified with now blood in the last ton
years.
THE MOVEMENTS OF 1910 AND 1879
| against prescription test oatbs and hayonst
| rule; the REVOLT. Of 1874 against Grantism. tho
financial agitation Of 1876. and other minor
causes too numerous to mention, have all
brought more or less grist Of votes TO the Dem
ocratic mill, until 1t has reached mastery in the
House Of Representatives. gair ed tho Senate
beyond peradventure In 1879. and elected Pres
| ident whom it was unable TO install la Office All
| these trusms ars 80 trlte that they have becone
In order to premise survey Of the situation as
1t Is and an estimate Of tho prospect for time to
| come.
| The campaign Of tbs fall is almost exclu-
THE coNTgo1, OF THE NEXT HOUSE.
| There may be osher objects. local In their i'm
portance. such as the defeat Of Cameronsm in
peennSsylyania ean the oyerthr9w Of G9nklng In
the grand central object OF effort is the control
Of the House Of the Forty sixth Congress-. The
understood by both parties. All agree that it
will, to all human calculation. settle in advance
tho issue Of the next presidential elef ton. and
perhaps determine siill more important issues
affecting the dest iny Of the country. 1t needs
no argument to show that, with both branches
Of Congress In the haads Of the Democratic
party,
FAIR COUNT WILL BE INSURED
guraton Of a Democratic President. to be fol
lowed by final wiping out of the vestiges oil
ltadicalism. restoration OF the sovereignty oi
the people. and q new departure Of tho country
In the paths Of honesty, economy and peace
But recapture Of the House by the Radicals
means a psrpetuation Of the strifes q revival
| al a raT n all T.
for tbs general public good. and proongation
Of that subyerslon OF popular interests to the
good Of individuals which have marked the
ascendency OF Radicaiism ever since bat party
became power. 1t means. moreover, n renew
al Of the niseries OF is7G-77; another long and
finally an attempt to install another fraudulent
President in defiance Of the will OF the people
and In contempt Of the constitution. These
of the Democratic leaders. and the importance
which they give to the impending canvass nat
urally promotes sense OF caution and desire
to be circumspect In
MAKING UP ISSUES.
This very caution and prudence, 1t seerns TO
me, may be at once the safety and the danger Of
the Democratic party. There are always times
| in the history Of every human undertaking
when hazard is the secret Of success when to
stake all is to win everything. and when to re-
serve part is to lose all. It II q maxim In war.
by risking the whole line for the sake Of sue
cess at particular point. Napoleon used to
gay syy tbat til hs could beat any commander who
yorite aphorism OF Wellington was that no
be fought M % Until his troops were under fire,
the Democratic party it seems TO me that some
thing ought to be left to the arbitration Of for
give tbs q enep opportanitT 20 2rds1 70
develop Itself. The Republicans have certainly
selected their ground and announced their
| phrase. their scheme is to set up platform of
glittering genera! tiles calculated to please the
fancy Of The people In order to divert attention
| from their true aim; to set voters crazy with
| fright at imaginary perils in order to prevent
| them from discerning the only real peril which
Is the coolly- -medtated destruction Of our pres
ent system. and the establishment In its stead
OF an oIigarchy Of
CASTE FOUNDED on MONEY
stocks. bonds and corporate privileges. The
people themselves. with that subtle instinct Of
hiaher than the sagacity of individuals, have
discovered the peril Of our institutions and
have smeIled out the authors OF 1t. Following
the direction OF this unerr ing instinct. the peo-
pie last SIMMER struck blow at their enemy
which though desultory and inconclusive. was
yet telling blow, and one M that set the enemy
duced
THE GREAT STRIKE OF LAST SUMNER,
to wit the innumerable grievances of the toll
ing, mass at the hands Of the rich. privileged
and all but titled few still exist and 30 far from
being abated. have been intensified by the dull
ness Of the winter and the hopeessness OF the
| opening Of spring. From no quarter comes
any sign OF relief, while. on the other hand. the
same old remorseless mill Of contraction and
extortion is grinding at
/ THE TREASURY DEPARTMENT.
| Every effort made by the people or their rep
| resentatiVes to stop this mill Is met and neu-
traIized By the malign ingenuity and subtle
| craft OF the men in power there. backed by the
money Of the Northeast and the ply ysical forces
| Of the Radical organization. And now there
| looms up over all the shadow Of Grant in 1880,
who is counted on by the oligarchs Of the North
| east to finish what they have 50 long been pre-
pairing. and that is definite change in the di-
| rection of strong central government, capable
| of defending the caste privileges Of wealth and
| repressing for all time the struggles Of the peo-
pie to re-assert the principles Of sef-govern-
| ment and re-establish the doctrines Of the con-
| stitution.
| Under these circumstances
THE DUTY OF THE DEMOCRACY.
or rather of the Democratic leaders, seems
plain to me. The standard OF revolt should be