The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-10-08
DEMOCRATIC CONSERVATIVE UNITY

and the convention which is to nominate city
and parish officials, and members OF the Leg
islature will assemble on the fourteenth. No
more important election has ever taken place
in Louisiana than the one we are now ap-
preaching. The Democrats have had control
Of the government for two years, and they
have begun the needed reforms but the work
has only been inaugurated. Much has been
done but an inCalculabIo amount remains yet
to be accomplished. BY the reform measures
passed at the two sessions of the last Lcgs-
lature the people have been relieved, directly
and indirectly, Of burthens amounting TO over
three millions of dollars per annum Under
the Democratic administration great reduc-
tons have also been made In the expenses OF
the city government.
The plain simple question Is: Shall the
people of Louisiana by their apathy, or their
distress growing out OF O great calamity, or
by their disscntons and divisions into fac
tions, permit the party which, In eight years,
squandered over $5O,0OO,O0O of the peoples
money, created debt of S25,OoO,000 and by
Observation-Disclosures sunk the value OF the
property Of the State from $251 1896, 900 In 1870
to $195, 1904, 419 in 1875, we say the plain and
simple question of the hour Is, shall we per-
nit this party of profligates and corruption
lists, through our division into factions, to re-
gain control Of our city and State govern
ments?
This Is a question which every honest man
In Louisiana can understand for 1t Is one
which affects the interest of oil classes OF
the opulation-capitallsts property holders,
merchants and worlingmen. Will the Dem
ocrats OF New Orleans answer 1t intelligently
and patriotically?
In many intelligent quarters there have
been many expressions Of dissatisfaction
with the results so far of Democratic admin
istration. The people in too many cases had
BATTERED themselves that the Inauguration of
Democratic government in the State would
instantly, and as II by magic, uproot all the
evils under which we groaned; that In q few
months the public debt would be liquidated;
that taxation would be vastly reduced; that
useless offices would be abolished, and
that not q vestige, or an evil, or feature
Of carpet-bag government would pe
left. That this miracle was not wrought
mas provoked indignant dissatisfaction.
The impatience Of the enthusiasts has
rebelled against the necessarily slow and
gradual work of reforming the whole gov
eminent of a great State from the villages
and wards OF the parishes to the highest
branches of the administration, and we are
told that Democracy is no better than Radi-
calism; that new parties are necessary and
that factions composed of exclusive classes
must perform the work Of retrenchment
Never was there wilder and more Ia
mentable error; never was there a time
in the history Of the State when its best
and highest interests were so imperiled by
this clamor Of factions and factonists II
the last Legislature did not meet the
full measure Of our expectations, is that
a reason why we should remit the State
to the control of q party which plundered 1t
for eight years? Shall it be said that the
folly of our people and their division into fac
tions fulfilled the same fell mission as the
bayonets Of Grant, and that our ouarrels per-
formed the same duty for Radical robbers
that the troopers Of Dog Merrill and the
swashbucklers Of Phil Sheridan did ? Are we
fools that we are ready to give over our State
and city governments to the men who robbed
us In eight years of over S10O,0OO,0OO, merely
because our own Legislature In two sessions
only relieved us of $3,0O0,000 Of burthens per
anum? Every factionist in the State will
answer mo" And yet this is just the logical
tendency Of every man who attempts, In the
pursuance of his wild and impossible dreams
of reform, to defeat or disorganize the Demo-
cratic party.
Wespeak with no feeling of harshness, but
with a deep and earnest consciousness of the
moo rofo IA;
danger in which circumstances have placed
the State. We fully concede that there are
many things to complain of; we know that
there are methods pursued in ward politics
which are anti-Democratic, which are dis
reputable and disgraceful. But matters are
not to be mended by breaking up or defeating
the only organized party in the State from
which we have anything to hope. And, as Cor
the management Of primary meetings, cleo
tons and conventions, that will always neces-
sarily be bad unless all classes of the
community do their duty. No man has
a right to remain away from the polls, re-
fuse to use his influence for the correction
of evils in our politics and then denounce the
party If it does not please him in its nomina-
tons. If Mr.. A. or Mr.. 3. will not register
dlIu 80 W poilS NCJc uSleRdlcS 10 d
Democratic convention. will he fulfill these
duties and vote for delegates to a convention
of some new tangled party? If so, and he be-
lieves his views cannot be carried out by the
Democratic party, let him go into some other
party and become better citizen by per-
forming those duties which in a free country
any man ought to be ashamed to neglect.
But we must confess that we do not believe
that those men who refuse to perform their
duty as Democrats will perform it any better
as Nationals, or independents, or Republi-
cans. If men expect to accomplish practical
ends in government and politics they must
60 in with men, crowd in with men; they
must be men themselves.
It has been held that fraud, ballot-box
stufing and bullying have characterized
the primary elections to such an extent thata
man must be rascal and ruf1ian rather
than man in order to have any influence at
tho Drimariac This has haen tn q syroat ov