The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-09-01


ment and forwarding of clothing
e.
TREE CITIZENS CONSERVATIVE AssO"
CITATION.
To the Editor Of the Democrat:
i'll the morning papers of Sunday the
eighteenth ultimo there appeared an address
signed by about GOO citizens, styling them
selves tThe Citizens Conservative AssOcia |
tiou" claiming to represent the intelligence. |
the virtue and the wealth OF the city Of New
Orleans.
If these gentlemen had confined themselves
to declaration OF principles, or If they had
brought forward the names Of certain gentle
men whom they desired to support for muni-
cipal office, no one would have had the right
to question their action or to criticisC their
address; or if they bad INDUCED In greater
seIf-Iautlation than they have done, the COM
munity could have accepted their own esti
mate of themselves in profound silence; but
when they bring direct charges, unsup-
ported by evidence, against much larger
number of their fellowctizens, who compose
the democratic Association of this city. it
is not only the right, it is the duty Of MEM
bers Of that association to reply, in defense
not only of the Democratic party, but OF the
good name of the city Of New Orleans
unless by our silence we seem to admit
the truth OF the charges. We have met and
successfully disproved these charges when
emanating from the emissaries OF the Radical
party, but it Is a new thing to be called upon
to disDroye them when made by our own pco-
pie: but we do not fear that we shall be able
to prove now, as in the past, that these asser-
lions are made not from any knowledge pos
sessed by the persons making them but are
based upon rumors or mlsrepreSentation. We
recognize the fact that the names signed to
the address are the representatives OF virtue
and intelligence but not of all the virtue, in
teIgence and patriotism Of the city.
| We know that among certain classes wealth
is regarded as virtue. and poverty. il not alb
solutely vicious, Is at least suspicious. We
dissent from that position, and declare that
| there are as many honest, upright people, in
proportion to numbers among the poor as
among the rich, and that the former class is
as much interested in, and as anxious for,
good government as the latter. because bad
government means TO the one class inconvc-
thence and to the other absolute suffering.
But we are told in this address that 'the
manner in which our primary elections have,
for a long time, been conducted amid intrigue,
turmoil and not unfrequently violence, has
deferred d large number OF our best citizens
from participating therein" We cmphaii-
| caily deny this statement. That intrigue,
other countries where the elective principle
prevails, we cannot deny. for the simple rea-
son that we are not living in Utopia, but in an
elective representative government. That
''turmoir' tCOmmOtion is prevalent at cleo
tons Is also true, and is necessary accom-
paniment of a contest where two parties are
contending for supremacy, and always will
be until human nature is rcgenerated and the
| ''lion and the lamb shall lie down together"
Surely these gentlemen do not mean to be un-
CerstOod as declaring that such turmoil and
intrigue have deferred them, OF will deter
them from the performance OF their political
duties.
We clenv that frequent violence of such a
character rs to dieter large numbers OF our
| best citizens from participating in the pri-
| mary or other elections. has prevailed in the
| different wards Of the city since the wal. On
! the contrary, we appeal to this community to
know if, as a general thing, our elections have
not been conducted in a manner to compare
| fayorably with those of any city in the Union
of the same size. In the last primary cleo
| tions. the most turbulent which have oC-
Cured in the last ten years, there We're but
two wards in the city in which any disturb
| ance occurred of sufficient magnitude to have
| deferred women from attending, ii they had
the right to vote, and in one OF those the dis
| turbance was suppressed by the police almost
at its inception. In this respect we challenge
comparison with the condition Of things
existing here before the war, when that party
which claimed Ito recognize each other by
the instincts OF gentlemen. were contendlng
for political plemacy with the Democratic
party. The scenes which were then enacted
were u disgrace to utilization. Innocent
men We're shot and stabbed while pursuing
their daily avocations for no other reason
! than that they were foreigners and intended
| to vote ticket which was not supported by
their prosecutors. Even the iIlustrious and
venerable Chief Justice of the State was
struck down by a slung-shot because he
dared to vote, as his conscience dictated, the
Democratic ticket. Innocent men We're
stabbed to death upon their own threshold,
and in the presence of their wives and chill
dren for the same reason. We do not re-
call these scenes with any improper spirit,
but only with the desire that our fellow
citizens shall compare the past with
the present, to determine whether or not
the address under discussion does not do
our people and city a great injustice. We
appeal to you to testify that every individual
and every party has had full and free oppor-
tunity peacefully to express their political
sentiments, even when they breathed threat
enings and slaughter against our people. ever
since the Democratic, party has been domi-
nant in this city. And are we to believe now
that our own citizens, our best citizens are
prevented from attending primary elections
! on account of violence? We charge in return,
| that a majority of these gentlemen have not
| been deferred by any violence, but have been
prevented by their own inactivity and want
of interest in political matters from partici-
pating with their felIoW-cltlzens IL the
| primary elections.
| But We are told by these gentlemen that 80
necessity has arisen for The conservative con-
Stit7cpts of our citu to be heard IN behalf Of its
hest Interests by men 2cho ask nothing .foy
themselves nor for their friends That ne
cessity" has always existed, and we know Of
i no peculiar reason why at this time parties