The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-05-10
THE CAMPAIGN.

Oh UNUSUAL luUeTeSL lOT al OIL year, anu pre-
parations are being made already on both sides
for severe struggle. First and foremost It's
results will show what effect the Hayes admin
istration has had upon his own party
whether 1t has disintegrated the party to the
extent claimed, and whether In consequence
the control of the party shall be RENTED to
the 'stalwarts,' or remain in the hands of
the Hayes faction. 1t also involves, besides
the complexion Of the next House, number
of Scholarships. The Republican National
Committee has already secured rooms at
Washington, and are now engaged in
the ardent pursuit of campaign
funds and campaign issues. In both quests
they appear to be unusually hard pressed.
In the first respect the committee misses at
the start, the liberal contributions Messrs.
Chandler and Cameron were accustomed to
make when their interest in politics was more
active and personal than 1t Is now. The com
mittee hopes, however by the abrogation of
the civil service order and the assessments on
Senators and members OF Congress to make
up the deficiency In that respect. OF course.
these contributions will be voluntary" but
it Is safe to assume that every Office holder in
most suggestive assurance beforehand that
he will not be removed avowedly for that
reason If he fails to contribute. We are told
that Smith, the newly appointed Collector Of
this port, for instance, has received already
several thousand applications for appoint
ment In the New Orleans Custom House
What one of these applicants, for example
would refuse contribution in advance, even
though it were asked for ever SO sairly and
debonairly2 What man, then, actually in
office, would hesitate to make contribution
in fact, would not be enthusiastically and OBJ
streperously voluntary in contributing his
assessment?
But what the Republicans seem to be most
in need Of are issues. After carefully going
over the ground the other day, the Senatorial
caucus reached but one conclusion, and that
was that there was but very little to stand on
Edmunds, who has become exceedingly re-
Prospective for any man less aged than Me-
thuselah, arose and proposed set Of resolu-
lions reaffirming the principles of the four
teenth and fifteenth amendments, and then
sat down with an JUNCTION which proved con-
clusively that he thought that was what was
the matter with the country. He failed to ex-
plain, however, exactly what his resolutions
had to do with the presidential title, the
tariff, the appropriation bill, the growing
Communism In the North and West, or the
Southern claims, and, hence, they were not
even voted upon.
Economy In the public expenses and civil
service reform were next considered and
gently laid aside, but not word appears to
have been said about the Florida develop
ments, and the caucus finally fell back on the
old clap-trap about "rebel claims" But even
this does not appear to pan out favorably. in
view Of the exhibit recently made in the
House, on John Shermans own confess
sion, that the Forty-third Congress,
which was Republican, had paid the
enormous sum of $10o,ooo,oOo of Southern
claims, while the records@shows that the
Forty-fourth Congress has paid out nothing
like that sum. Aside from this, the record
shows that the Democrats have made two
efforts-in the bill Of Mr.. Potter, to refer
these claims to special commission, and in
the proposed constitutional amendment of
Mr. Springer to remove these claims entirely
from Congress. In view of these facts the
Republicans have, indeed, slender basis for
an issue on this proposition.
We see, though, in a number Of our North
ern exchanges the suggestion of another plan
of operations, which, If pursued, might be
productive of an immense amount of unneces-
sary trouble. AS the World expresses it:
The design is to concentrate the efforts Of
the party upon all the close districts iD the
Southern States organize the negroes, send
down popular speakers from the North, spend
plenty OF money, and make q noisy and ma
ffgHant Canvas5.
1t Is easy to understand how campaign
of this sort would readily revive the bad
blood and plunge the South again into the
troubles Of the reconstruction era-a time we
had hoped would never return. By the selec-
ton for this apostolic work Of few such
malgnants as Townshend and Ingersoll and
a few others we might name, the Republican
party might easily revive the hatreds and re-
sentiments that have been but recently al
layed. The sending of such men here to
preach the crusade of hate to outrage and
abuse the white people of the South, would
be most Infamous crime and it would be
so regarded by our people and resented &C
cordingly. The Republican party Of theNorth
have no more right to send emssaries down
here to disturb the peace and quiet of
our communities by arousing hostility be-
tween the various classes Of our people than
we have to send speakers to Chicago or Gin
cinnati to preach communism and encourage
sedtion and riot among the hungry tramps
that beset those cities. Such a propo-
sition is crime, and most infamous and
inhuman one. The World, after reprobating
such a campaign, revamps the absurd old
homily about patience and forbearance on
our part and the South being on trial, and
so forth, I'D nauseam. Now, this is all
stuff, and most offensive stuff at that,
The South is not ION trial" any more than
Maine or Vermont. We are free and in
dependent States, and have the same right to
manage our domestic affairs that any other
State has We certainly have the right. in