The New Orleans daily Democrat., 1878-10-11
TO THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY.

An election for delegates to the Democratic
parish convention will be held on Saturday
tom morrow). Several interests are at work
to control this election and the subsequent
nominations. /. The Lottery Company Is in
the field with its money, pimps and other
methods Of corruption, for the purpose OF
securing representation in the next Legls-
lature. 2. Bondholders of every class have
formed rings to control the nominations Ii the
interest Of bondholders 8. The professional
politicians, bummers, thugs and hangers-on
OF public Offices are on the rampage, ana
propose, in one fashion or another-by ballot
box stuffing or bullying-to run In their favor
ties or patrons. 4. The largest, but, we fear,
most apathetic class are the honest d1sin-
terested masses of the people who pay the
taxes, who control commerce, and who earn
an honest living by honest work.
In what interest will the Democrats and
Conservatives Of New Orleans vote to-mor-
row at the primary election? Is there man
In this city who claims to be @ Democrat or
Conservative who will vote for delegates who
will nominate, or attempt to nominate for the
Legislature men who are interested In or who
have been bought to sustain the Louisiana
Lottery Company or who are in the interest
Of any bondholding or other ring; or
who regard the public offices as
the prey or spoil Of any class Of individuals?
If such men are elected to the convention,
and they make nominations devoted to
such interest, a terrible blow will be dealt the
only party upon which this unhappy, plum
dered and stricken State can rely for sup
port and protection. Shall the party
which for ten years has fought radical
ism, reconstruction and bayonet rule, which
finally rescued the State from alien hands,
which has, inaugurated the great work Of
reform shall this party, we say, now fall q
victim to the rapacity and intrigues Of
demagogues, thugs and mere selfish aspir-
ants for office in its own ranks? We hope that
different verdict will be returned at the
ballot boxes tomorrow.
But how Is the integrity of the Democratic
party to be sustained? Certainly not by the
organization Of new parties; certainly not by
the congregation Of one class Of the commune
ty, however influential, respectable and
wealthy, into 81 hostile body. The duty Of
| every citizen OF New Orleans Is to survey the
whole political field; to consider the character
Of the nominations which have been
made in the country parishes best
| that have been made in ten years
and then,determine II it is not his bounden
and solemn duty to do all in his power
to reinforce the country representatives in
the Legislature by the election of delegates to
parish convention who will nominate honest
and good men from Orleans, who will be in
political accord with their associates from the
parishes.
| There has been of late much talk on the
streets about the purpose OF a certain disre-
putable class of bummers to elect their favor
tie delegates by force and violence No man
who has the spirit of louise in him will be
| deferred by such threats from going to the
polls tomorrow and casting his vote for the
delegates he thinks ought to be elected. The
prince Of towards, the type Of the poltroon,
the most miserable and contemplate Of all
Gods creatures, is the thug and the bully
These creatures thrive only because better and
more quiet men are indisposed to rebuke and
put them down. But when they are met
squarely By men, they are the most harmless
meek and docile Of beasts.
Now, In the name Of the Democratic party
we demand that there shall be tomorrow
q full, free, fair and honest election OF
delegates to the parish convention. The
man who stuffs a ballot box is O. scoun,
drel; the man who bullies, or attempts tc
/ bully voter, Is a riOter and q villain, and
he should be dealt with as such. On the
other hand, the citizen claiming to be Dem
ocrat or Conservative who, for any reason, de-
clines to attend the election and cast his vote
forfeits the title of good citizen and patriot
Time and again it has been alleged that the
| dishonesty practiced at the primaries and
the ruf1ianism Of rowdies gathered there i1
special interest, deferred business men from
taking part in them. This is scarcely g
manly excuse. In q free country the choice
and election Of public officials devolves upon
the masses Of the people; no class is exempt
from this duty. If any class evades it, OF
shrinks from it, they are culpable. To allegt
that they are deferred by ruffians and bum
mers Is to acknowledge their own cowardice
1t Is to write themselves down mere trunks
of men, "such images of Britons as Virgil
describes to have been wrought In tapestry
And Britons interwove held up the purple
hanglngs."
Not true men, but painted ones Or, rather
needle-wrought men instead.
We are in the crisis Of our public affairs
Two more years of Democratic administra
tion under Gov. Nichols will place this cit!
and State once more on the road to prosper
ity. Two years more Of Democratic admin
istration means retrenchment, reform ant
cheap government. Can we afford at such
time to split into factions? Can we afford q
such time to elect ring men and corrup
men to the Legislature? Can any honest
true and brave man at such time afford tx
!, neglect any public or party duty that de
, wolves upon him?
The Republican Congressional committe
has been importuned for money, lately,
, the managers OF the canvass In Iowa an
New HamDshire. but it refused to accede