The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-06-23
PARTY ORGANIZATION.

PARTY ORGANIZATION.
Editor Democrat what purpose are the
political clubs being organized In this city so
early In the season. Is it for the purpose Of
insuring the nomination of fit and worthy
candidates for the several municipal offices,
and for members Of the Legisiature2 Is 1t to
enforce measures Of reform and Tetrenchment
at the hands of the next municipal admins
tration and OF the Legislature? Is 1t the
spontaneous work OF patriotic citizens intent
upon Tightening the public burdens and re-
forming public abusesp If such be the mo.
tives that prompt, and such the character OF
the men who manifest this unusual zeal and
enterprise In organizing these ward CLUBS,
then OF course 1t must meet Gfle approval Oh
all good citizens.
But is it not manifest, on the contrary that
1t Is the work Of interested parties, ambitious
aspirants to lucrative positions, whose fitness
for place Is measured by the amount OF money
they are ready to put up to secure their nom
tination and election Is 1t not, indeed, a
personal scramble for place and profitp II
so, what interest has the great mass Of our
citizens In these club organizations What
pledges of reform are offered by or exacted
from any OF these enterprising gentlemen
who are SO jealous In organizing these
ward clubs What do they propose for
the general good of the city or State? At
present nothing seems to be proposed further
than to pack the nominating convention with
delegates pledged toSupport this or that man
for this or that Office, and to that end an UNI
seemy scramble L going on IN The different s En-,
central or mother club" as 1t Is called, rs IL
some undue advantage were to be obtained by
securing the presidency to one or the other Of
the confending factions to advance the inter-
esis OF It's favored land dates.
These ward club organizations are well
enough when there are opposing parties in
the field, divided upon political principles or
measures OF public policy; but when, as at
present, there are no political principles at
stake and no measures Of publicpolicy mooted
between the parties, these clubs can only sub
serve the selfish ends OF particular aspfrants
for whom the public can have little concern.
There is one gross and shameful abuse OF
this ward club system which seems to have
been borrowed from the Radical party, and
which never until lately disgraced the Demo-
cratic party 1t Is the practice--wfich seems
at length to have been adopted by the Parish
Central Committee as law-of making ex-
0rbitant assessments upon candidates for
what Is called campaign purposes" and so
inexorable is the eXaction that unless the can
didate, even after bis nomination, pays the
assessment imposed upon him, he Is liable to
have his name dropped from the ticket
This Is debasing, demoralizng, disgraceful.
1T closes the door OF political preferment In
the face OF the poor man, whatever may be
his worthinees and fitness to serve the city or
State In an official post, unless, forsooth, he
may be able and willing to borrow the money
to pay for his nomination and election! Can
anything be more uti-DemOcratic-nay, can
anything be more indecent than thus to make
q nominating convention a market overt,
where nominations are to be doled out
At graduated price, proporttoned to
the. yearly income of the office? Yet
20 II is, and our party managers do not
Democratic party sunk so low In the favor Of
the,public that it cannot, as it formerly did,
rely upon voluntary contributions to defray
the necessary expenses OF campaign? Or
nneJ
politicians, who think none fit for Office who
are unable or unwilling to buy their nomi-
nations at a fixed price? 1t has been and still
is subject OF just reproach to the National
Republican party that 1t levees assessments
upon its offcehoders In order to raise its
campaign funds; but Is it not the "pot call
ing the kettle black" when we reproach our
adversaries for debasing practice which we
are imitating2
The coming election Is one of great impor-
lance both to the city and State. Party lines
are pretty much dissolved. The reforms
which are so much needed and so clamorous-
ly demanded, both in our municipal and State
governments, must depend upon the charac-
ter OF the men we elect to Office. We have
been sadly disappointed in the past, and If
we allow interested aspirants and their re-
tainers to fix up and control the election, the
coveted reforms will be postponed indefinite
ly, and the evils of which we now complain
will be aggravated and our public offices will
remain what they already are, subjects of
Ura1lc. LII IL becomes evident, as l fear IL
will, that the remedy Is not to be
sought through the agency of nom
mating conventions OF what Is
called the Democratic-C Conservative party,
sensible and patriotic men will act indepen-
dent of nominating conventions. Until it is
discovered that these ward clubs have some
higher objects In view than the advancement
of the pretentions of particular individuals
for official positions, the general public will
net be likely to take much stock in them. To
call such combinations for such purposes, the
Democratic party, to which true Democrats
owe any sort OF allegiance, is an abuse of
terms and an insult to men who have been all
their lives devoted to the Democratic party
whose motto has ever been Principles not
men," DEMOCRAT.