The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-09-26
THE GOVERNORSHIP.
Why Louis A. Wilt Should Be
Nominated.
Views of Prominent Lawyer, q
Graduate OF West Point and
. Practitioner in New Orleans
81 for the Past Thirty
Five Years.

lI. &R
must be educated by experience and contact
-t,h all sorts OF men, and by an intimate
knowledge OF the practical WORKING OF 1gsTtiee.
They must learn the trade.
The very respectable gentlemen who sit IN
tbe,r counting houses and tell the newspaper
ranorters that they favor the nomination (for
aovernor) of Gen. Ogden because he is no pol
,ac,an present the very reason why he should
ndt receive the nomination.
The office OF Governor Of State is assimi-
Iated TO that OF President OF the United States.
IN course the State oficer acts within much
narrower and more limited sphere than does
Inc President. but the general character Of
4he duties Of the offices are not dissimilar.
In looking over the long line of Presidents
n the United States, and the long list OF emil
nent men who have lowered above their con-
tamporaries La the halls OF Congress-, We
shau find that they we're, with few exceptions,
i Iii "ehronic office-seekers" and Chronic
oolceholders."
These were jefferson, Madison, Monroe,
Adsms, Jackson, Van Buren,, Tyler. Fillmore
Polk. Pierce, Buchanan, Lincoln, Webster.
Calhoun, Clay, Benton and q host Of others,
nh chronic office-seekers" all men who had
\ hed high offices In their respective States for
many years-men who were educated as par
tsans and we're skilled In the management Of
PARTIES; men who achieved greatness because
1 the people put them into Office and Kept them
y office, thus alfording them opportunities for
developing their capacity for government, and
rendering to their country ser Vices commen-
snrate with their large opportunities.
To this prevailing rule OF the American
people OF putting ''DaTty hacks" In tho high
Ut office, there have been In the history Of
the country twnnotable exceptions.
4 The respectable men 81 the dominant party,
st the time these exceptions took place. be-
came disguised with "rings," with the ''ma.
cAinery of parties, .chronc ofIice-seeker5,
and all that sort or thing. They resolved to
overthrow the politicians. They put aside
that grand old statesman, Henry Clay, be.
CAUSE he was a chronic Office-seeker, and
placed In nomination for tho Presidency an
ansophisticated old farmer, Gen. William
Henry Harrison. who was Known to be hon
est, was not a politician, belonged TO no polit~
htion, acquired at the battle OF Tippecanoe.
What was the result? "Old Tip" was elected.
The old rings were discomfted The ''outs"
determined to get In. New rings we're formed.
The new President found himself pressed on
III sides for appointments. He was In all at
nosphere to which he WAS all-unaccustomed.
He was as much out OF place as one OF your
respectable merchants, without any training,
would be If placed at the head Of large army
III the field The new aspirants for Office
literally pressed the life out OF the new Presi-
dent Ia one short month. He died regretting
that he had ever left his farm.
Onee again the honest, respectable voters OF
the country wearied Of the politicians and
again set aside the old political hack" Mr..
Clay, and elevated to the Presidency Gen.
Zach. Taylor, a military chteftain, crowned
with laurels freshly gathered In his brilliant
campaigns In hi, xico. Gen. Taylor was
known 70 be- honest, was no party man. He
had, as he said in his famous Allison letter,
mics to punish, no political friends to reward"
The respectable voters OF the country we're
jubilant. Party was dethroned. A new era
had dawned. The best men were to be put
Into power and place. Under the new gov
ernmtnt politicians were to be disc irded.
There were to be no more any successful
combinations and rings to absorb the patron
age OF the government.
How were all these pleasant anticipatlons
realized? A horde OF new Office-seekers, like
eral. He knew nothing OF the politicians OF
the country. His life had been spent Ia the
army Neither day nor night gave him any
respite from the army of,aon- partisan aspi-
rants for office who beslaged the White House,
and after making few very injudiciOus ap-
p0lntmeDts, In three short mouths, the yete-
lan whom neither the SHOWS Of the North )r
he summer heats Of the South, nor shot, nor
Shell, could HARM succuubed and fell before
me difficulties OF the new situation to which
ne was unused.
Now may we not derive g. practical Lesson
lor the future from what we have known In
the past?
In the present condition Of affairs party or
ganization is necessary. Party men must be
selected to carry into execution the purposes
and objects which mako organization neces-
eary. Is Gen. Ogden such man? We know
MIN to be brave, firm and hGEest. We know
md appreciate his military service on me-
Morable occasion. But he is no politician. or
odice-ssekers would put Gen. Ogden to death
4 he were governor, as they did those mill
hry chiefs, Gers. Harrison and Taylor. But
With his limited experience Ia public affairs,
lis limited knowledge of the politicians of the
btate 1t is to be feared that In the embarrass-
Inent Incident TO his new sphere OF action, he
would become an ecsy victim OF the design
ing men about him--some OF whom are even
now ready 10 enroll as q para OF hts body
guard.
To carry, on the State government honestly
snd economically, toprevent Official robbery,
70 make proper appointments throughout the
n&ate In u..der to protect the interests OF the
cAte and people, o large and Intimate &C
4uGintance with the public men 6ll over the
nis, Gen. Ogden has not. II, unfortunately
Dt, him and for tie State. he should be elected
N0yernor he would find himself environed
W. Nth difficulties at once. He has had no po-
ilIcA experience. No ma1 is statesman ~
nose nose who had contributed to his election as
~ W advisers. The political souts" would RUSH
q g his ald to gee into Office. New rings would
E formed; designing men would make
.nuemeG and combinations which the General
Of fS snspt ana eoad h6s nos ae the
I'M sSS5agogup, and the delightful visions Of our
20 - W-citizenS who abhor rings" and who