The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-03-10
ORGANIZATION OF THE PEOPLE.

Let US nominate none but the best men
for the convention" This Is the platform of
every man and journal in New Orleans. The
bondholder and monopolist stand as squarely
on it as tho merchant, the mechanic or tho
property holder. Is it not we'll for us to con-
slider III there Is not something entirely too
general In proposition upon which all mon
Of all shades Of opinion and Of all sorts
OF conflicting interests agree2 We are all
Tor good men, but who are good men?
IL matters little TO us whom the rings
ana monopolies, the bond men and the men
with special interest, regard as good men;
whoever will champion their ends, we pre-
sumo, they will class as such. 1t is all Inn
portant, however, that tho people should
have very clear ideas on this subject, and very
full information.
The convention is to frame an organic
law which may stand for half century, and
which will beneflcially or injuriously affect
the interests and prosperity of every human
being In the State. We hold that In voting
for men to take part in u body of such mo-
mentous Importance, the people should know
what those they are voting for propose to do
In regard to great and vital issues A man
may be wealthy merchant, honest and
patriotic In his purposes; he may be d
lawyer Of great learning and eloquence. and
ofthe highest social standing; he may even be
o minister, pious and exemplary In his life and
at the same time he might be In either case
an exceedingly bad man for q people to elect
to constitutional convention No more
esteemed and worthy gentleman THIN Mr..
John Phelps could claim the suffraqes
OF the people for public place.
There is not a more distinguished or able
lawyer at the bar of New Orleans than Mr..
Thomas }. Semmes. But before the people
vote Tor these gentlemen as delegates to the
convention they should know what great
OF reform and relief they propose to
Will they stand for the payment
OF the debt as now fixed and uphold
the cruel sacredness of the five and a half
MILL tax, or will they maintain that the State
rate Of taxation must and shall be reduced, for
oil purposesSto five mills2 VIII they hold that
the monopolies possess vested rights, or will |
they insist upon the repeal OF the monOpolies? |
Will they speak, and write, and vote to abol- |
sh all useless offices and reduce the salaries
u all others to figures becoming an impover-
shed and bankrupt State, or will they main
tain the extravagant features of the present |
governmental system Will they In fine. |
vote to reduce the cost of government so that
,he license system may be abolished and |
taxation reduced to five mills?
We have not singled out these two gentle
men through any hostility to them. We take
them simply TO illustrate our meaning. In
Observation-Disclosures are good men, but il they
Ire not for the people on the propositions we
nave mentioned, the people will be arrant
raltors to themselves ii they vote for them.
Every candidate should be requested to tell
,he people his views on these questions and
20 any others on which he may be interro-
gated and which touch the public good.
The proposition to send men to convention
N the mere ground that they are good men"
s antagonistic to Democratic principles and
dangerous to the liberties of the people.
states have been ruined, and the highest and
lollest causes lost by good men with wrong
Jews and false principles, hence the peo-
lie OF New Orleans should, without further
elay, take ground against the claim of any
nan to their support who will not express
himself fully on all important questions.
There never was a time when 1t was more
angerous than now for the people to elect
1en with whose views and objects they
re not acquainted. Many good men
re interested In institutions and fran
hises inimical to the public good; MANY
God men are large holders Of large :
mount OF bonds; the wAole CONNER
al and financial system Of the city has be-
>me impregnated as it were with bonds, city |
ld State, obnoxious franchises and extraya- 8
ant governmental ideas; and all our prop /
ty, Industrial and healthful commercial in c
rests are wasting away under the influences
the disease Many good men amidst us. :
erelore, are very bad men to send to the
Let the people then see to it that they ac-
pit no candidate and vote for no man who is a
u good man, with sound principles. :
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AIR. Louis Arnauld Of the fifth ward 10 4ba