The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-03-19
RANDALL'S ELECTION.

| We sincerely trust that those Southern
Democrats who voted for Mr.. Randall for
Speaker Of the House, and who contributed
80 largely to his election. will not have cause
to regret their action. 1t would be very diff
ficult to convice US that 50 large number of
Southern members, including many OF the
ablest and purest gentlemen In Congress,
could have yielded their support to any one
for an office of such vast power and impor-
lance TO the party that hold 1t, from personal
motives or from any others not Of the high
est character
| Yet we are by no means prepared to change
our estimate of Randall ON the mere strength
OF his election by the votes Of Southern
members Of Congress, and we do not hesl-
tate to avow great ehagrln at the defeat OF
| Mr.. Blackburn and our candid conviction
that the election of Mr.. Randall was great
mistake. We believe 1t TO be unfortunate both
| for the party and for the South. Still he has
been elected and by handsome vote on the
first ballot, and all that can be done ID TO
| reconcile ourselves to the fact as best we Gun
and dispense our praise or condemnation as
either may be deserved In the future. We
shall soon see whether he is controlled by
the high and exalted patriotism attributed to
him by the Eastern press Of all shades Of
political opinion. and his opposition In the
past to the several measures In which the
South was most largely interested was
prompted by stern and consistt ut principle,
or was merely the manifestation OF subser-
viency to the local interests of the East
whenever these came In contact or COMPETE
tion with those OF the West and South
There will be abundant opportunity before
the present Congress expires for this question
to be satisfactorily determined and for Mr..
Randall to put himself right, and II the re-
suits prove that we have been guilty of an
iniustoef in our estimate OF the man and
judgment Of his motives, there will be none
more ready and willing TO make the proper
amende We shall judge by his works, and
only trust that we have been wrong.
1t has certainly been the misfortune of the
South that numbers of tho measures that
have been before Congress In which we were
peculiarly interested have been prejudiced by
having tackled on to them all sorts of Jobs In |
the interests Of individuals and particular
private corporations. This faint attached to |
the Brazil subsidy and to the Pacific railway |
schemes. but nothing Of this sort was devei- |
oped In connection with the Mississippi levee |
bill. to which Randalls opposition was |
equally persistent. All Of these measures will /
be revived In the present Congress, though |
we trust. In very different shape from that
they assumed In the last Congress. Yet It
looked to us at the time, and so it appears |
now, very like special pleading and dishonest |
pretense for members Of Congress who were
Southern men, aEa others who relied on
Southern support to carry through their own
measures to refuse to vote a subsidy for
direct steam communication with Brazil |
because OF the John Roach feature of |
the bill, 30 long as the navigation laws
which had a general application, were In force.
and no effort had been made to repeal them.
Their incorporation In special clause OF the
Brazilian mail contract gave them no greater
force, and, had they not been Incorporated.
any contract Congress may have authorized
would none the less have to be made under
them. even now and John Roach would be
equally benefited, since he Is the only man
in the world that could make bid for the
service, because he is the only man who Ia
prepared to furnish the ships that would be
required under the navigation laws. For this
reason we did not place much faith I'm Mr..
Randall. or anybody else, when they made
John Roach the scape-goat Of a grave and
indefensible wrong to the South
Ii we have been wrong In our opinions
there is way. and very easy one TO dis
abuse us OF our error. Let these navigation
laws be repealed and this service established
on Its own merits. There will DO no violation
OF principle In opening the line to competition
and allowing other men than John Roach to
bid for 1t, and this can be done by allowing
competitors to purchase the ships, of what
ever character may be required, wherever
they can get them cheapest. The jobberyi
feature will thus be eliminated, and beyond
this, after all the public money that has been
spent In fostering and building up Northern
interests, the South does not propose to con-
cede the honor or justice of any principles
that will forbid her an equal distribution OF
the public revenues.
Both the Senate and the House are now
Democratic, and there no longer exists anv
reason for concessions, and we shall certainly
look 70 Congress to put these measures In a
proper shape and pass them without IN
necessary delay. Mr.. Randall and such
Southern Democrats as Singleton, of Missis-
sippi, Will be afforded ample opportunity. in
theff course tn regard to them, to prove the
honesty and sincerity III the reasons thew
have assigned for their obstinacy in the past.
While we have the gravest misgiving in re-
gard to Randall, at least, and would have felt
much greater assurance with Mr.. Blackburn
In the Speakers chair, we are perfectly Will
ing to await developments and pass judgment
In total oblivion of past injustice.