The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-04-29
THE PIC. AND THE CAUCUS.

The good old Pic. has renewed the war on
the caucus inaaRurated by 1t at the last ses-
sion OF the Legislature, when the question OF
calling the Convention was under considera-
ton by that body. Our respected contem-
porary" appears to lie possessed OF a constf-
tutional antipatby 10 any and all arrange
ments that are calculated to produce unity
Of action on the part OF those who
claim to represent the Democratic
sentiment of this State. 1t never
loses an opportunity to display Its unaltera-
Bile hostility to any sting like concert of ac-
ton, or to denounce whatever tends to bring
1T about as a party trick, resorted to BY the
Red river bulldozers for the purpose OF over
riding public sentimentin New Orleans and
thus depriving the city of her proper intlu-
ence jn public affairs. or course this is all e.
Action, got up by the PIC. to subserve Its own
purposes and those OF the interests to which
ii belongs. There is no such antago-
nism as the PIC. lresupposes between
the Democrats OF the country and those
Of the city, nor have the country
delegates manifested any such dictatorial
spirit as has been ascribed to them. 1t is by
no means difficult, however, to divine the
purpose OF the PIC in appealing to local pre-
judiees and iealousies In order to array the
city against the country. Its only purpose
can be to disintegrate the Democratic
strength, with a view to possible combina-
tlons. 1t is very easy to see how some very
interesting combinations might be effected
under the free lance system the PIC advocates
50 earnestly, but 1t would be very difficult to
imagine how anything OF this kind could be
commended to the approval of the Demo-
cratic masses Of this State. We can very
readily understand how such an arrangement
would be of advantage to the Republican
minority, and to such Democrats as have
ends to attain, by concessions to them, but
we cannot see how it can eonduce to the
advancement Of any measure Of purely pub
| lie interest. .~M=.5..z
| All this talk about q Convention being nc
| place for parties Is the merest and most alb
| surd of twaddle. They are the natural birth.
places OF parties, and In them parties find the
highest and fullest expression of the princi
| pies they advocate. AS we understand the
Eword party" it Is sirply a term used tx
| designate the organization which subsists be
tween persons holding the sarAe politica.
views, and which has been entered into In
order to secure the advantages of com
bined effort In the attainment CT com
mon purpose. 1t is impossible to con
ceive Of popular assemblage more purely
and essentially political in its nature
than Constitutional Convention. There
are no questions OF q political character
which party caucus should not assume thu
right to pass upon. There cannot be an,
work In which the public is mere vitality con
cerned or more deeply interested than in thu
formation OF the fundamental law and th,
establishment Of the political institutions
under which they are to live. These are pure
ly political matters, and they are questions
upon which the Democratic party happens tx
have now, as from it's birth, the mos
pronounced opinions. We should very
deeply regret the failure or re
fusal Of the party in this State to impress
these opinions upon the work the Convention
has in hand, or to incorporate in the forth
coming constitution all the great and endur
ing principles which 60 to make up the tru
Democratic creed.
For people who believe In this creed and de
sire to see It indicated and perpetuated /,
our institutions, the caucus can have no ter
rors. Among those persons we have neye]
included the Ricdyu,ae.