The New York herald., 1879-02-03
PLUNDERED BY SCHEMERS.
Legislators and officials Anxious to
Repudiate State Debts.
T H E co A L I T I 0 N
Bad Times in Store for Bull
dozers" and MurdererS.


either controlled by prejudice more anxious for
the of the political party with which they
affiliated than that the exact truth should be known
That the tie which binds the present dominant
party is little more than rope of sand liable to fall
to pieces the moment any other issue is presented
than opposition to carpet-bag repubcansln. is adj
mited fact that the better element in the republican
party III the State is endeavoring break away from
those who have made the odious to the ntelli-
gent and property holding citizens, and form a COM
binaton with those who have acted with the democ-
racy the choice of two evils. and with fair
chance OF success, is equally certain. Among the
publicans of the State there is one perhaps. who
has better knowledge of this movement and the
general political condition of this State than exMar
shal pitkin, in this city. In recent interview
with the Marshal he kindly expressed himself at
length ON the subject, embodied in the following
conversation
CoRREspoNDENT-As you are native OF Louisiana
and have long been actively identified with her
publican politics, / would like to know whether
your party regain there its ascendency in 1880?
Mr.. PITKIN-I have no doubt that it and will.
but it must be under different conditions from those
which prevailed in three national elections since
reconstruction began else republican success would
be impossible to achieve or if achieved impossible
to maintain. We have vast voting posse, but
CoRREsPoNDENr-What new conditions do you look
for?
Mr.. P1rK1S-well, look especially to certain re-
sponsible elements, comprising merchants, planters
and others, that have already detached themselves
from the democracy, and that in their initial expert
ment last November elected in New Orleans goodly
number of their candidates. The fact that these
candidates were wantonly defrauded in the count,
which at the exclusive mercy OF democratic COM
missioners, has served to quicken distrust which
had nlpelled them to antagonze the democracy to
a determined enniity. These dared much in
arraigning their old party by conservative and
tional platforms-they meant reform and retrench-
ment. But they found themselves thwarted
in the count by the very ring they sought to
break up. They left two alternatives-either to
succumb to the democracy and its exactons or to
persist in fighting it-and they have chosen the lat
ter. The republican numbers vital to this end.
and the conservatives will in the coalition prove
valuable eaven to those numbers. certain class of
small republican 'leaders, so called, will be elimi
mated, much to the advantage of the republican
party. Their object being spos they will naturally
betake themselves to the "short hair democracy,
against which the nationals and conservatives sts.d
arrayed The spoilsmen naturally dumped
together and the coalition is thus largely disbu ed
Of reasons in its personnel for reproach.
DETERMINATION THE COALITION.
CoRREsgoSpENr-Do you regard these exdemo-
cratic elements being really in earnest in this
matter?
Mr. PITx1S-There is no doubt of it. They have
left the democracy for deliberate and laudablc pur
pose which cannot be accomplished save the re-
publican party shares in that purpose and lends its
stout voting elbows No republican who has the in
tercst alike Of the State and of his party at
heart can refuse cooperation. The conservatives
and nationals will contribute not only heavy
vote. but mercantile tax paying. banking
and social emphasis to the common object. While
the joint forces will compel general reform and ru
gaty in the trusts of the Commonwealth, reform
will ferment as well within the republican party
there; and one party needs it quite badly as the
other. The ex-democrats indicate hearty dsposi-
ton to act armatvely with any republican leaders
who do not by their past misconduct afford an ad-
monition Of their unworthness to enter the coalition
The question not of past politics but of needed
result But there is another important consideration
The democracy countenances the bulldozer, for it
accepts results assured by him and never dsowns
him. He will find in 1880 that his occupation is gone
since the conservatives will not only refuse his brutal
Offices but stand politically at the side of the blacks
whom no Is wont to shoot or to bully into minori-
ties Here is valuable police power at hand. and
the blacks will be emboldeucd to poll their full
legitimate figures. 1t is thousand-fod better than
federal soldicry--, local. permanent guarantee that
peace shall be maintained.
NO OCCUPATION IN FUTURE FOR THE puLLpozER.
CoRREsPoSpESr-This is new presentation for
Louisiana. Do you really think peaccable relations
can be maintained through the state?
Mr. PIrRIN-l am sure they can. The taxpayer is
in pursuit of the tax consumer who Will be I'M
able to swarm mobs to dcnounce these joint anti
democratic elements az he did TO dcnounce rcpubli-
can officials whom he supplantel later The violent
element will be the weaker side. the side where
the taxpayers who extortionatey assessed dur
lug canvasscs to hire and subsist that clement po-
iiiIcally shall have abandoned it, The
seryatiye element has buttoncd up its pocket.
The 'RinC will call in vain upon New Orleans mer-
chants for much financial succor III the 1850 cam
paipn when n resolute Executive, resollte judges,
sterfs and prosecutors will be chosen II is to be
hoped. Governor Nichols admits that atrocities
were perpc,rated in la.e elections but the dcmoc-
racy tacty absovcs the perpetrators, its prints
vel at his slight measure OF candor and district
attorneys ana grant lures lorocar INJURY. AN .his
servativcs. nationals and republicans will forbid IL
not only by platform but by Judgement OF the public
trusts irncr hands; and after they cast their vote
they will see il counted cast. Many of the con-
scrtatiycs, too. OF New orleans formerly white
ieaguers; in the country they largely planters
who control local opinion. Such men can maintain
their ground against any violent element IL will be
tanned to docilty
ConnrsrospKxr--why was it not tanned before
now?
Mr.. PIrkrS-wcll. the negro entered politics an
welcome factor. His citizenship WIS the product of
n national government that. ~ its pertinacious
pounding OF the rebellion had become sorcly obnoN-
ious to the Southern rebel That negro should own
himself ard at the elbow of his late stand his
civil aud political equal reused vehement prcju-.
dice against him. This prejudice found brutal cx-
preston through the muzzlcs OF class that was
largely the deorls of the and that piled its trade
ia murder solely because the democracy would
not disclaini its profit by It, In fact, this
brutality seemed clearly to interpret the
democratic temper that the local republican admin
strations from 1865 to 1876 reposcd little faith in the
immature self lfasscrtion of the blacks resource
for defence and relied upon national soldiery a
necessary crutch TO prevent being topplcd over.
Many republican officials that they might not
lonlsenioy their tcnure that every sort OF malycr
saton would DO ascribcd to them because they
were radicals, aud that their party
not rigid upon them; and
in many cases, regret to admit. they
dishonorcd their trrss, swoopcd up public
moneys, sold legislation and got themselves in
financial readiness for fight The democracy had
brood of intenperate leaders who coveted these
Offices, organized rcnonstrances by mob and other
wise. and made continuous challenge of republican