The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-04-24
#VALEDIOTORY.

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out Of the hands Of the parties who have con-
trolIed its destinies during the past three
years. Naturally the longtime proprietors
of the paper feel a sad reluctance In consign-
ing to the hands Of others an enterprise to
which they have devoted SO much time and
labor, for the success OF which they have
made so many personal and pecuniary sacri-
fees, and which had become the hope and
ambition OF their lives. They can, however,
console themselves with, and congratulate
the Democracy Of Louisiana and the South
west On, the fact that their paper passes into
the hands OF gentlemen identified with the
best interests Of the State, who are Demo-
Gratis in every sense Of the word, and who are
the friends of the people.
| We trust that on this occasion we may,
without being charged with egotism, refer to
the battles and the triumphs OF the DEMO
Graf. Perhaps It has been heretofore more
of a fighting journal than newspaper. But
there are few who will deny that the time In
which 1t was born and has heretofore lived
needed It's outspoken utteranees and honest
blows.
| Early In 1875 the Democrats of New Orleans
saw the necessity of a last ditch, Bourbon
Democratic paper, and In the fall OF that year,
with little capital, but earnest hope and de-
termination, the DEMOCRAT was established.
From that time until the opening OF the
great canvass Of 1876, which redeemed the
State from Radicallsm, we shall not relate
its varying fortunes. In that canvass 1t was
the recognized organ Of the Democratic party,
and there is scarcely parish in the State
which has not declared that, but for the New
Orleans DEMOCRAT the canvass of 1876 would
have been lost and Packard made Governor
| OF the State.
The Nichols government was no sooner
installed than the representatives Of the peo-
pie, In consideration Of its services. bestowed
the printing patronage Of the State upon the
DEMOCRAT. But. recognizing the fset that
the triumph OF 1876 meant thorough and gen.
eral reform, the DEMOCRAT opened fire upon
all the abuses that had grown up under Rad
ical domination; and there is not an Iesue it
has raised that has not been accepted by the
people and carried through the Legislature
It called for constitutional convention and
demanded the repeal of the charter OF the
Louisiana State Lottery by. the Legislature
Of 1877 and 1873 In that body these meas
ures were defeated. We declared then that
we would carry these Issues before the people
We did 80, and In the canvass Of 1873 these
two issues were the leading questions. A
Legislature was elected by the people to carry
tAlem out. and tie Legislature OF 1879 called
the convention aud repealed the Lottery char
1r. The same Legislature swept from the
5tatutes of the State, at the demand OF the
DEMOCRAT, the Ubiquitous Moffett register
tax
| Pending the election Of delegates to the
Convention the DEMOCRAT was convinced
that the poverty and desolation throughout
the State we're 80 great, and that the re-
sources OF the people to pay had been SO con-
tracted by the resumption act, that 1t was
necessary to readjust the State debt scale
the volume OF 1t and reduce the interest on
the remainder to four per cent. The people
have fully Endorsed our views on this great
question, and three-fourths OF the delegates
In the Convention now sitting In the State
House are prepared to carry out the views
expressed by US on this subject.
The DEMOCRAT was the only paper In New
Orleans that advocated the silver bill, and
both houses Of the Legislature passed resolu-
lions approving that measure 1t was the only
paper In the Southwest that opposed Tom
Scott's Texas Pacific Railroad job, and advo-
Gated the system Of Southern Pacific roads en-
bodied in the bill or Mr.. Jonas In the United
States Senate and of Mr.. Ellis in the House
of Representatives. We do not refer to minor
questions On which the people have endorsed
us. Upon these great leading issues the
people OF the State and Of the Southwest
have been almost solidly with us. We there
fore, In retiring from the proprietorship Of
the DEMOCRAT, submit our record with pride
to our fellow-citizens.
1 In all these fights the DEMOCRAT has raised
up host Of bitter and vindictive enemies !:
and, without other capital than our energies
and our purpose Of serving the State, the
pressure OF money, enmity. vindictiveness
and official hostility have been more than we
could withstand.
One of our associates. the State Printer,
was actually assailed by two stocked grand
juries and indicted by third. Every ring,
monopoly and bondholder in the State COM
bined and arrayed themselves against US.
And finally, with all the warrants the State
owes us, for years work done and thou
sands Of dollars Of materials furnished out
OF our general business, enjoined In Federal
court, presided over by an Infamous judge,
the tool and property of the rings we have
fought, the Democratic Governor Of the
State, when for the only time in the career
Of the paper we needed credit and official
support, arbitrarily and against his own con-
struction Of the law, took from us the State
printing and gave it to the New Orleans
Fscayuse, journal that, in its forty years of
existence, never struck an honest blow for an
honest cause in the State, and which has been
the persistent enemy of the Democratic
party.
Under these burdens and without capital
with only the affection and support OF an
impoverished people-we have been forced,
at the very opening OF the Convention along
side Of which we had hoped to fight for the