The New York herald., 1879-02-03
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.

the success 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 republcansm. all
tted fact that the better element in the republican
party III the State is endeavorng break away from
those who have made the odous to the intelli
gent and property holding citizens. and form a com
bnation 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
publcans of the State there is one, perhaps. who
has better knowledge of this movement and the
general political condition of this State than ex-ar
shal pitkn. now in this city. In recent interview
with the Marshal he kindly expressed himself at
length the subject, embodied in the following
conversation
CoRIEsPoSDENT-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 can and will.
but it must be under different conditions from those
which prevailed in three national elections since
reconstruction began, else republican would
be impossible to achieve. or if achieved impossible
to maintain. We have q vast voting posse but we
need something besides numbers.
CoRREspoNDENr-Wha new conditions do you look
for?
Mr.. PIrKIN-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 was at the exclusive mercy OF democratic COM
mssioners, has served to quicken q distrust which
had inpelled them to antagonize the democracy to
q determined ennty 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 are left two alternativeseither to
succumb TO the democracy and its exactions or to
persist in fighting i-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.
nated much to the advantage of the republican
party. Their objec. being spo!s they will naturally
betake themselves to the "short hair democracy,
against which the nationals and conservatives sia.G
arrayed. The spoilsmen naturally dumped
together and the coalition is thus largely disburt ed
of reasons in its personnel for reproach.
DETERMINATIONS THE COALITION.
CoRREsgoSpENr--Do you regard these ex-demo-
cratic elements being really in earnest in this
matter?
Mr.. PIrxIN-There is doubt of it. They have
left the democracy for deliberate and laudablc pur
pose. which cannot be accomplished the
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
o,,1 natl will mt IN moi np1 haav
vote. but mercantile, tax paying. banking
and social emphasis to the common object. While
the joint forces will compel general reform and
gality in the trusts of the Commonwealth. reform
will ferment as well within the republican party
there; and party needs it quite badly as the
other. The ex-democrats indicate hearty dsposi-
ton to act afrmativey with any republican leaders
who do not by their past misconduct afford an adj
monon of their unworthiness to enter the coalition
The question is of past politics but Of needed
result But there s 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 only refuse his brutal
Offices but stand politically at the side of the blacks
whom he is wont to shoot or to bully into minori-
tics. Here is valuable police power at hand. and
the blacks will be cmboldeucd to poll their full
legitimate figures II is thousand-old better than
federal sodicry--a local. permanent guarantee that
peace shall be maintained.
No OCCUPATION IN FUTURE FOR THE puILpozER.
CONFERENCE.-The is new presentation for
Louisiana. Do you really think peaceable relations
can be maintained through the Statey
Mr.. PIrKIS-l am stirc they can. The taxpayer is
now in pursuit of the tax consumer who will bc I'M
able to swarm mobs to dcnounce these joint anti
democ ratio clements AZ he did 70 dcnouncc rcpub-
can officials whom he suppantel later. The violent
element will be on the weaker side. the side where
the Taxpayers who were cxtortionaely assessed dur
fl.ssf thut
lit,cally, shall have abandoned it. The con-
sorvatiye element has buttoncd up its pocket.
The Ring" will call IN vain upon New Orleans mer-
chants for much financial succor in the 1850 CAM
paign when n resolute Executive, resoute judges,
skerfs and prosecutors will be chosen II is to be
hoped. Governor Nichols admits that atrocities
were perpc;racd in LATE election; but the dcmoc
racy tacty absolvcs the perpetrators its prints mar
vel at even his slight measure OF candor and district
attorneys aud grand juies forbcar inquiry. All this
imports fresh license to murder in 1851. The con-
servativcs nationals and republicans will forbid t.
not only by platform but by Judgement OF the public
trusts in rnier hands, and a,r they cast their vote
they will see IL counted as cast. Many of the con
s,rtatiycs too. OF New orleans formerly white
lcaguers; in the country they are largely planters
who control local opinion. Such men can maintain
their ground against any violent element II will be
tanned to docty.
ConnrsrospkSr--why was it not tanned before
nowg
welcome factor. His citizenship was the product of
n national government that. ny its prrtinacious
pounding OF the rebellion, had become sorcly obnox
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 cs
preston through the muzzcs of q class that
largely the deoris of the and tina. piled its trade
la murder solely because the democracy would
not discaimi its profit by 1t. In fact. this
seemed clearly to interpret the
democratic temper that the local republican admin
israons from 1868 1876 reposcd little faith in the
immature selfasscrtion of the blacks resource
for defence and relied upon national sodery AZ n
necessary crutch to prevent being topplcd over
Many republican officials saw that they might not
lonlsenioy their tonure that every sort OF malvcr
saiion would be ascribcd to them because they
were radicals. and that their own party
in many cases, / regret to admit, they
dishonorcd their trusts. swooped up public
moneys, sold legislation and got themselves in
financial readiness for fight. The democracy had a
brood of inteinperate leaders who coveted these
Offices, Organized rcmonstrances by mob and other