The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-03-13
FREE ELECTIONS.
wow THE late Fight In CONGRESS-
WAS INITIATED AND WON.

Due-A Probability that Trey VIII
60 Unrewarded-Parce out Of tins
Organizations 0f the senate and
H0use m Randall In the Lead fos
speaker-Much Hard work yet to be
Done Refere the obnoxious Laws are
Repealed.
Especial Correspondence OF the Democrat
WASHINGTON, March 10, 1879.
II Is so long since have written letter &c
the DEMOCRAT that hardly know how TO be
min. The last two weeks OF the session Just
closed were so crowded with Incidents and
facts, and possibilities succeeded each other
with such kaleldeoscopic rapidity and variety
that nothing slower than the telegraph could
keep up with them; and sometimes even that
was an hour or two behind. It would be a
pleasant task to me and one. have no doubt
entertaining to your readers, to write
A HISTORY OF THE MovEMENT
In favor OF free elections and fair juries,
which took prec sdence Of all else In the clos
Ing days Of the session. But that, like all
other matters Of history, will keep; and
unlike most other historical incidents OF the
epoch In which we live, will grow brighter
Tor the keeping. My intention IN this letter
fs to sketch the prospects OF possibilities of
organization and the probabilities of action
at the coming extra session. But before do
that | must say few words by way of JUS
tice TO the men who conceived la their
patriotism and pushed by their courage to a
successful conclusion the movement that
made an extra session necessary; promising
my review with the remark that that move
ment, In all human probability, saved the
Democratic party and with 1t the free instl-
buttons OF this country from destruction and
disgrace
Five weeks ago to-day Joe Blackburn and
Duncan s. Walker, chairman and secretary
respectively of the National Democratic
Campaign Committee, asked me to come
with them to a committee room In the Capitol
building. When there, Blackburn said that
the object Of the meeting was TO lay before
me certain facts and to ask my cooperation
with him through the press in laying those
facts before Congress and the country. He
said that the secretary OF the committee.
Gen. Walker. had been for long time on the
track Of Devens and had discovered plot
or conspiracy to employ the powers lodged
In the hands of the Executive under the
reign Of terror Ia certain Southern States.
ocratic voters and breaking up the Democratic
organization In those States; and, second of
tndicting, arresting, convicting and imprison-
Ing certain Democratic members elect of the
next House. The object of this conspiracy, he
said, was a part OF the programme To hoist
Grant into the presidential chair in 1sso-or.
II that failed, to perform the same kind Office
for John Sherman; that In order to insure the
success OF this programme, 1t was necessary
first, to make at least three Southern Stats
return Republican electors; and. second to
prevent the organization of the next House
as a Democratic body, in order that the way
might be prepared for another electoral count
In case Grant or Sherman should be defeated
by the people In 1880 as Hayes was In 1876.
In view OF these circumstances Mr. Black
burn said, 1t was vitality necessary that
THE ELECTION LAWS
should be repealed; or, failing to secure their
repeal, that the hands of the conspirators
should be tied by refusal of the House To
vote the principal appropriation bills; thus
necessitating called session OF the Forty
both branches, would be able to restrain
effectively the revolutionary and criminal
tendencies of the Fraud In the White
House and all his acoomplices.
At that time, Mr. Blackburn continued, the
Democratic majority in the House was by no
means thoroughly alive to the dangers Of the
situation, but was chiefly intent on avoiding
an extra session. which the Radical press OF
the country was unanimously representing
as an unmitgated calamity. Hesaid he feared
that Ii the question Of repeating the cleo
ton laws were sprung Immediately 1t would
divide the Democratic party on an issue Of
expediency, and that under such a condition
of things the Radicals would carry all their
points. He, therefore, suggested that the
facts which he had outlined be
....Ll HI AI h., L
vigor and through as effective channels as |
could command, In order that he and the
few Democrats In the House, who were will
ing to cooperate with him. might have some
apparent external backing In the efforts they
would make personally among their coli
leagues. of course undertook to meet the
wishes Of Mr.. Blackburn, and the result wars
a series of articles published In The Siiadau
Cdpitot and the daily Post Of this city and in
the DEMoCRA7, beginning with the announce
ment Of the indictment OF Messrs. King of
Louisiana, and Hull OF Florida, In the Cdpitot
of February 2, and embracing fifteen or
twenty different productions, varying in ex-
tent from a two column letter to a ten line
paragraph, appearing from day to day In one
or the other or, or all three OF the newspapers
every Democratic paper In the country, ex-
cept the New Orleans DEMOCRAT the Cincin-
natl Enquirer and the Washington Post
of the daily press, and the Sunday
lUpltOt Vi tUt Wtthly, were 1OlnHU
In full cry with the unanimous Radicals ia
depreeating an extra session and urging the
Democrats in Congress to pass the appro-
priation bills and go home as soon as the law
and the constitution would let them. or
course under these circumstances, the move
ment suggested by Blackburn was simply
FoRLoRN HOPE,
and he so characterized it. But with character
istic courage and grim resolution he declared
that it could be forced to a successful conclu-
sion and would be, provided he lived to hear
the Speakers hammer fall at noon on the
fourth Of March.
The rest goes without saying. Suffice to
relate that for four weeks Immediately pre-
ceding the close OF the session Blackburn and
Walker labored on an average sixteen hours
out of every twenty-four at the one task of
promoting the movement which | have de-
scribed. My own share In the transaction
leave for others to tell, il they see fit to do So
Inc mission OF journalist is to hew wood
and draw water. His work sinks into the
sum OF things and is forgotten in day. No
matter what may be its consequences he gets
no credit Tor it. To him failure and success
are nearly alike, because, il there is no pun
ishment for the former there is equally no