The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-01-18
THE PEACE OF DEATH.

Price, only five cents per copy.
THE PEACE OF DEATH.
Our local contemporaries, especially the
Times, are deeply concerned at the restless and
revolutionary spirit manifested by the repre-
eentati yes of the people in the present Legis-
1ature III we are to believe those journals,
The direst calamities are to befall the State
because q constitutional convention has been
called for the purpose Of correcting radical
evils In the present organic law, to reduce
the expenses of the government and reform
the judiciary system OF the State. The
Times and Rcawme assure us that tho "oom-
mercial classes" of this great city are op-
posed to any such improper, unstatesm an
alike and revolutionary proceedings as these
They tell us the country delegates and bull
doing press here, intimdated the city mem
bers OF the Legislature and forced upon the
business men OF New Orleans the necessity
OF acquieseing In q turbulent measure which
will save the taxpayers of Louisiana fully
one million dollars per annum. Keep the
people quieti Peaeel Peace Such are the
whispers by which the people are to be lulled
to sleep in the very crisis OF their highest
concerns" We have heard this pleasing lula
by before. During the eight years Of car
pet-bag rule 1t was repeated with variations
at the beginning Of every campaign, and. II
there had not been stronger voices to sing a
ruder song amongst us, Louisiana would
have been to this day in The power and under
the heel OF the plunderers. II 1t be listened
to now the city and State will go on bowed
down by tho curse of monopolies, taxes,
debt and poverty.
The evils inherent in the present cOnstitl-
ton, and not spirit Of turbulence amongst
the people, has evoked the imperative and
Irresistible demand for this convention, and
we tell the Times and Picayune, who can
find no abuse too virulent to heap upon the
repre- sentatives who have obeyed the will OF
their constituencies and performed patriotic
duty, that a demand such as that which
forced the call for unconstitutional conventions
and which now calls for the extinction OF
monopolies, cannot be hushed like the shout
of q mob.
The election, the assembling of oonven-
ton, and the vote OF the people on the new
constitution, will impose some expense upon
the State, and necessitate, during this year,
an unusual amount of political excitement.
But what does that fact proven Simply that
years Of misgovernment and the existence OF
constitution framed for the purpose OF op-
pressing the property holdng and industrial
CLASSES OF the State and binding them In
subsection to the oflice-holders and profess
sional politicians, have necessitated extra
ordinary and unusual remedies. II this con-
-
have been necessary to call IL next year. or
the next; and, in the meantime we should
have gone on under the old system, draining
the Taxpayers Of their money and inspiring
the masses OF the people with discomfort;
and In the end, even In ten years from now,
the same arguments, "peacel peace!" urged
against the convention now would be urged
against 1t then. The constitutional conven
ton Is necessary to the welfare OF the State,
and the Legislature has won the confidence
of the people by calling it.
The abuse of the Times and Picauene has
been aimed more directly at the city mem
bers who voted for this bill, and those gentle
men have been charged by those two journals
with disappearing their constituencies
They have done no such thing 1t Is a well
knowTfa that when nominations for SEN
ators and Representatives from the city were
made it was believed that most of them were
opposed to a constitutional convention. The
popular feeling in favor of a convention here
and throughout the State was so strong that
this strengthened the wide spread belief that
most OF the nominations were made In ring
interests. Hence, before committing our
selves to the nominations, we had as many OF
the candidates as possible interviewed on the
subject, and with two or three exceptions they
unhesitatingly and unequivocally declared
that they were In favor of a convention.
These interviews were presented at length in
the DEMOCRAT, and repeatedly commented on
by US. They determined this paper to support
the nominees. Many Of these gentlemen reit-
Grated in public speeches what they had said
70 our representatives. The voters of New
orleans knew their views on this grave and
important question; the Times and Rcdyune
Ahew mat they We're, with few exceptions,
convention men. There was no concealment
~ 'heff views, and they were elected by the
poopie Win lnll knowledge Of their inten-
don to vote for convention
NOW, when these gentlemen were before
the people running for the l,eoislature
with the avowed purpose of voting for /. con-
vention. that was the time for the gy,,oo .nd
Pcdgane to raise their stalwart vo,cas in |
denunciation of them. Then was tho timo
those brilliant champions of the business IN
terests should have exerted their nowa,f,,,
influence to defeat these men, and thronah
them the convention movement. But tho,
did not do it, Why not?
The 'Citizens" claiming, certainly with
much justice, to be the party of the
business interests, lad ticket in the
field the personnel of which was Of
the highest and most unexceptionable
character. combining wealth. patriotism.
high social standing and large ability. If the
Times and Pcayame are convinced that the
const lutional convention is the terrible
thing they describe 1t, and that it viii be . !