The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1881-09-03
An Interesting Address to the New Yorl
Democracy.

An Interesting AuurcsS W inc Now 1Vrh
Democracy.
The Democratic members of the New
York Legislature, through their joint
Caucus Committee, have issued the fol-
lowing address to the Democratic citi-
zens of the State of New York and to
the citizens of the State without distinc-
ton of party:
Discords and quarrels in the Republican
majority have separated us from our homes
The chief cause of this uncalled-for detention
was a quarrel with the President Of the United
States on one side and the vice-President and
The source of this discord was the question OF
Official patr, mage or the spoiIs of Office. The
Collector of the Port of New York was forcet
to resign In the midst of his tie. m from place
where he was serving with general acceptanc,
to the public, and was appointed to place
abroad uncalled for by his friends or by the
public, in which be has no experience; This
change against which the merchants OF New
York protested in large numbers, was made
In total disrega of every announced prin-
ciple Of Civil-service Reform. and was not
called for by any principle of political duty
nor the interest or the public service. The
purpose Of the act seemed to be to reward
those who had been personally succe Sui In
securing the Presidential nomination, and to
punish those who had resisted the leading
member and members of the National Repub-
ncan Convention claiming the right OF third
President
The unseemly quarrel at Chicago. in the
summer of 1881. was transferred to washing
ton after the Presidential election at the close
of the same year. The same strife has been
continued with more bitterness at Albany
through the whole Of the present session OF
the Legislature. 1t commenced with great
vehemepce at the Senatorial election in Janu-
airy. when thii d-class candidate was nOmi-
mated and elected oves frst.class competi-
tor for the first Office in the gift OF the Legis-
lature, and hardly SECOND to any office in the
gift of the people of the State. The office then
filled after great strife was vacated by vol
or sn M the
OF the full six years Constitutional term OF
service.
the senior Senator of the State. who had been
three times elected to the United states Sem
ate by one party of the State, whose longer
service he now refused, and simply owing to
the fact of the nomination to the senate OF one
chief offender who had opposed his ambition
and wishes at Chicago and elsewhere. The use
less resignation Of these two men has cost the
State not only large amount OF money,
but what is more variable. its honor, dignity
and self-respect. Two factions, known by
the vulgar but expressive names of "stal-
warts and "Half-Breeds," have governed the
Senate and Assembly of the Republic
party and State through the whole ses-
sion. The Democratic memters have
the people. but, by force of numbers. in def
ance of public opinion and in denial of the OPP
portunity OF Timely public Judgment upon
the fact of leaving the State without its Con-
stitutional representative in the higher branch
| of Congress, the Republican majority refused
| to leave the choice of the succession to the
| people of the State. These demands by the
Democratic minority, that an appeal be made
| to the people, were met by the insulting decla-
| ration, that. the possible choice of Democratic
the stSe nnd sSs after
| Thomas G. Platt as the successor of Francis
Herman. and after following this succession
with the choice Of man named Warner Mil
| Ter, member of the present and previous
| House OF Representatives, where he was only
| conspicuous and notorious as direct and per
sonal beneficiary of one OF the worst monopo-
lies in the country, and where he supported
that monopoly by his voice and influence, and
| with threat that other public interests
should suffer IL his special interests IN wood
pulp and the maDufacture OF paper were mol
Most distinguished and capable men of the
| dominant party not in public place, apari
from Conkling, but including men like Fish
Wheeler. Curtis, Rogers and others, who have
served the State with ability, have had to give
| place to the two men elected to Congress, ant
/ their nomination was made an excuse fol
| passing law to Ill the vacancies made by
their election, aud for no other reason. These
| special elections thus provoked will be un
| timely, as they are unnecessary and expcn
sive. The whole Senatorial questio at Al
bany resolved itself into three most d:scredit
| able conclusions:
| i. N o
the part of the Republican majority in the
| Legislature.
2. The quarrel over the spo,ls of Office in two
contempt for every principle belonging K
what is known and recognized as Civilservic'
| Reform.
misuse, until two of the least capable person,
have been drawn from the popular branch o.
Congress to I'LL the highest PHI c,s OF the Stat,
| in the Congress Of the United states.
| bar nd aof fra m ri nj
belonging to this Republican Legislature Il
the evidence of bribery and corruption estab
| lished upon the evidence OF members of thu
dominant party. A leading Republican Sena
tor of one faction Is charged by O member o.
the Assembly of the same party and the sam,
district of the other faction. with offering ant
paying him $1,000 for Senatorial vote, ant
the money was placed in possession of Spe
cial Committee. and is now i'm the hands Of tn,
State Controller. Beyond this fact is the cir
culation OF large sums of money by prominen
Republicans pending the Senatorial eject on
and. as many believe, the intended control o
the result of the election. The State of New
ly wronged and disgraced both by the Repub
hcan Senators action in Washington and b,
the action of the Republican party in power a
Albany: In the first place, the Chief Magis
trate Of the Government, for daring to put II
practice the principles of Executive right o
authority in the choice of public Office. near
lost his life.
This sad and terrible crime came not alon
through the personal madness of single man
but from that personal fanaiicism which wa
and is the fruit Of greed for public office, ant
| of false and dangerous political education
Now, IL ever, Is the time to teach all men tina
public ONCE is the property of the people, an,
that places of Official trust can only be right
fully distributed to men of noble purposes, o
| pure lives, of wise experience, and of unquaii
fied fitness for the work TO be performed
The Democratic party of the State desire T.
| inculcate and enforce the doctrine with whic
the Democratic party came into existence. a
wht Jefferson declared that the only qualf
cations for Office rested upon the wise, SAT-
and patriotic platform Of personal capability
personal honesty and personal fidelity to tn
Constitution.
As members of the Democratic party servin
in the Legislature, whore in one branch Their
were but seven Democratic Senators Of thirty
two members. and in the Assembly but forty
seven OF the one hundred and twenty-eigh
members, we also feel called upon to protes
against special, personal and partisan legisls
ton against the public interests The majorit
, in the Assembly, by the combined vote. wit
the exception of q single member, refuse
to even permit the reference for discus
sion alone of three bills carefully prepares
. | and seat to the Judic AIRY Committee, and pro
viding for absolute reforms in primary nee
ings Of cities, towns and villages OF the Stat