The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1889-03-20
REPUBLICAN, CONSPIRACY.


Its Hold on the Country.
"What are we here for?" is ques-
ton no longer asked in Republican
circles. 1t is perfectly we'll under
stood that where two or three Repub.
lican politicians are gathered together
the object is to get Office.
1t is quite true that the hunger for
office is not wholly confined to any one
party. Even among Democrats, who
are, politically speaking, the salt of
the earth, there sometimes may be
found men possessing a generous am
bition for the hogors and emoluments
of office. But it is among Republicans
that the appetite has attained its high
est development 10 them it is the
breath of life.
BY a curious miscarriage of our
electoral system, the Republican mi
nority in the United States have capt
ured the offices for the ensuing four
years. They are not satisfied with
this unexpected and undeserved favor
of fortune. Having secured the pat
ronage for one Presidential term, they
are resolved to hold it forever. To
this end they have formed an elabo-
rate and far-reaching conspiracy, the
details of which are developing from
day to day.
The creation of new States out of
such of the Territories as are consid-
cred reliably Republican. and refusal
to admit those likely to be Democratic,
is one element of the scheme. In this
way the Republican majority in the
House and the Senate will be increased,
and the chances of controlling the
Electoral College greatly augmented.
But this is not enough to make Re-
publican success at the polls certain
ty. Four new Republican States
would add, perhaps, twelve electoral
votes to the Republican column. Last
year, when King Doodle gave them
New York and Indiana, they did not
need these votes. On the other hand,
in 1884, when Cleveland obtained 219
electoral votes to 1872 for Blaine,
twelve additional votes would have
done the Republicans no good. Here
is contingency that has to be pro-
vided for
To guard against any such untoward
accident as Democratic success in
Presidential or Congressional cleo
tions, the plan is to take charge of
the election machinery in the States.
Give the President power to re-elect
himself at will, or what comes to the
same thing, to count himself in. Give
him the right to control. through his APP
pointees, all elections for members of
Congress. Subsidiary to this scheme is
the proposition to subject the Southern
States to some sort of discipline BY
which some of them may be forced to
give Republican majorities. Precise
ly how this is to be done is not yet ap-
parent, but no doubt a plan has been
matured for the purpose, and will be
developed when the opportune time ar
rives.
Will this conspiracy be successful?
Unquestionabiy there are elements of
danger in it. The Presidency was
stolen once, and there is possibility
that the crime may be repeated. But the
chances are altogether the other way.
Efforts Of this kind are pretty likely
to come to naught
In very close ell ections fraud and
conspiracy not infreq uently may de-
feat the peoples viii. But when there
comes a popular uprising, when the
people awake to the danger of losing
their sovereignty, the most elaborate
plots count for nothing and the con-
spirators come to grief. The Repub-
lican plot to hold on to power is too
elaborate, and is likely to work out its
own destruction. Louisville Courier
Journal.
Il