The Opelousas courier., 1896-03-21
The Duty of Democrats.
0. Daily States.

N. 0. Daily States.
1t is With infinite disgust that we note
serious dissensiOns in the ranks of the
Democrats in several parishes 10 this
State.
These dissensiOns have lot grown ont
of any honest differences of opinion as
to policies or principles but exclusively
out Of the selfish aspirations of particu-
lar candidates who brazenly set their
own interests above those of the party,
and arc ready and eager to trade off the
head of the ticket to the combine for
negro votes for themselves.
This evil is uDquestionably wide
spread. and it is incumbent upon the
proper party authorities to promptly
in this sort of wrangling have ceased to
be Democrats; they have ceased A. be
party men; they are no morH nor
less than that most dangerous aAd de-
spicable thing in American politics
Factionists.
There are a great many men IN these
later days who boast of their independ-
ence of party, and boast that they will
not hesitate t abandon their party
when things do not go to suit them.
They imagine they are talking like pa
tliots. . These men imagine that they
are displaying a bold and fearless spirit
of i~nderST3ence. They are entirely
mistaken. They are simply acting and
talking treason to free Institutions and
republican government, treason to the
liberties of the people. Every republi-
can government is a party government,
and it is only through the organization
and discipline Of parties that any great
end IN free government has ever been &C
coTnpiished; and it is only by such organ
ization and discipline that 1.-The institu-
tions built up by the blood of our heroes
aud the wisdom Of our sages" can be per-
petuated. These men are talking fac
ton when they assume or pretend they
are talking Independence; they are
talking for the Reorganization of all
Institutional force that a be depended
vance the happiness and prosperity of
tory Of the lise, progress and final fall
of republics, or OF their descent from
liberty and happiness into despotism
and misery, and they will learn that
f~actionists, men Of their own boasted
stripe, have destroyed, in the mean
pursuit of their bwn ambition and in
terest, all that tse wise and good have
established for The benefit of mankind.
In the midst Of warning factions the
worst men aspire to and secuIe Office
and as the struggles of f~actiOnists, being
Immediately personal, are more bitter
and vindictive, all interest in higher
aims in the interest Of the republic and
the state sink out of sight and are for
gotten; bad men rise up and attain to
bold eminence and to prey upon the
A strict party man is the high
type Of the citizen of a republic.
The factionist is the meanest. The one
10 animated by patriotism, by love of
country. by stern and answering de-
to principle. The spirit Of the
factionist is hell born. The party man
represents the creative or constructive
in the State; the factionist repre-
sents the destructive and degrading
force in the republic. when bad men
combine" said Burke, "honest men
must cooperate" Parties are not or
ganized for spoils, but for the advance
ment Of States and make prevalent
certain great and beneficent principles
for no other earthly purpose than the
of spoils or for the election of
some individual or individuals to office
who will divide the spoils with his or
heir retainers. There vas DO party
tie 10 Louisiana from 1868 to 1876;
lothing ebut the blasting government
If asfaction composed of negroes and
carpet baggers under the protection Of
Federal bayonets. Why picture to
our readers the effects of that ruler
it to say that that was the era
q which Warmoth and Kellogg -four
shed and that these same cbieftains
ire looking with keen and hopeful eyes
lpon the f%actional quarrels of the Dem
,crats in some of our parishes, recog-
,iziDg their opportunity to pounce down
lpon and seize Louisiana once more by
he throat. New Orleans is today, and
las been for nearly four years, govern
ID by a faction, and behold the output
# bribery and profigacy On every hand.
md the penitentiary gaping wide for a
number Of its members.
In the name Of OUT noble State we ap-
zeal to the Democrats in every parish to
lrop their chickering's over individual
ocal candidates and assemble, as in
ines gone by, in conventions Or white
,rimaries, aud let the candidate who is
here defeated accept the result like a
nan, a patriot aud a Democrat, and
Import the ticket from top to bottom.
)ur State, our honor, our prosperity are
as never before since in
and blood, we crushed the rule of
he negro and carpet-bagger. The same
Id chieftains are once more to the fore.
There stands Warmoth and there
lands Kellogg, and there are the hide
features of Cage and Demas and
ill Harper and a dozen other forceful,
1solent and aspiring negro chiefs, and
these are ready and anxious to turn
,ose upon us once again the dark and
lasting ministries OF Republican and
domination. II this is not a
me when the Democracy of Louisiana
hould stand together, shoulder to shout
er. there never was such a time. The
arish Democratic authorities should
size hold of this danger and crush it
18th an iron hand, and if in any instance
ley fail, then the State Executive Com
ittee aud the State Central Committee
lould take the matter in hand and ex-
,se to public ridicnle and ~dennnciation
Ie recreant Democrat who refuses to
lbmit his ambition and his candidacy
a properly organized Democratic con-
or white primary.
--N 81- Z