Natchitoches populist., 1898-06-03
A Democratic Arbslcr "@f
Good"

in that popular book Quo Va.
dis, the brilliant author sketches
Petronius as the arbiter cIegantia,
rum at the court of the bloody ty.
rant Nero. This polished and
philosophical arbiter was profound
| ly learned in all the arts and scien-
ces and almost wins our sympathy
and admiration by the wonderful
scope of his scholarship and geni-
us. But the necessities of his po-
sition forced him to pervcrt and
degrade his gifts to the laudation of
fraud, infamy, debauchery and
crime and with his dying breath
he confesses himself the basest of
hypocrites, toadies and impostors.
1t seems that the New Orleans
conventionsclccted the Hon. Thon -
as j. SemlEles to perform the part
Of the democratic Petronius. lie
was pat forward as the censor of
public virtue and the arbiter of all
good things. In a closing speech
this modern Petronius declared
that the convention had rightfully
worked in the interest of the dem
ocratic party because, he declared,
''the democratic party is the State
and embraces all that is good in
the State"
Before people discuss the merits
of this pharisaical, PecksniAian
lopinion, they Will naturally en-
tquire into the character and quail
ties of this new arbitcr ? What
manner Of public man is he. W hat
is he bvRt the we'll paid attorney of
criminals and corporations
What has he done in the public
service that entities him to become
the arbiter of public virtue in
Louisiana I?
When has he champlOncd the
cause of justice or the rights of
the people ?
When we consider the time, the
place and the circumstances, there
is nothing to save these ugly boast
ings from the plane of low buf-
foonry. The good people Of this
State who do not wear the collar
of balIot-box suffers can we'll af-
ford to smile at the antics of these
democratic players who strut upon
the stage and hoarsely cry II am
Sir Oracle ! When | speak let no
dog bark p The tens of thou
sands Of pure and noble citizens
of Louisiana who spurn the demo-
cratic rings and all their criminal
leaders may we'll afford to smile at
the naughty assumptions of the
of fraud.
We shall not stop to enquire or
examine what are the ideas, what |
must be the tests which ring demo
Gratis apply toright and wrong.
We shall not follow the bad cx-
ample of declaring that all the
best people Of the state are in
deadly antagomsm to the demo
cratic party. But we do assert
that the citizens opposed to that
party are as '4good," as any in.
this state, measured by any de-
cent standard Of public or private
merit. This retort will be justif-
ID by every truthloving man in
Louisiana.
But it is not to make compari-
sons (which are always odioas) that
ye write this brief article. The
yain boastings of Mr.. Semmes are
,nly important for the lesson that
hey teach.
They show how absolutely dead
he democrats are to public senti-
nent which universally condemns
nd repudiates their partisan con-
tftution. In spite of this, lmspite
f rebukes from the press, the ring
eaders shut their eyes and ears
nd continue to- shout, ''We are
he State p And so powerful has
his ring become that it can make
he highest talent in the State its
pologist and tool! Genius, OBJ ,
vious of its own dignity, carries
loft the banner of fraud
Who would not laugh if SUCH man
there be ~
Who would not weep if Atticus were
he ~