Rensselaer Union, Volume 11, Number 10, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 November 1878 — The Louisiana Election. [ARTICLE]

The Louisiana Election.

The recent election in Louisiana dißoloses two grave facts among others: first, that the Republican party stood benumbed, and, secondly, that the Democratic party, lacking its old Republican antagonist, expended its combative forces upon itself and was shattered into five distinct parties. The especial devil whereof that Democracy has for years been possessed is a swinish greed, and the old Scriptural story in which two Gergesene Democrats were tormented by devils which were exorcised into a herd of swine that ran violently down a steep into the sea, seems to have quickened emulation in Louisiana. The surplus hunger for place, pert in her Democracy, found expression in four herds, respectively known as the Nationals, the Citizens’ Conservative,theWorkingman’sand the Citizens’ organizations, eacfi announcing itself to be composed of the most exemplary pigs, and capable of assuring the people the most moral and economical pork for a shilling. The vehemence of the plague and the quarantine keys with which many parts of the State locked themselves from approach, forbade the juntas at New Orleans of these several organizations from inciting as general a mutiny as they doubtless desired. Three of the schisms, indeed, did not extend their venture beyond that city itself, and the result achieved . by the old Democracy to the discomfiture of the schisms is of less significance than is the fact that this result in the State at large is wholly without the consent of the dumb Republican majority of her people, and in her one great city is without the consent of a majority, composed of Republicans and disaffected Democrats. The latter, in arranging the Democracy, failed to act as an integer, and debased their worthy challenge to a mere selfish struggle, win which each schism thought to elbow the other aside instead of reinforcing that other. But, while they were thus unwitting auxiliaries to the straight-out Democracy as against each other, it is notable that so large an aggregate vote against its city ticket, as was polled, should be cast in New Orleans by men who remained Democrats till the Republican party there was hamstrung. Jealously guarding the Democracy for a long period against Republican fire, they have at length sought to recruit from the fragments of the Republican party to sap and mine that Democracy. That many colored Republicans voted on the sth inst., there is little doubt, but, having no interest as partisans in the struggle, and no temptation save from the stiaight-out element, which was in possession of the places and of the only campaign moneys, thev have served to make the New Orleans vote of the old Democracy larger than it will probably ever be again. Certain it is that the votes cast for the other tickets were, as a rule, votes of old Democrats who sought to break down a local Tammany, however much their leaders might quietly seek to erect a new Tammany. All, and more than all, that Republicans there have ever charged against the Democracy, has been recently charged by the other elements. They have not only Stripped off its old uniform from their backs, but have fired off its buttons as ammunition, so to speak. They have wrought victory despite their needless defeat—-their candid antagonism augurs much for the future. They virtually annourme that an arbitrary convention can no longer prescribe a citizen’s opinion or tenet, and this is a bold advance beyond the chalkline of the disciplined Southern Democracy. It is worth more than a score of mechanical campaign triumphs. And what, after all, is the Democratic triumph in Louisiana? First, the election as State Treasurer of E. A. Buike, a “ carpet-bagger,” who entered Louisiana seven years ago from Illinois, byway of Texas, where he had halted during and after the war. It is a remarkable confession by the Democracy that the fittest custodian of the. State’s cash-box is a “carpetbagger”—a confession, by the way, we are not disposed to question. Secondly, the re-election of six Congressmen, but one of whom, Gibson, is a man of note. Not all these six combined can assure Louisiana a dollar’s worth of internal improvements, of whi,ch they make loud promises as candidates, and from which the Northern Democrats are averse. Six mummies would serve this Democracy as well. Thirdly, the election of a Legislature which, judg ing from the imperfect returns, will simply continue the present wanton dalliance with the sacred moneys of the Commonwealth; and, fourthly, the continuance of a ring government in the City of New Orleans, which two years hence will surely receive harsher populst - criticism than has found recent expression in the platforms of four exDemocratic elements. The very certainty of this danger will impel the new incumbents to swoop in all the spoils they can, and to have the game of rogues since they must have the name of rogues. Bienville cleared from the marsh a site for the City of New Orleans, and impressed into service to that end a force of convicts. The convicts must subsequently have had large families there in anticipation of Democratic candidatures.— Chicago In-ter-Ocean

—Of Monseigneur Asinan, a distinguished Roman Catholic prelate and at one time Papal Nuncio at Brussels, who recently died, the following anecdote is related: “On his way to Rome, after he had fulfilled his mission in Brussels, his carriage was stopped by brigands. After they had pretty thoroughly rifled the persons of the prelate and his attendants, the chief asked him if lie had anything more. ■ Joseph,’ said the Bishop, turning to his servant, ‘ did you give him the money that you had hidden ?’ alluding to J 40.000 in gold which hud been Concealed in the bottom of a trunk amid a lot of soiled linen. The worthy man considered it a crime lie even *to a brigand.” In 1850, the total property valuation of the United States, according to ihe census report of that year, was ¥7,135,780,228; in 1860, it wa5i16J159,616,068; in 1870, it was ¥30,068,518,507. That is to say, the agggregate wealth of the country increasea about 125 per cent, from 1850 to 1860, and about 86 per pent. froß} 1860 to 1870,