The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-07-29
Why not Try Little Argument
From lhe N. y Evening Posi-.

From he N. y Evening Post
The Tribune and World are now in the full
sweep Of what politicians call "the campaign"
In each paper we read, day after day, asper-
sions of the motives of the other side, and
sourrilous attacks on the character of its poll
tical opponents.
We read in the World that General Grant is
a scoundrel peculator, a sot, and man
without name. And we read in the Tribune
that Seymour is hypoorite, an ally of Mack
erelville, a Rebel in disguise; and Blair is no
better, but rather worse. The World repeats
day after day the gross misstatement which
has been shown in Our columns to have not
even foundation in fact, that Gin three years
of peace the radical party has wrung fifteen
hundred millions of money in taxes from the
pockets of the people, and has borrowed eight
hundred millions more" But the Tribune re-
torts with some such anecdotes ss these:-
THE Marrensburg MOI Standard is informed
that there is a Rebel flag in the sanctum of the
Warrensburg Journal, for the faithful TO weep
over Send It to Frank Blair, by all meaus.
"There is some curiosity TO know whether
Seymour, Ind, where the Adams Express rob
bers recently were lynohed, was named after
speech addressed to My friends"
So they 60 on, day after day, with only oc-
casioDal glimmers of reason. Now the can
vass is very important one. 1t so happens,
unfortunately for the country, as we think,
that question which a month or six weeks
to consider as decided, has become the chief
issue in the struggle. Tho rash letter of
General Blair, which is generally regretted
by thoughtful Democrats, has made the
question of reconstruction the leading one
in the canvass. This question both sides
might well argue soberly and dispassion-
ately, for each has a firm conviction upon
| it. The Democratic leaders apparently be-
| lieve in all sincerity that the only way to
| secure liberty and constitutional government
| to the States of the Union is to let none but
| white men vote. Any other course will be
ruinous to liberty and free government, they
say.
Now, we do not believe this we believe that
liberty and constitutional government are
safest with impartial suffrage; we believe that
it would be great injustice and a serious in
| jury to the country to oonfine the suffrage to
| the whites, to prescribe men on account of
| color; and particularly that this would be in
! furious in the Southern States, where the
blacks form so large part of the population.
We believe with General Blair in 1861, that
| ito him with whom we can trust the bullet to
save the life of the nation, we can likewise en-
trust the ballot to preserve it; and we invoke
the cooperation of the federal and State Gov
| ernments, and the people throughout the
| Union, to use all lawful means to establish a
! system of suffrage which shall be equal and
| just to all, black as well as white" We be-
| u6V6 Win MI. Johnson III 1000, JlaG IL Is wise
| and safe to grant the franchise to those blacks
who can read and write, who own property to
a certain amount, and who served in the war;
and we hold, above ALL that whatever restric-
tions are made should apply impartially to
| all men.
But Democrats believe just as sincerely in
| policy OF proscription:-w will they not
calmly reason upon and argue for their
| favorite policy? Why appeal only to igno-
rance and a hateful prejudice The everlast-
ing talk about "carpet baggers" does not con-
| vince any reasoning being. Is it crime to
represent in Congress State in which you
were not bornH If it were, what would
become of half the Democratic members of
| Congress The attempt to inhame the pre-
| judice against the blacks is not worthy of
! honorable men.
The blacks are ignorant-but it was a crime,
only few years ago. to teach them the alpha
bet. They are poor-but they were left at the
| close of the war absolutely without property.
They are misled in some cases, by dema-
gogues-but the whites of the Southern States
were woefully misled, to their ruin, in 1860
| 6l, by as unscrupulous and evil set of dema-
gOgues as ever gained power over a consider
able population.
The people prefer argument to vituperation
and misrepresentation, and the party organs
would serve their purpose far better if they
would endeavor to appeal to the reason OF
their readers, rather than fall into frenzy of
scoldiDg at their antagonists.