The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1869-06-26
SUFFRAGE. IS rIlE QUESTION.

The June number Of the Old Guard
contains an excellent article, from
which We append an extract on negro
suffrage. We commend the article to
every Democrat, as we'll as to those of
either party, who feel an interest in
the solution of this vcxed voting ques.
tion, The Guard foreshadows what
should be- the policy of the Demo.
cratic party. 1t declares that the
"question of the speedy return ofthe
Government of the United States to
pure white basis, is the one PROPOSE
tion that immeaSureably exceeds
all others in importance" The truth
ofthat statement ought to be obvious,
and is. The suffrage question is the
tender spot-the vital point in our
politics. As principle, it underlies
oil others; as question, is paramount
10 all others. 1t is of the first impor-
tanee, because every problem in poll
tics must finally be solved by it. 1t
regulates the Tariff, prints green
backs and issues bonds. These and the
multiplicity of questions growing out
of them, we shall easily take care of,
if we take care of the ballot. The dam
ger that threatens our institutions is
the attempt, even now partially sue
eessful, to debaSc the ballot, to tear
down and uproot the doctrine ofwhitc
supremacy, to introduce the negro
and ultimately the Chinese-as an ele-
ment in politics, in short to destroy
white mans Government in the Uni
ted States. Ofall the dogmas of the
Republican party, this is the most dan
gerous and the most vulnerable. The
radical leaders, for the like reason that
a beseiged commandant tries to con-
ceal the weakest point in his wall,
shrewdly put into prominence qucs-
tions of minor importance They have
never boldly declared for negro suf-
frage in their platforms, and yet every
victory they achieve at the polls is
triumph of that principle. 1t is upon
this single point that our forces should
be massed for the contest. \ scatter
ing fire along the entire line will avail
nothing, beyond the noise it makes.
Napoleon won victories over great
odds by throwing his entire force, in
combined attack, upon single point
In the enemies lines. Concentration
Is victory. We cannot afford in this
perilous hour to indulge in differences
upon minor questions. The mighty
question which is paramount to, and
which absorbs all others must be FIRST
settled. Let our one ralIying ery be-
20 This is 4 white mans Government. -
Let our banners proclaim it, and in
this sign, by an organized, conccntra-
ted and we'll directed movement, We
shall conc r.
'' The great body Of the American people are
opposed TO negro Suffrage" And while such Is the
case with regard TO the eGtire Democratic party.
and with regard 70 more than one-tbird Of what
calls itself the Republican party the leaders Of the
Democratic party have insisted making this
AegrO qucstioR play q very subordinate part to
twenty shallow, aOt 10 say comparatively silly
questions about such matters - greenbaeks and
traits. Questions which Democrats arc them .
selves divided have been psrPetua!ly pushed into
. leading prominence. while the one absorbing
question which all Democrats, aud the best por-
ton Of the Republican party. perfectly agreed,
has been pushed back into shadow and obseeurity.
In this fact lies the philosophy Of the constant
Democratic defeats. Instead of using genuine
popular Democratic thunder IN the campaigns.
these demoralized incompetent leaders have in
sisted employing nothing but the artificial
sheet-iron, spent thuRdeFs Of hypocritica loyalty.