The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-08-19
FAMILY DIFFERENCES.
From the N. Y. Times.

From the N. Y. Times.
Encouraged, perhaps. by the courteous re-
ception extended by the Southern Demo
cratic press to it's ''earnest word In favor of
moderation and Cancellation in the construc-
tion of local platforms, the World now ad-
ministers to the same section some very
sensible advice with regard to the selection
of candidates. 1t previously urged the avoid
apce of the irritating issues which were Incl
dent to the reconstruction era: it proposed
that the negro question should be quietly
discarded, and all 'dead issues abandoned
Now it suggests that only those persons shall
be nominated to whom neither the test oath
nor the fourteenth amendment will present
insurmountable obstacles.
There was time and that not long ago,
when these suggestions would have bjected
the World to maledictions loud and deep.
Our contemporary then stood almost alone in
its moderation-the Chicago Times and the
Louisville COu1ier-,JOuTndi being its only
conspicuous allies. The change which has
occurred in this respect is very significant.
The untamed fire-eater of the Mobile Regis-
ter met the proposition in favor of accepting
the situation" with the declaration that ''this
is white mans government Generally
however, the Democratic journals of the
South and such Southern Democratic organi-
cations as have given expression to their
opinions. have shown determination to con-
fine the fall campaign to living questions,
and the nominations to candidates
whose eligibility is undoubted. An address
| of the victors in North Carolina breathes the
same spirit. 1t dwells upon the necessity of
establishing friendly relations between whites
and blacks, and of so treating the latter that
| they shall be brought into political alliance
| with the Democracy. In other words, it is
proposed to turn negro suffrage to partisan
account, instead of assailipg it as hitherto.
| The lesson is hard one to teach, as the
Louisville COuTier-J0urndL can testify but
the fact that it is being taught in several of
the old slave-holding States is sign of
progress which no prudent Republican will
ignore.
Unfortunately for the WO1ld there are two
or three ugly facts whose significance lies in
the opposite direction. One of them is that,
Notwithstanding the address of the Congress
sional Democratic Committee in favor of
dropping ''dead issues, the Democratic mem
bers of the House refused to join in decla-
ration that the recent constitutional amend
ments came within that category. Such a
refusal reveals a purpose to retain these
amendments, and the policy of reconstruc-
tion with which they are identified, as
grounds of partisan agitation. Nor has any
thing occurred to show that the Northern
and Western members, who thus falsifed
the terms of their own address, acted
at NdTldQC0 Will tue Nl0WS Ol butlT COLI
stituents In the Iowa Convention, we
believe, common sense triumphed over in
sanity on the negro question; but, $50 far as
we know, the case is exceptional The Maine
Democracy who met in convention on Tues
day, do not, indeed, name the negro in their
resolutions, but they violently assail the legis-
ton of which negro suffrage is an essential
part. Reciting acts of the national admins
tration, the Maine platform affirms that sin
many of the States it has established military
despotisms, trying thereby to intimidate the
people thereof, and make them subseryient
to their wicked rule" With the untruthful-
ness of the statement we have for the moment
nothing to do. We adduce it only to prove
that when the World and its colaborers have
led the Southern wing of their party to adopt
moderate platforms, and nominate moderate
candidates, they will find among Northern
Democrats ample opportunities for the exer
else of their persuasive power and their re-
forming influence.
, What may happen before the campaign
fairly begins, we will not attempt to predict
|, This, however, we at present know-the con
! test between the extremists and the mode
! rates is not over. The moderates have per
! ceptibly gained ground, but the party, as
! party, is yet far from accepting the sagacioui
,, counsel of the World.