Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-08-29
Carpet Isaggers and Natives.


The democrats and their assistants profess to
be shocked, and perhaps they really are, there
is reason enough, at the fraud and corruption,
the political and financial rottenness of some of
the southern state governments, particularly
those Of South Carolina, Louisiana and Arkan-
sas. These states have been plundered, they
say, by greedy and inscriptions adventurers,
their debts increased to an enormous volume
their taxes made ntoerably burdensome; bad
men have been placed and kept in office, polit-
cal and business morals corrupted and de-
bauched, and the different classes of the people
made mutually odious and contemplate If all
this were granted, what then2 "Why," say the
assistant democrats, "elect Mr.. Greeley, and
thus cure these evils" But what is
the connection between the disease and
the remedy proposed2 How would the
election OF Greeley affect the southern state gov
ernments7 The voters there would be the same
as now; the temptations to steal would be as
great and numerous, the same persons precise.
~ would be entitled to hold office, and tbey
would have the same inducements to mislead,
and deiraud and corrupt their more ignorant
fellow citizens. But it may be said that if
Greeley were president he would use his official
influence, in the way of appointing honest fed
eral Officers and otherwise, in favor of upright
and ineorruptible men. Well, we are not so
sure about that. Mr.. Greeley's friends are not
all Of that kind. His most conspicuous and in
iuentiai friends are quite generally of a very
different kind. Not to speak of the Fen
tons and Cochranes, who surround him
IN his own state, his best known
supporterin Louisiana is Yarmouth, the most
rapacious and dangerous of the carpet-baggers
OF that state In South Carolina he has no adj
hercuts who have been republicans, so far as we
have heard, and the democrats there are not all
free from the faint of corruption, which has I'M
doubtedly done the state much harm. What
influence Mr.. Greeley might exert through his
friends in South Carolina cannot be loretold
with certainty; what it would be in Louisiana
there IS no doubt But Gen. Grants influence.
as 1t is felt through the officers whom he ap-
points, is already known. The federal officers
IN South Carolina are the leaders in the move
ment for reform Of the state government; the
president is himself interested in their efforts
and hopes for their success.
We have in former articles given our reasons
for believing that the sweeping charges ofwhole-
sale corruption in the southern states are great
ly exaggerated. That there have been extraya-
ganee and dishonesty, much financial Irregular
iiy and sharp practice aud considerable actual
stealing, no one will dispute. But the burdens
thus imposed upon the people are not so enor-
nous as they have been represented, and the
lcayen Of corruption has not so thoroughly per.
vaded the whole body Of citizens. The evils that
do exist great and alarming enough
in some states TO call for united and
earnest efforts for reform by all true men,
Ought not TO be charged altogether or chiefly TO
ine eaTpet-haggers, or eyea TO the ignorance of
Inc negroes and the case with which they can be
led py pietcnce Of devotion 10 their interests
iahe south Carolina for example. She has
suffered greatly, but she has her own sons her
white sons, the aristoeracy and cbiyalrv of tho
state, which, more assduOusly than anv o,ho,
cultivated the false social theory of an aristocro'
nc aud chiYarous class. They kept tbe tnass 90 |
her people 10 ignorance and dependence bo.
cause they were black; they, when their
former slaves were admitted to citizen.
ship, sullenly and wilfully held aloof from poli.
tics, deferred by an insane pride from exercis.
ing rights in which black men were their EQUALS.
they, ior the sake Of selling their lands at an
exorbitant price, organized land rings to corrupt
the legislature, and while they sDeercd at the
yenaty Of that body, made their profit Of II
without conjunction; they would Dotyoie with
negroes nor be their associates IN office, but
thought II no shame TO bride them.
Bat, besides those who thus held themselves
apart and used only their social position and