The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1872-05-31
WHAT IN TRE MATTER WITza
TkiE SOUTH?

Ihe facts developed by the hu-
Klux Committe furnish u powerful
argument for national policy which
shall not further oppress nnd ostra-
c.se the Southern whites i'll order to
keep party i'll power in those States.
That report shows that the losses OF
the South during tho war amount to
upwards of five thousand million of
dollars, while the whole assessed
value Of the eleven States, in 1850,
exclusive of slaves, was placed ut
50, 72S S2o 600, or but little more
than half the actual value of tho
property destroyed aud losses, in
Guiding the rebel debt. 1t would
seem as though u country thus pros
trtie should receive the kindest pro-
lection which the errors of its people
made possible. But ut this point the
depletion OF the South only begIus.
The increase III the debts in this
Southern States under carpet bug
rule is simply appalling. III North
Carolina tine State debt was Sl4 .000,-
OUo iii 1860; S2d,UO0,tUU III 1868,
when the work OF reconstruction be-
gan; S2i GOO GOO ia 1868, when car
pet bagisin triumphed, aud $34 co.,
UUO ih 1871. Tho whole benefac-
tons Of the North distributed through
the Freedman Bureau do n equal
the amount by which the debt OF
North Carolina alone has been in-
creased III the process of reconstruc-
ton! In South Carolina, in the sim
gle county of Kershaw. having H.
uO0 population, 1000 tax-executioiIs
were issued. The taxes of 1870
would have paid the taxes Of any live
years before the war, and bad to be
paid out of half the properly. They
were, therefore. ten times as high
aud more. In two years. 81 2U3.
5T7 G7 was paid out, foi which not n
single voucher was kept The Con
vention of 1868. which framed the
State Constitution. contained ~ ne
| groes aud 40 white men. But ID of
the negroes were taxpayers, yet
they levied ON the State tax uf
~. 230 $50. or over si2 per cent. Oh
Its whole properly. In the Legisla-
ture of 1863 we've 20 white Senator's
ana II black ones. aud in the House
there were 81 white aud SO black
members. Eighty members III the
two houses paid no taxes. Brussels
carpets. mirrors. plush sofas. aud
| porcelain spit;oons were furnished To
| the private apartments of these leg
isiators ut / q cost OF the tax payers.
A year legislation Of such Il nest OF
thieves Las proved not less des;ruc-
tive 10 the State than the march
through it OF Shermau's leg.ous.
| burning IA they went. In Alissis-
sippi "A parallel case Is presented. -
No wonder Immigration has Stunned
the South. M wonder the ku- klux
are abroad. No wonder the Sonih-
ern States are standing still or going
backward. The condition Of lnrge
masses of the Southern people Is
simply a. wretched a. the wols: Of
local uiisgovernment aud mean OPP
pressiou can render il. Aud 80 it
will remain until 4 new policy shall
be adopted, aud which does not in
sist on excluding the better class of
Southern whites from voting and
holding office.
The commercial tables of the coun-
try show that the contributions Of the
Southern States TO our exportable
wealth exceed in value the total ex.
ports Of all the other sections of the
Union combined. In addition to
this they furnish through their pro-
ductions the basis of tue most vaiua-
ble textile industries. 1t will no
doubt surprise many of our readers
to learn ths. i'll the matter OF popu.
lation the South leads the great geog-
rapi:cal sections OF the Union. The
total population of the United States
is placed by the last census at 81.
sos 1888. OF this number the Mid
die aud Eastern States combined fur
nish in round numbers twelve III l.
lions, the Western States twelve mil
/ lions, the Southern States, or those
commonly classed as such in the old
times, fourteen millions. Their po-
litical preponderance is equally sig
nificant. the total number of votes
in the Electoral College is 357. The
New England States, with New York
New Jersey and Pennsylvania added
count 100 votes. as follows: