National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-04-07
THE SOUTHERN QUESTION.

Mr.. Eldredge, Of Wisconsin, Democrat
whose fealty to Democratic principles
whatever they may be-no one will doubt,
rebuked the "South Carolina taxpayers"
yesterday for their attempt to persuade
Congress to interfere in State affairs in a
most positive manner. General Kershaw
had made speech, insisting that the tax
payers had no voice in the control of affairs,
and that the State is ruled by irresponsible
persons. who do not own property, and
whose only interest in the State is confined
to the perquisites of their Offices. 1t was
the old story over and over, again and
again. Mr.. Eldredge had heard it in the
frigid region of Fond du Lac, and had made
use of it to prove that his constituents are
oppressed by similar misfortune, or, per-
haps, had argued the converse of the propo-
sition to show that the laboring classes, be-
ing poorly paid by the property holders
are in reality the taxpayers. At any rate,
he gave the taxpayers" the cold shoulder,
and abruptly informed them that Congress
had no more right to take cognizance of
their complaint than of the grievance of the
people of Wisconsin.
He may have forgotten, with characters
tic convenience of Democratic memory,
that the same argument will apply to
Louisiana, and seemingly Ignored the fact
that he was establishing q precedent to sus-
tain the position of the Administration in
its support of the Kellogg government in
the latter State; but under the circum-
stances we are bound to give him credit
for the utterance of sound Republican doc
trines, whether he believes in them or not.
He failed, however, to give his friends
the advice which they adpreviously heard
from the lips of no less q parsonage than
Gen. Butler, and which, it must be ad-
mitted, furnishes the only remedy for their
complaint. 1t is simply that they shall en-
deavor to enlist the blacks, the poor whites,
or other non-property holding citizens in
the effort TO reform the State government.
with success; but that success could only
have been obtained when assured by the in
telligence of the people. But as the tax
payers insist on spelling negro with two g's,
and treating the blacks as 'tniggers," it is
not to be presumed that they are intelligent
enough to accept the advice so freely tend
cred to them.
The moral effect which these self-styled
taxpayers claim as the consequence of their
effort to obtain Congressional interference
already rebounds to their discontinue. 1t
shows itself in determination kindred to
that expressed by Mr.. Eldredge, to let the
Southern States alone and allow them to
work out their own salvation in their own
way. They have had tinkering enough
since the days of reconstruction to make and
unmake them as integral parts of the Union
half dozen times, and we advise these
South Carolinians, as well as the Louisian-
ians and the citizens of every one Of the
Southern States, that the time when Con-
gress or the General Government could in
terfere with their internal affairs has passed.
Now that they have been rehabilitsted as
members Of the Union, they will be treated
as the equals of other States North, East
and West and the exercise of power
by the Government at Washington will be
confined to a recognition of
their governments in the ordinary way, as
determined by competent judicial power.