National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-09-14
THE MASSACHUSETTS, DEKo0-
RAOY.

RACI.
The Democratic party of Massachusetts,,
in declaring for equal rights for all men,
affords Standardization of the general de.
moralization ard incoherency of that organi-
zAtion. In all the Southern States the race
question is the distinctive issue presented
by the Democratic conventions. In that
section the old Know Nothing slogan of
1856, Of America for Americans" has
been changed into ''the South must be
ruled by white men" They even go
further thsn that. The white men must be
Southern white men and they must vote
the Democratic ticket or they win not be
permitted to live there. In fact in all the
Southern States the position ofthe opposition
may be defined in less than dozen words:
death to the Niger and determination Of
white Republicans" ThemiIlions Of black
men whose labor made the South the most
prosperous portion Of the country; who
raised the cotton and the sugar cane, the
tobacco and the rice which found their way
into every market in the world who for 50
many generations were compelled TO live
more like wild animals than human
beings that their lordly owners might
riot in luxury in the North and
In foreign lands, must not be per-
mitted to have q voice in the govern
ments State or national, except through
their old masters. They must think as
they think or not think at all, vote as they
vote, love what they love and hate what
they hate. If they dare to do otherwise,
they are forcibly reminded of the error of
their ways by the masked vigilance COM
mittee who occasionally string up dozen
or 50 to the next tree.
1t Is easy to imagine the feelings Of con-
tempt and disdain with which this resolu-
ton of the Democratic party of Massschu-
sets must have been read in the South.
Equal rights for all men! Why, the thing
is absurd The Gastons and the other lead
ing Democrats Of Massachusetts, are no bet
ter than the GarTisons and the Philhpses
and the other negropholists Of the East who
are endeGvoring to force social equality"
upon the South, as Henry Watterson says,
Ito put the negroes into our tea and coffee.
Equal rights for all men" mean mixed
schools, admission to theatres and hotels,
all that the civil rights bill means. II not,
what dc they mean? So that, in word,
we have the Democratic party of the lead
ing New England State standing shoulder
10 shoulder with tine Southern carpet-bag-
ger so far as the negro is concerned. This
is simply horrible, and if the Democratic
conventions Of the other Eastern States
shall rise TO the same Republican level,
what in tie world will the Southern De-
mocracy dor So far as they are concerned.
Democrats and Republicans are all the
same. They are both willing and anxious
TO elevate the black race; TO give the negro
the sane privileges and rights as the white
man. This it is that is at the roOtof all the
trouble and dissatisfaction and laWlessness
in the South to-day; the inspiration Of the
White Leagues; the guiding and controlling
motive Of the noisy and turbulent agitators
who have converted the whole South into
a sort Of political pandemonium. e the
Northern Democracy repudiates the doc
trines and purposes Of the Southern Dem
ocrats as they have just done in Msssachu-
sets. we do not see what alternative there
is for the Southern brethren but to repu-
date them and make a party Of theiT own.