National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1875-08-27
RErusI1cANIsn IN KENTUCKY.

COubl0C1ullOh IL thC 14OdoCs
RKPUBLIcANIsM In KENTUCKY.
By the perusal of letter in another col
umn, some account may be found Of the
political condition in Kentucky, and
brief resume of the last two campaigns.
1t will be seen that party lines are drawn
upon about the same plane in that State as
in the other Southern States. Indeed, it
is not uncertain but that the prejudices Of
the whites against Republicanism are
the strongest in those border states
which did not succeed in carrying
their State organization in TO the
late Confederscy. Although, noninally
remaining in the Union and fully repre-
sented in the Congress of the United States,
through the influence of such sterling
patriots as Andrew johnson and John ].
Crittenden, Kentucky and Tennessee still
furnished large number of troops for the
Confederate service, and those who went
were from the wealthiest and most intelli-
gent families. Many Of those who stayed
at home and played the union role, for the
purpose of protecting their property rights,
no doubt sympathized most strongly
with the lamented "lost cause" Be
this as it may, the Republican party
is hated by them as cordially now as by
the most ardent Confederate soldier. The
reasons for this hatred are obvious, but not
well founded. Chief among the reasons
is the impoverishment of their estates by
the abolition of slavery, and then the en-
franchisement of the late slaves, thereby,
as they claim, placing them upon an equali-
ty with their late masters and their fami-
lies.
These people should know, If they are
as intelligent, cultivated and refined as they
claim to be, that the simple emancipation
and enfranchisement of slaves would fail to
elevate them to the place occupied by them
selves. 1t is true that they are clothed
with equal power at the ballot-box, but the
moral power which they are enabled to
WELD by the intellectual force and patri-
otto example is utterly Incompatible to that
which might be exercised by those more
highly educated classes. The latter seem
to prefer to crafty their malignant preju-
dices against the Republican party by the
continued oppression of their late slaves
rather than to strive for the elevation
and improvement of all classes by directing
them into paths of education and industry.
Had Southern gentlemen in Kentucky and
Tennessee, at the conclusion Of the war,
acted upon the principles Of sound common
sense by really accepting the results Of the
war as they affected their willingness and
intention to do, they might have assumed
the leadership of that party in their own
States, which their good sense should have
taught them would for years, at least, re-
main dominant in the nation. They should
have known that the freedmen would
continue to vote with their deliv-
erers. But they should also have
known that those same freedmen
would have been more than delighted to
see their former masters, "poor whites, >"
and all voting the same way. More than
this, as we have said above, the eI-slave
would have gladly followed his late mas
ter's lead If he had only shown q purpose
to take the right path.
All questions of interest and economy
also dictated such q course. The labor Of
the South was to be recognized. The
change from compulsory to voluntary
system, was revolutionary. The land
owners were especially interested in this
reorganization of labor. The value
of their lands in the future were
wholly dependent upon the character
of the labor which might be com
manded for their culture. If Confederates
and their sympathizers had really accepted
in good faith the issues Of the war which
had been submitted to the arbitrament of
the sword, they had of course given up all
idea of return to q compulsory system of
labor. They also knew that free labor was
valuable in the degree that It was intelli-
gent. Hence it would seem that the first
object of the landowners in Ken
trcky and Tennessee in common
with those in all thei ex-slaye States
should have been the education of
of their laboring classes. The labor which
Is put upon LAND has lasting effect. It's re-
turns continue through series of years
affecting the yield OF the crop and the profits
to the owner. By this means the market
value Of the landts enhanced. And for these
reasons it is held proper to tax the land for
the education of all the children of the
State. ~
1t was portion of the Republican policy
to provide for system Of free education in
all the Southern States. The Demo-
Gratis kick against this as being an
unjust burden upon the land and
because education Is ''too good for poor
folks" Kentucky boasts of some 1000
white persons among her population, who
are unable to read and write. The Demo.
Gratis have appealed to the prejudices of
these poor ignorant people to vote the De-
mocratic ticket and remain in ignorance,
because If they voted for Republicans the
latter would make their children go to
school with "niggers," and then the "nig.
gers would be just as good as the poor
white folks. And it Is by such base appeals
that the Democrats are enabled to control
State politics In Kentucky, In palpable hos
tility to the interests:of all parties.
If the Republicans governed the State Of
Kentucky they would provide for the edu-
cation of its labor n that degree of inteIli-