New Orleans Republican., 1875-11-18
DEMOCRATIC PROGRESS,

On the second day of November the
shotgun party defeated the Republicans
at the polls in Mississippi. Flushed with
victorious Joy, the Meridian Mercury
speaks as follows two days after the sur
render to Confederate election forces:
The free school system, Yankee impor.
tation, is a monster evil Once the super
intendent OF this county received Sl5OO:
now he receives 5000; if the office il contin.
ued, SlOO 10 5000 is the outside figure he
should receive. The whole sy stem should be
put in allegiance for the present. The enor-
nous expense of Furnishing criminals for
the smaller ofsenses by feeding and SUD-
porting them in the county jail, which is
rather house of refuge for many than a
home of punishment. We must be relieved
of. The sentimental Yankee who shudders
at the thought OF barring the back of a
man to the lash for stealing another's
property, and is ready to exclaim-"in-
human !" behind the civilization of the
age!' or any other sentimental nonsense,
will remember our poverty, when we pro-
pose to substitute the whipping post, Dill.
iory, stock, branding irons, and other sim
pie, etiicacious modes of punishment used
in the purer and better days of the repub-
lie, for the more expansive mode of falling
W. AohOAioSA lbC 4 fOt Was greatly nUtrl-
fed once when we proposed the revival of
these obsolete modes of punishment. We
insist upon their revival, if upon no other,
upon the score OF economy, and that
it is indispensable that we be re.
lieved of the enormous expenses of our
Jails, by resortiug to an inexpensive mode
of punishment that Furnishes; and if the
PtIot crew can't stand it, we recommend
them to get ready" and go 10 Ohio
There are thousand things to be said upon
this subject OF reform, and we may say
some OF them from time to time. One
more thing: That public debt, the spoilers
think they have fixed upon US; we have
but this brief say about that 1t was
made without our consent, and against
our protest; there was no consideration,
except a large one-''over the left;p it
was made in fraud and iniauity; those
who gave the plunderers trust were
parties to the fraud, iniquity and pillage,
and took the risk for large gains; and,
whatever others may say about the plighted
faith Of the State, "tarnished honor" and
all that sort of ridiculous stuff, we, here
now in the Mercury office, raise the banner
of reputation of all of it, except what in
ought to pay, it any; and will tell those to
whom we have intrusted the cause of re-
that We mean business. We
may raise howl, but we have heard thun.
der.
The Mercury fairly represents the senti-
ments of the Confederate Democracy in
the South. Whenever and wherever that
party comes into power, its first work is
to undo whatever has been done by the
party preceding it. 1t is not content
with Strengthening the weak places in
government machinery, and making the
State better by better administration of
its affairs and ruling powers. 1t does not
improve what has been built for the
States good; it tears down and builds
nothing oyer the ruins. Because the
party is the party of progress,
because it educates children, builds
schoolhouses and churches, enacts wise
laws and strives to maintain them, be.
cause it makes the men and women of a
State better and attracts better people, the
party of opposition must needs become
an anti-progressive party. The Democratic
party has no brain or stomach for new
ideas or diet. 1t is crab-like, and when
brought up from the dark slums and
weeds of past decades, it crawls backward.
1t hunts always for the place it had before
its war for secession, ignorance and slave
ry, and rests uneasily where decency pre-
walls.
The Mississippi editor brands the free
school system as monster fraud. We
believe that is conceded by all ignorant
Democrats. He further charges that the
free school system is Yankee importa-
tion. If Yankees are Northern men and
there is some truth in what
be says; but it is unfair to raise Demo-
cratic prejudice on the educational struc-
ture which Northern men have reared. In
former times it was crime against Dem
ocracy to teach oolored men to read.
Then, as now, the schoolmaster was tar
get for Mississippi shotguns. Drunk with
success and new power the Confederate
editor proposes to hold the entire free
school system in allegiance, and We shall
look for two or three Of his kind to hold
indignation meetings, and proclaim