Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1876-10-12
The Supreme Question.

CFrom the Albany, N. Y, Evening Journal.
The one supreme question of this
campaign, overshadowing all others.
is whether the full control of the ma
ton shall be placed in the hands of the
Confederates and their allies. Shall
the Government be turned 0Uer 10 those
,0ho sought to destroy 1t?
That question cemprehends and alb
serbs all others. Do we seek sound
currency? Iii is idle to talk of a sound
currency coming from the Confedera-
cy Democracy, who have no pride in
the country they attempted to destroy
and who are under the lead of repudi-
ators. Do we want reform? 1t is alb
surd to look for the reform of the Gov
eminent from those who sought to
break it down. Do we want retrench-
ment? 1t is preposterous to expect re-
trenchment from those who in the last
session of Congress alone presented
claims for rebel losses to the amount
of 5000, 100000. What do the men
fresh from their war against the Union
care for a sound currency or for econ
or for reform? What is there in their
history or character or associations to
lead us to trust these objects into their
keeping? The very fact of Confede-
rate Democratic control would be de-
cisive against every one Of these
measures. And so we come back to
the one commanding question which
over-tops and includes all others,
whether the Government shall be CIV
en- up to those who were in arms
against it?
That is the direct and controlling
issue. There is no escape from it.
The sole hope of the Democratic par.
ty is the solid South and sufficient
number of electoral votes from the
North to give it a majority in the
Electoral College. 1t requires 185
electoral votes to elect the President.
The Democratic party counts upon
every Southern State except South
Carolina-thus securing 1913 electo-
raj votes, or more than two thirds OF
requisite cumberland it hopes to OBJ
tain enough from the North to ill out
the balance. The very foundation of
all its calculations is the solid South
1t does not count upon the bulk of the
Northern States at all. 1t knows it
crnnot carry Maine, New Hampshire,
Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode ISL
and, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Illinois
Michigan, Minnesota, Iowa, Wiscon-
sin, Kansas. Nebraska, Nevada or
California. Admitting that all these
Northern States are against them, the
Confederate Democracy count upon
the solid South and hope to secure
New York, Indiana, New Jersey and
one or two other Northern States
just enough to give them a majority
of the Electoral College.
We appeal to the intelligence of
every reader whether this is not cor
rect statement of the case-whether
the Democratic hopes do not rest en-
tirely upon tho solid South and 1pon
three or four States of the North.
And what does the solid South mean?
What does it represent? How is it
made solid? The solid South means
the solid Confederate vote. 1t means
the domination of those who fought
against the Union over those who
stood by the Union. These Southern
States are made solidly Democratic,
not by loyal men but by Confederates.
We have had no such alarming dom
dition of affairs before since the close
of the war. The situation was not as
startling either in '6S or ~ as il is
now. Then the Southern States were
hot united. The loyal men had con-
troll of some of them and no solid Sec
tional array was presented. But now,
by fraud, intimidation aud terrorism,
tie Confederates have siezod control.
anu intend 10 make the South solid
for the Democratic party. If it were
not for this fact the Democracy of to-