Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1876-07-24
The Dilemma of the Democracy III
Regard to the South.

lcSdTO lIlC cVuehs
There is now and then an honest demo-
crat at the North who turns with a shud-
der from the recital of the Hamburg mas
sacre and nvokes his party down South
to put an end to such horrors. There are
others who dread the effect of the cold
blooded murders upon the democratic par
ty in the North. and frantically call upon
their ex-Confederate brethren to stamp
out the authors of such atrocities
Now it is Just as certain as fate, that II
the democrats In the South were to give
heed to the appeals made to them to stop
the course of violence which they are
Systematically pursuing toward the blacks
and allow fair and honest elections to be
held, the democratic party would be no
where in the Southern States. 1t is only
by intimidatng, cheating, defraudlng the
negro voters that the democrats hold what
power they have in the South. They are
in the minority, numerically, and they
know it, They have deliberately and I'M
derstandingly adopted the shotgun policy
as the best and only means of carrying
the elections this year. When, therefore,
democrats in the North appeal to them to
restrain the butchery and outrages that
prevail from Virginia to Texas they prac-
tically ask them to abandon the democrat
ic ticket. VIII they do FTP VIII Tilden
and Hendricks say to their friends down
South, sobcrly. seriously. earnestly, that
they must stop shedding the blood of re-
publicans, when they accepted the nomi-
nation knowing full well that the only
possible chance of their election was
through Just such atrocities as were wit
messed at HamburgP
And yet unless Mr.. Tilden and the
democracy do condem the shotgun policy
they ought to be and will be abandon
ed by the mass of conscientious voters
in the North. The blood of the MUIR
dered negroes will be upon their
skirts if they do not denounce the MUIR
derers. The intelligent people Of the
North will place the responsibility where
it belongs. If the democratic party will
stand between the murderers and just pun
ishment it must take the consequence OF
its acts. Even now some of their organs
are praising Butler, the leader in the late
massacre, and saying they have no apollo
gies to make for him. Are men who be-
IN, irottoa nd h,,n ifv nd lonopnr
going to stain their hands and blacken
their souls by voting ticket in league
with murderers That is question
which every thinking citizen will have to
answer to his conscience if he has any
idea of voting the democr attic ticket.
SO the democratic party is placed in a
dilemma in regard to the South. Unless
it sets its face resolutely and sincerely
against the shotgun policy, and teaches
its Coxes that their CHASTITY jokes about
the bloody shirt will not be tolerated
among christian and decent people, it will
lose every northern State; and if it does
condemn and aid in bringing to punish
groes at the South, it will certainly bring
about its own defeat in the South, as MUIR
der, oppression and fraud are the only
means by which it succeeds there. Here
is something for Tilden and Hendricks to
think of which is more important than the
currency question. 1t is a question in
volving the security of human life and
the most sacred rights of American citi-
zens. Let them beware how they deal
with it,