Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1876-07-21
The Democratic Remedy for law
IesSnesS and Violence i'll the
SOuth-HoW il Works.

SOuth-H0W it w Orks.
There is no doubt that the riots, outrag-
es and murders which have occurred in the
South for the last twelve years have been
almost entirely originated by democrats
and largely for political purposes. The
massacre at Hamburg the other day was
the work of white democrats. In that re-
spect it is like the larger part OF all the
bloody acts that have cursed the South
for several years. Democracy is the re-
sponsib.e agent for the most of them.
But against facts and truth the demo
Gratis rise in Congress and charge the re-
pu5lcans with being responsible for the
Hamburg massacre. and declare that the
remedy for lawlessneSs and violence in
the South is to give the Southern States
over entirely into the hands Of the de-
moc:acy. Wherever says the New
York World,n the democratic party has
got control there are happiness and pros
perity." Let us see about this assertion
of the World. Let us look at some oil the
southern States which are under demo-
cratic control We may begin with Ken
lucky, State which before and since the
rebellion has been democratic and under
democratic government. 1t is State in
which lawlessness is proverbal, noted
for the prevalence of disorders OF all
kinds, and the supremacy OF the mob
over the civil law. 1t is not long since
an official statement was made OF the
disorderly character of the population, OF
murder. robbery, and the operations of the
ku-klux, that cast into the shade what has
appeared against other southern States,
not excepting Louisiana, Tennessee Is
another State under democratic rule, and
there, violence controls the ballot-box,
and renders insecure both life and proper
Ity. To say nothing of the outraSes upon
the negroes, those upon the whites are
sufficient to stamp the State as one where
extreme lawlessness prevails.
We will take one more instance of a
southern State under democratic control,
to show how false is the claim that where
democracy is in the ascendency in the
South, law and order reign and "there
are happiness and prosperity" Let us
look at Virginia. often pointed at by dem
ocrats as a shining example OF a southern
State under democratic management. We
have before us the last copy of the Nir-
ginia Citizen, a paper Published at Peters
burg, Va. In it we find the following ar
ticle occasioned by the intelligence of the
South Carolina massacre, from which our
readers can judge for themselves of the
condition of Virginia under democratic
rule.
| THE curses and follies of the Southern Democ-
racy, like chickens, are coming home to roost.
They have labored for years to get an united
South forgetting that what they hoped would be
their antidote might prove their bane. Each year
since the war, dark fraud, open rapine and blood
thirsty murder have stalked forth all over the
South wherever republican majorities have pre-
vailed. And from our souls we believe that the
spirit OF democracy is the in Virginia as that
in Louisiana or Mississippi. 1t has only needed
the same exciting cause to bring it forth, viz
republican majories. But with the democratic
party in power in the State they have been able to
elect through the conniyance of partisan judges
who have not scrupled to violate the Constitution
the laws and their oa,hs of office, the same ends
through fraud that their southern brethren have
been compelled in States where the State govern
men,s were in the hands of the republicans like
Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana, to re-
sort to the shotgun policy to accom-
plish, and even that has been resorted to in
Virginia, when other means would not suffice, to
prevent the republicans from taking steps by legit
innate and peaceful means to assert their rights.
Notably in Richmond in 1870, and in Petersburg
in lSl4-'75 and again at the last election in May,
when men were shot down in cold blood others
beaten nearly to death simply to obtain possession
of their check books, which would have proven
beyond peradventure that the republicans had
carried the city. At the November ele ction, 70,
the Independents stationed men at the polls TO
take list of voters BY 2 o'clock z. M. it was
known that the necessities Of the democratic par
ty required the getting of those books in their
hands. The result everybody knows. The check
book holders were Knocked down and beaten, ana
their books taken away from them, in the presence
Of the police and no arrests made, save in in
stance where the check book holder was knocked
down and his book taken from him and then ar
rested by the police and carried to Jail, where he
was compelled to lay overnight. This year in
May the republicans rented rooms remote from
the polls, and put man in each room, thinking
that even democrat would regard the right of
domicile; and regarding this room or house his
castle, prepared 20 ascertain definitely the number
OF votes they cast. But again the necessities of
the democrats required that these books of evil
dence should be gotten away with; and it was
done; when to DO it, private houses were invaded,
men shot down, others beaten within an inch of
their lives. We say here that such things would
not be tolerated for one moment in the North
outside the slums Of Five Points or localities Civ
en- over to the sway Of ruifians and thugs.-And
if the men occupying those houses had shot down
every invader, men Of all parties would have ap-
pauded. How different here; had any one re-
sisted it would have been called negro riot and