The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1876-02-23
JEFFERSON DAVIS.
Why the South is Democratic,

Herald of the 18th, we make the fol-
loving extracts:
1t is a fact that the Southern States
are now solidly Democratic. Does
this make them sectionalf Wa think
not; for they have no sectional or sell
fish aim; they do not seek to advance
any selfish policy; they have no OBJ
iects in view, in their political agita-
tation, inimical to the whole Union. 1t
is an error, therefore, to speak Of the
present political condition of the
South as sectional" in the proper and
usual sense of that word; and one
proof of this is seen in the fact that dn-
ring AID shortly after reconstruction
the Republican leaders themselves
planned and hoped 20 make the South
solidly Republican by the overwheim-
ing numbers of its colored voters, and
believed they were in the following a
quite legitimate political aim.
IF we examine the story Of Southern
politics during Gen. Grants Presidency
we shall discover reasons quite sufi-
Gent to account for this remarkable
coalition, without having to suppose
spirit inimical to the Union or the gen.
eral welfare. We shall find that in
every Southern State where Republic
cans have ruled they have been incred-
IDLY corrupt and wasteful of the peo-
ple's money; they have robbed the tax
payers, until in many places their lev
les amounted to contiscation; they have
created vast State, county, city and
even township debts, over and above
the heavy taxation; have destroyed the
credit Of the States they misrnled;
have brought financial disgrace AMI
Iuin upon many communities and
while thus sliamclessly plnndering
they have neglected all the most i'm
por'ant dnties Of rulers; have corrupt
ed the courts Of justice, encouraged or
tolerated lawlcssness and crime, and
refused all remedies for the peoples
wrongs. Tie people Of the Southern
States would not he Americans, they
would hardly be human beings, if they
rested content under such monstrous
!. misgovernment as that of their Repub-
lican rulers has been.
The result has been that gradually
in most OF these States, the decent and
intelligent part of the whites has been
driven into the Democratic party
Louisiana, for instance is Whig State
and the Wings would have carried il
over to the Republican party but the
corruption of that party repelled then
so strongly that in the election of 1877
less than FIVE Thousand whites voted
with the Republicans and these were
almost entirely the Office holders ant
their personal following.
The same is true of Alabama Arkan
sas, Mississippi and other Southern
States. 1t was not merely disgust a
Republican plundering which drove
the white voters away from the Repub
lican party, it was because they coult
| not stand the too long continued rob
3 berry, the exhausting taxes, the heav.
debts.
, Another cause justly confirmed tl,ei
detestation of the Republican rule. I,
their extremity they turned for hell
and Justice to the Federal Government
at Washington, and there both hell
, and justice were contemptuously, de
MED. They found the robbers favor
ties at the White House aud infuentia
in Congress-, and their own complaint
. and remonstrances were rejected q
l those of "rebels." The President CAV
the Federal patronage in the South t.
!; men like Spencer, Dorsey, Packard
f Casey and Ames, and these men wer
e allowed to appoint to important Fede
raj Offices in their State many person
dozens of whom have since been con
victed of public plundering. Man,
others have run away to avoid jus
punishments, while most of them wer
y mere adventures land political bum
mers. Nor was this all. The Presi
dent has seemed to take especial pleas
: ure in making appointments whic
s were simply insults to these Souther
communities.
0 The President has deliberately an
constantly taken the side of the plum
e derers in the South. To them, and
them only, he has shown boundles
favor and given unfaltering support
when the people of their States repud
ated them he has given them feeders
= places; when they appealed for bel
{ they got it; when they misrepresente
the South he believed them and refuse
a to hear other evidence than their
: And now the Republican no-+s-
d alarmed at the result.