The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1876-06-21

ihO loiiohlllS lcIteI was "ll1tCu,
nearly three months ago, by leading
lawyer Of the South to n distinguished
Democrat in Washington. 1t was
not intended for publication, and is,
perhaps, for that reason, all the more
valuable. 1t is believed TO contain a
fair statement of the average feeling
and opinion in the South on the pOlit-
ical situation.- ED.
-, MISSISSIPPI, Mar. 4th, '76.
Hon. -
Dear Sir:
To an Outsideranxious that harmony
shall prevail in the views of the Dem
ocrats of different sections, it appears
that entire success will not probably
attend the present efforts being made
at Washington to bring about so desir-
able condition of feeling. say sap
pear" because I can only speak of
things as they look to a ''layman" at
this distance. Although / sympathize
entirely with all efforts to produce uni
ty of sentiment and action upon the
financial question, it does seem to me
that if little more determination of
purpose to go for hard money were
made apparent by those who favor that
view of the question, supported by
those who are so deeply concerned for
the success of that principle as for a
chang of Administration, it would do
more to secure concert of action than
anything that has yet been tried.
take it for granted that the Sonth-
ern States, except South Carolina and
possibly, Florida, will woe for the NOM
inee of the Democratic party, without
much regard to his views upon fnan-
cial question; simply because to them
(the Southern States a change of ad-
ministration, with all that implies, is
Of more consequence than the question
of "gold and silver, or greenbacks"
important as they recognized the
latter to be. This will give us 127
electoral votes to start with and, as
1876 is majority, there will be only
SO more necessary, in order to succeed.
To most Northern people it would no
doubt have the appearance of political
heresay to state that any question is
gilmore Importance than the one finance
Be that as it may, it is none the less
true, as regards us of the South. If
the North knew the situation in the
South, especially, if they had felt it as
we have, for years, they would, per-
haps, look at the matter as we do.
Promising that any candidate who
will be nominated will get the 127
Southern votes, as above specified,
would not the votes of New York, New
Jersey, and Connecticut, making so,
and those of California and Oregon,
making 8 more, be safe for the Demo-
Gratis with hard money man? This
would give us 1s6 votes, and that
would be a majority 'citiOut another
State. 1t is apparently very doubtful,
even with soft money platform,
about carrying amy of the Western
States; and such a platform would
probably lose us all the above North
ern and Pacific S tates. The chance
to carry those above mentioned for the
Democracy with hard money plat.
form are evidently much better to car
rY the Western States, or any of them,
with soft money platform. An in
termediate platform would probably
carry neither. Besides, if the Wes-
tern States saw determination to car
ry out the above policy, enough of
them would acquicsce to makethe tri-
umph assured for larger majority; if,
indeed, any of the Western States can
be carried by the Democracy, at all /;
which is more than doubtful.
The South, 1 think, does not favor
contraction; but a hard money plat
form can be made without contraction,
and without resuming as early as 1879;
if resumption be, as is generally held,
impossible without contraction. 1
think the entire South; with the ex-
ceptiOn of the two States previously
named, would 60 for the nominee of
the Democratic party upon hard mon
ey platform, if there were no cOntrac-
ton feature in it. That is the way it
looks to me.
The desire for change Of Administru-
ton Is more strenuous Nth lS than amy
and every thing besides. All this l say
without intended to give an opinion on
the mooted question of ''gold or green
backs ;" but to show the only way, as
it seems to us here in the South, to Sc
cure q change of Administrations