The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1876-01-22
Morton Trumps Blaine.

try, what shall be the measure of condem-
nation and contempt for this other Pres
idential aspirant, for the bitter TRADE de-
livered in the Senate yesterday? MIR.
Morton has had his speech prepared
since the opening of the session, and has
several time. sought occasion to deliver
it. Mr.. Blame, at least. has reason to be
grateful tor the delay, for this speech,
coming after his, has made bis foolish
performance seem harmless and al
most respectable in contrast. Blaine
did not deny that the war was over he
only refused to forget it. Morton Will
have it that the war is still going on, and
that there is yet no peace. Blaine was
willing to tear open the wounds that
time had healed; Morton insists that the
healing process has not begun, and that
it is necessary to cut the wounds deeper
and keep tn, m permanently open. But
Morton is at least consistent. The Kep-
resentative of Maine, until ambition
turned his head, had seemed to
desire the paciication of the
country and the restoration OF
the Southern States to self.government;
the Senator from Indiana has been the
foremost in maintaining the rule of vlo'
lence ard corruption that kept the South
PROSTATE through so many years. What.
ever the South is to-day, he and his asso-
ciates have made it, for they have held n
practically unrestricted sway, which the
people have but now succeeded in shaking
off, Mr.. Morton is the representative
statesman of the administrator party, and
if the picture which he draws Of the con-
dition of the Southern States 70 day is
truthful one, it simply portrays the re-
suits of bayonet rule, the fruits OF the
policy OF hate. He and his
friend have been striving this ten years,
he tells us, to establish peace and civil
government in the South, and the con-
dition ofthlngs is worse to day than ever.
If this be true, is it,,not now about time to
try some different policy, and leave the
Southern people to establish a govern
ment for themselves?
1t is to be noted that Mr.. Morton does
Lot attempt to deny the frauds, larce-
MES and deialcations" that have been
among the most conspicuous accompani-
ments of the so-callcd Republican rule in
the South, but he considers it "reeking
hypocrisy" 20 talk of these things and
turn deaf ear to the cries OF murdered
men and the shrieks of victims upon
whom are inflicted internal outrages,'
etc. 1t does not surprise us to learn that
at this point Mr.. Morton turned to
such vcracious chronicles as Sheri-
dams Louisiana report and the reports of
various Congressional Investigations dur
ing the past ten years, and narrowed the
souls of the unfortunate Senators with
details of innumerable outrages. 1t is
true that these things are trifle stale,
bat as the public appetite for such diet
has so perceptibly diminished that 1t
long since compelled the stoppage Of
the outrage mil. where was the poor
man to look for fresh material? He
must have outrages, and old ones will
do lust as we'll as new. But Mr.. Morton
has one substantial grievance. The worst
kind of intimidation, he says, is not VIC
lence. but the social ostracism" which is
visited upon white people who associate
with Mr.. Morton's political friends. Po-
litical power has thus been thrown lNto
the hands of the colored people to much
larger extent than it otherwise would
have been, and large and intelligent
body of white people who would have
acted with the Republican party, and
who would undoubtedly have had the
control of its affairs TO great extent, have
no, only been excluded from that party,
but compelled to act with the Democratic
party" This is grievance indeed, avery
serious matter, as has been shown in the
late election in Mississippi, which the
Senator would set aside. The Republican
party being insuferably corrupt, tho de.
cent white people, instead of joining it
and trying to make 1t better, acted with
the Democratic party and elected its csnoi-
dates. to the utter discontinue Of the
whole csrpet-bag concern. If such
things can be, what is 10 become OF Nor
ton as 3 Presidential candidste2 Ne
wonder he wants to send down com.
mittee TO investigate why these people
cannot act with the Republican party
and vote for its nominees.
The mistake which both Blaine and
Morton make is in forgetting that this is
a country of schools and newspapers, and
tina. the people are every year growing
more intelligent Such stuff as Morton
Yesterday inflicted on the Senate might
have found plenty of listeners ten
wears ago, but to-day it will be met
on,y with derision. The time has
passed when the American Peo-
ple could be imposed upon BY
the demagogue's cry, or be LED INTO
discord or distrust to serve crafty
politicians selfish purposes. They know
themselves and they know one another
thew trust one another as they trust
themselves, and all the efforts of Morton
and his kind to stir up q strife and ro'
kin sind I,' the passions OF war are but as the
idle wind. Mr.. Morton forgets that tins
is the year of grace ls76.-PhiiHdelph'a
| Times.