The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1876-09-27
lFrom letter In Cincinnati Commercial. |

attention over the country, and would at
tract more but for the fact that all the States
are having their little contests, and the noise
OF one Is drowned by the din and roar OF
another. @m.t @'E .aa"
Atthe last presidential campaigns North
Carolina led ofi:-being the first State to hold
an election after the nominations-and the
campaign here was furious. Happily for
the peace and quiet OF Tar-heels, the State
has q new Constitution, which postpones
the August election until November. So
you need not look this way for sstraws"
until the general November harvest
The contest here is interesting from the
fact that both parties arc supposed to be
pretty evenly balanced, and each has its
ablest man at the head Of the ticket. The
Republicans have Judge Settle and the De-
mocrats General Vance. These candidates
are now canvassing the State together. They
have, and are to have, list of appointments
covering every county in the State. Their
Joint discussions are drawing large crowds,
and although both parties and all colors mix
freely together in the audiences have heard
yet of no disturbances.
Judge Settles idea in getting Vance to
agree to series OF joint discussions was to
have fair chance to spread Republican
principles before the white people. Lie
thinks that with full, fair, and free can
yass North Carolina is Republican, and he
hopes to carry the State for Hayes and him-
self. IT,,
These Joint discussions are certainly bene-
fetal. They check intolerance, stimulate In
ouiry, and enlighten the masses far more
than the steady hearing OF one side only.
Not only are Vance and Settle going from
county to county together, but the candi-
dates for Lieutenant-Go have Joint
Appointments as well. Also the candidates
for Congress in the several districts, the dis
trict electors, and even the candidates Tor
the Legislature. -.
All this tends to good. 1t promotes free
speech and begets wholesome to- rance OF
sentiment. The parties meet toge, er, hear
each side, and disperse without 'tlsturb-
ances. There has not been dl 'urbance
Of consequence in North Carolina ')r seve-
raj years. I think the invariable j mt dis
cussion here has something to do y n 1t.
PROSPECTS. ...,.
Except Tennessee, North Caroliu had up
to the passage OF the civilrights Il more
white Republicans than any other uthern
State. The Republicans OF North carolina
never knew defeat until that most harmful
firebrand was thrown among rem by
Charles Sumner and Il lot Of senat rial en-
thusiasts, who proposed to take &c kinks
out OF wool by joint resolution of Congress.
The colored people were not bent ited in
the least, but the Republican party was
ruined in every southern State. In .'ennes-
see and North Carolina alone this iii brand,
thrown in among the races with 81 little
concern as an incendiary would throw
torch into straw-in these two States
alone the measure lost tue Republicans ten
congressman In Tennessee the r publi-
cans had seven out Of ten congressman, but
the election following the civil-rights bill
cut them down to one out Of ten g.! In North
Carolina the change was almost as great.
Woe, woe to the Republican party in the
South on this account. All the Democratic.
orators that ever detained from the stump,
and all the campaign documents ever print
ed, and all the editorials ever written, the
salary grab, the Credit-MIobilier, and old
Ben. Butler thrown in, never did half the
harm to the Republican party that the civil
rights bill worked for it in the southern
States. ata...
DEMOCRATIC VICTORY PROBABLE.
Notwithstanding the very gallant fight
which Judge Settle is making, and the
almost universal esteem in which he is held
here, see no probability Of his election
or, at least, but very small probability.
He will run ahead of his ticket, but about
twelve thousand behind an election. look
for Vance to carry the State by from ten to
fifteen thousand, and Tilden probably
twenty thousand.
] see in the papers that the Republicans
about Washington are counting upon North
Carolina as probable for Hayes and Wheel
er. In my estimation they are mistaken.
North Carolina will 60 with the solid South.
Since the ;civil-rights excitement North
Carolina has been undeniably Democratic.
The Legislature is two to one Democratic.
Both senators are Democratic. Every men:-
Der Of Congress but one is Democratic.
The Governor only is Republican, and he
because he was elected four years ago, be-
fore the civil-rights tidal wave swept over
this State and carried it bodily into the
Democratic party. Before that frebrand
was thrown into the South there were coun-
ties in this State where the white voters
were more than two to one Republican.
Think Of that, and then curse the stupidity,
and malice, and recklessness Of the Republi-
can majority in the Senate and Congress
who deliberately enacted measure that
could be Of no earthly benefit to the blacks,
but which drew the color line and annihila-
ted the white Republican majority in sec;
tions where leaYer of the kind is needed
above all things. / cannot account Tor it.
Perhaps it was because "whom the gods
destroy they first make mad. ~ rs
The prejudice engendered by that meas
ure is still largely used to drive all the
whites into the Democratic party and keep
them there. But for that the Republicans
would carry. the State as surely as they will
carry Pennsylvania. ? z. 80 ~