The New Orleans Democrat., 1876-07-13
THE REPUBLICAN RECORD AND THE
SOUTH.


the South adhering to the Democratic
party, yet declares that the 'srecord
of the Republican party justifies us in
hoping more from it than from the
Democrats in the matter of internal i'm
provements." Is this true? There are
thousands of men in Louisiana who
would sacrifice every public interest to
obtain a railroad subsidy from Con-
gress, or an appropriation year earlier
for levee system, and this class of
men-well meaning men-will, IL our
contemporary can sustain before them
Its extraordinary position, support the
Republican ticket and identify them
selves with the Republican party. But
again we ask, is it true that
the record Of the Republican party
justifies the South in expecting moro
from 1t in the way of internal i'm
provenients than from the Democrats?
Upon what facts does the Bulletin base
this new and startling declaration? 1t
is true that since 1t assumed control Of
has carried on gigantic scheme of in
ternal Improvements. But all these
improvements have been located in and
designed to benefit alone the East
and the West. While the Republicans
have thus been iavishing billions of
money upon those sections, it has pur-
sued toward the South uniform and
relentless system of oppression and
spoliation. Where is the line of road,
or the mile OF levee, or the yard of
canal that the Republican party, during
its eleven years of power since the war,
has subsidized in this particular sec
ton What, indeed, has that party,
whose record our neghbor tells us
promises us so much, done to advance
the prosperity and happiness, or even
the peace of Louisiana. Nothing. And
now when the lapse of years seems
to have brought the sections some
thing nearer to a reconciliation, and
better feeling toward the South is
growing up in the North; when, in fact,
If the Republican system of inter-
nal improvements was anything more
than a gigantic scheme of speculation
and plunder when, il it were system
really designed by the statesmen Of the
party for the material development of
the country, the South would be likely
to derive some of its benefits when the
levee bill and the Texas and Pacific bill
begin to loom into existence, the Re-
publican party, in it's Centennial Con-
vention, repudiates the whole scheme
abandons it, and declares that in future
it will oppose all Congressional aid for
railroads, etc. This does not, it seems
to us, square very neatly with the Bul-
Ietin's asseveration.
But even il the Republican party had
never gone back on its internal inn,
!. provement system, we ask the people of
the South il they would really desire to
see that system introduced into the
South. We want railroads, canals and
levees. but we do not want with them a
system of prohigacy and corruption
which has demoralized the people and
bankrupted the country; we do not
want with them Jay Gould, nor
a Huntington, nor an Ames,
nor a Credit Mobilier, nor a
Pacific mail subsidy, nor any Of those
profigate ring chiefs and corrupt COM
binations and schemes which have dis
graced the country. The internal inn
provements fostered by the Republican
party have done the country more
damage than good. Every county and
town nearly in the West and East has
been bankrupted by the railroad COM
panies and the companies rich, powerful
and uncomfortable, have been for years
a burden to the public. 1t Is the subsidies
given to these roads, the profligacy Of the
Republican party in dealing with them,
the corruption and extravaganza which
have attended the legislation organiz-
upon them, and the construction OF
them that have added so largely to the
debt of the country that our commerce
and industries have fallen under the
burthen, and the country from New Or
leans to Chicago, and from New York to
st. Louis is filled with hungry and
needy workingmen who can obtain no
employment, with impoverished proper
tyholders and broken merchants. 1t is
the work of the Republican party in
making up it's record on internal i'm
provements, which has contributed too
largely to the burthen of taxation under.
which the values of property have fear
fully deprecated and which has
absorbed for years past all the
legitimate revenues Of the trade and in
dustries of the people. These facts,
we think, cannot be disputed.
Do thinking Southern men, in their
lar enterprises, want them accompanied
by circumstances which will bring with
them q gigantic system of corruption,
and which, however much they may
promise, will in the end tend to enrich
a few corporations, while for long years
] 4l>@xx xxiIl lauxr frihltc tho indi1s-