Whig and tribune. [volume] (Jackson, Tenn.) 1870-1877, 1876-03-11
Washington Letter.

NAsHINGTON, ID. g, Feb. 20, 1876.
Wig and Tribune me;-Washingto is pro-
perly regarded as the great political CEN
ter Of the country. 1t is here that the
plans of battle are discussed and agreed
upon, if not originated,
l am fully satisfied that every species
of legislation before the present Congress
is secondary to the success of one of the
political parties in the next canvass for
President. ''How will it affect our pros
poets: - is the one question considered
with every measure. \ claim however
meritorious. if it be for large sum viii
not likely be allowed at this session in
obedience 10 the policy of making a good
showing in the amount of appropriations.
! predict that the Pacific Railroad bill
will not pass nor be pressed ut this ses-
sion: not because it has not merit, but
because neither party wish TO 90 before
the country and defend it in the Prcsi'
Dental race. a law will be passed at
the next session restoring the disloyal
veterans of 1913 to the pension rolls and
giving them pay from the time they were
dropped, but il cannot get through now,
rs it would raise howl of indignation
all over the North that would awaken
and revivify the ashes of Thad stevens
IA woald cause l,Iossl -tirofs- from, the
seams of Morton's bloody shirt.
As the policy, then, of the democratic
party here is to SO shape Legislation as to
impose no extra weight upon our candi-
date III the great centennial race, ought
not our Tennessee politicians and states
men to so manage their part as to impose
no extra burden upon the party in the
selection of the man: Tennessee occu-
pies Il most important politicO-geograph
icaI position. At the head of the Gulf
States-covering the great States Of Geor-
gia, Alabama and Mississippi at the north
giving them during the past fifty years
of her best citizens breakwater be
tween them and the north, the waves Of
public opinion from that section must
sweep over her before they reach them.
Her influence is.peculiar and very pow
crful over them. As Tennessee goes they
will go. Then we should be the more
careful on this account as TO the action to
be taken by the convention to appoint
delegates TO nominate candidates for
President.
In the first place we must not ignore
the fact that the northern masses are
made up of men of like passions as we
are. Their prejudiees are as bitter, their
wrongs lin their estiRation) as great, pas
sions as strong, and like ours, slumber
and wake up. We say that the North
not the republican party, but the North
took our property, burned our cities
and impoverished our citizens. They de
clare that the democratic party, not the
South, tried To break up the Union, in
suited the flag and clothed the North in
mourning. When we get into a close
place in Tennessee we have only TO ap-
peal TO the disfranchisiug acts of the
Brownlow radicals 10 stir up the Confed-
crate element and Repubiicanism is sent
howling from the polls before the con-
federatc yell. At the North the republi-
can politician under the same circumstan-
ces, unfurls the old flag and shows where
democratic bullets perforated it, brings
forth a cripple soldier and makes him de-
clare the democratic" cannon did it, or
reSurrectS . skeleton, revivifies the bones
and makes it declare that democrats
killed it at Andersonyille
1t is demagoguery at the South and
demagoSuery at the North; yet it pays
when platforms and candidates are equal. .
We have to make the fight for Presi-
dent ut the North. Illinois, Indiana,
Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York and New
Hampshire are the doubtful States. The
republicans, on a fair square vote i'm eve
~ one of these States, were in a majority,
and every one OF them would vote for
the nominee OF that party, were it not
for the corruptious and rascaIities of
Grants administration. The democrats
will 20 into the canvass showing up these
frauds and villiauies and appealing 10
suffering tax-burthened people 10 bear
them outlay, more: they viii show
that the present Congress has reduced
the expenditures millions of dollars
and will return the government TO
the old, simple, economical ways of the
fathers, if permitted. The republicans
have the record of their past majoritieS-
their record as Union saviours-the iney-
liable, everlasting, Internal bloody shirt
With partizauS it don't matter what kind
of "a platform or individual Is put for
ward, they viii go for the party. But
the recent elections have demonstrated
this fact: there i "A floating or iudepend-
ent voting population who can control
the election. Enough republicans are
disgusted with the party TO elect al demo-
crat if they have any confidence in the
lattcr's being better than the former.
Whenever the democrats put forward
man who Is ali right on the war, money,
economy and honesty questions, the re-
publicans have to burn their bIoody-shirt
powder and are gone.
WHO WILL DOE
Tennessee viii make a grand mistake
if She sends her delegates to It. Louis in
structed Let her rather send her good
meu-liberal patriots. NO Bourbon
need apply must De the sign hung out