Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1876-11-02

the Southern people will hold the ma
jOrity of the Democratic par ty and di-
rect its purpos s That majority of
votes will necessarily, as before the
war, give them the control of the party;
they will fall at once again into their
old seat of power, and hOl ling the pre-.
ponderaDce of influence in the Demo-
cratic party the South will necessarily
insist upon debating the nominations
for the Presidency and Vice Presidency
in that organization. In other words,
just as it WAS bofOre our great civil
conflict, no Northern Democrat will
have the least chance for the Presiden-
cy or Vice Presidency unless he enjoys
the decided favor of the Southern De-
mocracy. What will be the conse-
quence of this? Why it is evident.
Every Northern Congressman who
thinks that there is some Presidential
stuff in him, that Presidential light
ming may strike him some time, will
be very much inclined to do that which
will be surest to gain him the favor OF
his Southern brethren. So it is evident
that not only a few but large majority
Of Northern Democrats, impelled by
their ambition and, am sorry to say,
also impellcd by one of those impulses
that seems to be indigenous to the
Democratic mind by the influence OF
subserviency to the Southern dictation,
will vote for Just such bills as have been
laid before you by Republican speakers.
SO believe that Democratic Admin
istratiOn will, by the very necessities Of
the case be one of the most extravagant
Administrations this country ever had.
There is still another reason why this
will be SO. The Southern people, be-
ing the preponderating power in the
councils Of the Democratic party, will
also dictate its financial policy. The
Southern people stand now compared
with us in the position of poor rela-
tions. In other words, they being
comparatively poor, and the North
paratively rich, the North will pay
the great mass OF taxes and the South
will pay comparatively little. The
necessary consequence is that those
who pay very little don't feel the bur,
den of an extravagaut Government,
and will therefore always be in favor
of spending as much money as possible
You have an illustration of this in the
city OF New York. A very large mum.
Der of your voters are non-tax- payers,
minority of your voters are wealthy
taxpayers; the non-tax-payers do not
care snap of their fingers how much
money is spent by the City Govern.
ment, and, therefore, you have always
lavish administration. Is not that
so? Then the same relation will be
borne by the South to the North as tC
our national councils, and, therefore, ]
repeat it is by the very necessity of the
case that Democratic administration,
governed as it must be by Southern in
f1uence, will be most extravagant
one. Applause.
THE QUESTION OF NATIONAL PEACE.
There is still one more thing would
call your attention to, aud that is the
question of National peace. l do not
mean to repeat what l said of my ac-
tion with regard to the Southern peo-
pie, and the impulse of generosity
which l have always followed. Oh
course did that with the expectation
that satisfactory response would be
ELECTED from the other side. We gave
them back their rights with lavish
hand; we gave them back their rig hts
so shortly after the rebellion that can
only repeat what L have said before,
that the generosity of the American
people has never been equaled by any
other Nation in the world in that re-
spect. We did it with the just expecta.
tion, that the Southern people, receiv-
ing their rights at our hand, might be
counted upon to respect, also, the rights
of others. am sorry to say that that
expectation has been, in great meas.
ure, disappointed. When you look at
the State of South Carolina, you will
not deny that the situation of things is
exceedingly serious. l am the very
last man in the country who would ap.
prove of the presence of troops in the
neighborhood of the ballat-bOx, and ]
would stand by to the last in the en-.
deavOr to secure to every man the
right to vote uninfiuenced by force OF
any kind. But as thingsnow stand, if
the United States troops are withdrawn
we are pretty sure to have another
armed force in its place, and that is the
rifle clubs of the South Carolina Reform
Democracy. l believe in reform, gen.
tlemen, but l do not believe in the re-
form of the rifle and the revolver in
the hands of the terrorist. Now, then
they may succeed possibly in subjugat.
ing Republican majOrities, but, one
thing l look upon as perfectly sure
we have come to the settlement of the
questions growing out of the war by
debating certain Constitutional prcvi
sions may for the time being be over.
riden in this or that State. but if the at
tempt is made-which l look for al
most as inevitable in the event of q
Democratic victory---if the attempt is
made to nullify them>in the whole ex.
tent of the Southern country. 1 am
sure that the loyal people OF the United
States of America will not submit to it.
Applause. If the attempt is made
upon such an issue between the North
and the South, the solid South on one
side will find solid North on the other
side; and liberal and generous as may
be when the question is between q
solid North and a solid South, am on
the side of the North all the time.
Applausel. / am on the side of the
North not because I happen to live
here, but because l believe that the
North contains the intellectual as well
as the moral vitality of the American
Republic as it is now constituted.
Now, gentlemen, looking at the at
tempts that are being made in the
South, can anybody doubt that they
would be greatly encouraged by vic
tory of the Democratic party? 1 am
sorry l am obliged to say it, but still
that party stands in the politics of the
country, as continual threat of reac-
tion against the results of the war; and
it is my conviction at the present mo-
ment that the candidates of the Repub-
can party are not the only instruments
by which the true interests of the
American people can be promoted.
Applause.
The Reason Why.
The following are some of the reasons
why an American citizen cannot vote