The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1877-11-14
Southern QHe~tIOns-The Repab.
Iican Party.

The attempt to ALLEVIATE the Southern
people from the National Democracy on
the ground that the latter are opposed
to granting aid by the Federal Govern
ment TO a Southern Pacific Railroad and
other schemes of special interest to the
South, and by that means to transfer
them to the tender keeping of the North
ern Republicans, is simply ridiculous.
There Is perfect accord between Southern
and Northern Democrats in favor of
Home Rule and in opposition to military
interference in the affairs Of the States.
while there is no point of agreement be-
tween the Southern people and the Re
publicans upon these or any other issues.
Its known that in the last Presidential
election, the bloody shirt was the battle
flag and so-called ''rebel claims" were
the slogan of the Northern Republicans,
and In his very last speech before his i'll
ness, Senator Morton awoke the echoes
upon the identical threadbare themes of
the Presidential canvass. So far az aid
ing the Southern Pacific Railroad, the
Mississippi River Levees, and other
schemes of special interest to the South
are concerned, the Northern Republi-
cans stand solidly hostile to them On
these questions, the New York Times
defines the attitude of its party:
The Iowa Republicans head the column
with the avowal that they condemn the
policy OF granting subsidies at public ex-
ptnSe either 10 individuals or cOrpOrationS.' -
The condemnation thus expressed obviously
applies To the INDIRECT aid behind which the
Texas Pacific attempts to conceal its de
signs as well as to the more common form
OF assistance which the South frankly seeks
A guaranty OF interest is not less certainly
a drain upon the Treasury because as a
pledge of ultimate repayment the Govern
ment holds vast bodies of unsaleable, and 10
large extent worthless, lands. That there
may be no misunderstanding as TO their
conception OF this fact, the Ohio ReDubli-
cans affirm that they are opposed to any
further grants of public lands or money
subsidies or the extension of the public
credit of the General Government to aid in
the construction OF railroads." Steamship
lines, Mississippi levees, Southern canals.
Texas PacIfic-are all comprehended in this
sweeping assertion OF principle SQUAD at
any time, and especially important in the
present condition of the nations finances.
The Republicans OF Maine say s'that
we are opposed to any further land grants
or subsidies for railroads by the General
Government; ;" but this is quite sufficient
TO show where they stand with reference to
this vital question.
The Times adds that these expressions
of opposition to the measures referred to
have been rendered necessary by the pc
sition taken in the platform of the Mis-
sissippi Democratic State Convention.
Says this leading organ of Northern Rad
ical sentiments:
How necessary this positive expression of
opinion is glance at the resolutions of the
Mississippi Democrats plainly proves
They call tor subsidies, whether the Treas
ury can endure them or not. "We favor
granting such aid as may be extended with
out violation of the Constitution of the
United States, or departing from the
nsages of the Government, to the Texas-and
Pacific Railroad, aud for rebuilding and
keeping in repair the levees on the Missis-
sippi Rivers the modest presentation of
the case by the Mississippi convention. 1t
opens the doors OF the Treasury SO wide
that there would be no closing it again un-
til the last dollar had been apprO priated and
the borrowing power of the GoVernmen mt
bad been exhausted.