Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1877-07-16
Disbanding the Republican Party
In the South.

The formal disbanding Of the republi-
can organization OF Mississippi is an
nounced in an address by the republican
State Committee of that State to the re-
publican voters. A party having an &C
knowledged majority Of thirty thousand
voters, abandons the political field, and
leaves to the minority the complete con-
troll of every office in the State. In this
address the committee say:
while the republican party, with Its conceded
majority, cannot find men in its ranks sufficiently
desperate 10 aspire to and contend for the State
Offices, the spectacle is presented TO the American
people, bossful Of their Liberties, Of not less than
five democrats eagerly and ungraciousiy scrsnb-
ling for the nomination for the office of Governor
in confessed minority, in which. however, the
nomination 10 confidently regarded ~ the assar
snce Of election. This political paradox may sp-
pear strange to the people of State in which the
ballot is free. With US it is q stubborn necessity
Your committee, after carefully considering the
situation and prospect, and after . very general
consultation with leading members of the party
throughout the State. have deliberately concluded
TO recommend that NO State convention of the re
publican party shall be held in Mississippi this
year, and that no candidates be nominated. In
pro6ering this advice it is not our purpose to in.
dulge in sullen complaints or spitcful crimina-
tons. The facts Of history speak for themselves.
Fraud, intimidation and violence have practically
disfranchised the republican party in this State,
and until the time shall come when we can stand
erect in any presence As freemen, and assert and
enforce our rights at the bsllot-box, we believe it
to be the part OF wisdom to refrain from the ane-
quail and hopeless contest. With the recollec-
ton Of the campaigns of 1873 and 1875 fresh in
our memory, we ecline to engage in a conflict
which promises an increase Of bitterness, with
equally disastrous results"
In word, fraud, intimidation and vio-
lence on the part of the bulldozing de-
mocracy have compelled the republicans Of
Mississippi, though having a large ma
jority of the votes, to abandon the politi
cal arena. There is no parallel to this in
the political history of the country. Bor-
der Ruffianism sinks into insignificance
when compared with the terrorism that
has thus disfranchised the republicans OF
Mississippi. The Slave Power of the
South, in its most arrogant days, never
undertook SO gigantic crime against po-
lihcal freedom as is steadily being carried
out in the southern States by the democ-
racy Of that section. The dlsbanding CT
the republican party in Mississippi will
probably be followed by like action in
every southern State. What is true OF
one is true Of all. The bulldozer has
done his work effectually, and given to
the democratic party what 1t never had
before the rebellion-a Solid South
Well may Ben Hill boast that the South
never welded the power that she is likely
TO have in the national councils if tht
reign of the bulldozer is not broken.
In the face Of the stern facts confront
Ing US in the South, the republican party
In the northern States should need no ad
vice as to its duty, no urging TO harmon,
and the most energetic action. Agains
the solid South arrayed under the banner
Of democracy there must be a solid Nortl
under the old republican flag. If th,
democrats will force another sectional con
test let the republicans be prepared Il
meet them. We met them once and they
know the result. The North will be true
to the principles for which it took up thu
sword in 1861. Then the North was pa
tient, forbearing, conciliatory to the
South, but when these availed nothing
the North rose as one man to the rescue
of the imperiled government. Presiden
yIayas has treated the South with all kind