The Van Buren press. [volume] (Van Buren, Ark.) 1859-1914, 1877-12-18
THE PRESIDENTS POLICY.
Reviewed by Gen. A. W, Bishop.

ernor, at the last election, and, we have
no doubt, represented WHAT is termed the
liberal clement OF that party in this
State. As the General has no other me-
dunn in which to reach the people OF
the State, and as we'll as matter of ref
erencc, we publish the letter:
! LITTLE Rock, ARK, Nov. 30. 1877.
Hon. A. NJ. Clapp.
DEAR SIR: In the National Republican
of the 2lst inst, you comment upon the
question, "Who is responsible for the
crushing out Of the republican party at
the south 2" and your view of the situa'
ton will be accepted as the truth by
ninety-nne one hundrcdths of all south
ern republicans, whether they hold office
or not.
In the present anomalous condition Of
affairs this latter class will preserve the
silence that profound respect for their
salaries demands, but at heart they prob
ably think as little Of the presidents
blundcr rs the rest Of us.
To cure a disease is one thing, to kill
the patient another and this particular
attempt to emancipate voters from an al
legged control by Office holders will be
the greatest failure in American politics.
1t would be misnomer to call it states
manship.
Here in Arkansas, as elsewhere in the
south, we have suffered from the miscon-
duct of officials, and the confidence of
the masses has been given to some re-
pubicans who have not proved to be
worthy of it; but, nevertheless, no one
thinks of operating party without the
general aid of those who receive the hon
ors, and enjoy the emoluments Of public
station.
"That order" has accomplished all
you charge to it, and, instead of resulting
in the emancipation Of the action Of
voters from the control of Office holders"
it has operated in the south at least a
dea,h-damp, and down here republicans
stand aghast at the future, and feel that,
unless the high chiefs of the party at
Washington, and throughout the north,
protest against this surrender to the de-
mocracy, (for this is practically what it
ISL and unless there shall be a change of
front by the administration, it will be a
hopeless undertaking, for two years, at
least, to revive the Republican party in
the south:
And yet, whatever may be true of
other southern states, there are 10000
republican voters in this. The colored
citizens, as class, arc disposed to be true
to the republican party.
There are many northern men scatter
ed through the state, who are true to it
and there are southern republicans who
were living here when the war broke
out who are true to it.
But the president seems to act as
though the northern men, especially who
are here, are all Of the speculative, good
: fcr-nothing, dishonest class, aud unwor
thy of his confidence. Yet it SHOULD
never be forgotten, not on y in Arkansas
!. but all through the south, the close of tn
j war left in the territory that they hat
$ aided to conquer, thousands of men, WHIT
$ perilcd everything for the sake of thei
+ country, who abandoned their callings t,
+ defend the flag, and are now in the soutl
Ing h each n h Els own way f u hive sp and
live.
A pronounced republican in the south
ern states is politically as obnoxious nov
. as ever, and, if he thinks proper to b
active in u political campaign, he is
= radical" in what is attempted to b
! made an oppr brious sense OF the term
= and no distinction is drawn between
= those whose personal conduct is abov
:, reproach, and some men who unfortr
= nately have once been trusted by thei
party, but never will be again.
:. Party strife is bitter, and those demo
Gratis whose confederate record is tn
: clearcst are the most trusted The rlin
! element in the south believes, as 1t a
ways has believed, that the America
union is simplya contederacy of co-equa
J states, and not a great and indivisibl
nationality, and Cancellation from this el
ement in party sense, there is not, fror
: present indications, the slightest hope t.
= expect, and yetthe country is witnessin,
an attempt by a republican national ad
$ ministration to placate an adversary b,
: methods that are as unwisc in theory a
f they will prove to be utterly deceptiv
f in practice, for the " Presidents policy,
J. if it be "policy," has now been farl,
0 tried, and in this connection the N. Y
a Times does present an accurate review
: OF this overture to southern democrats
: Oh the one hand, and of the collapse o
Q southern republicanism in certain of thu
l cotton states on the other.
! Arkansas, moreover, can be added tc
: the list, and when tho Washington cor
I respondent of tho Cincinnati Gazette
+ asks, What has Hayes done to change
: the political situation in Tennessee, OF
+ Mississippi, or Texas, or any other of tn,
, democratic states of the south 7" 1t i.
: very easy to answer that he has done
, everything that is necessary to change it
| His official action shows absolutely be-
. You'd controversy that, to appease the
confederate element, be has consolidated
southern republicans, whether he intend,
: ed 1t or not and that the only method to
} avoid bull-dozing, kuklux mischief, and
the termination of white leagues and
the rife clubs, is to throw the " stop to
Cerberus" that right now is dripping in
democratic presumption and arrogance.
Samuel J. Tilden could have done no
more, and already the dcmocracy-as
democratic as ever-is preparing, by easy
progress, to parcel out the patronage Of
the nation.