The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-07-20
THE SOUTH AND WEST.

: favor OF the election Of q Western Democrat al
Speaker of the next House, and combinatio,
of the Western and Southern Democrats II
that body to secure to their respective sec
tions of the Union fair share of the ma
tional appropriations. For many years
irrespective of party affiliations, the repre-
sentatives of the Eastern and Middle States
have co-operated in carrying through al
schemes calculated to benefit their States
and their portion Of the Union has grown
rich and populous, while the South and por.
tions Of the West have been drained of their
strength and received little or nothing in
return. OF the $50 Democratic members OF
the next House, only "a, we believe, are from
the New England and Middle States, while
the Democratic members from the South and
West number 116. 1t seems, therefore. that
the Speaker should be selected from one or
the other of these sections.
We have already stated our reasons for
favoring the election of Western instead OF
a Southern Democrat. The South needs
peace and material rehabilitation and pros
perity, and her representatives should not, in
our opinion, encourage further violent sec
tional agitation by claiming at this time the
Speakership. A Western Democrat, COM
mitted to the measures in which the South Is
interested, will as efectually serve our cause
as a Southern man, and provoke infinitely
less dssenson and agitation.
| The st. Louis Times and Republican and
several other very influential Western papers
have strongly urged this Southern and West
ern combination and several Of them have
been large and liberal enough to express q
| cordial willingness to see q Southern Demo-
crat made Speaker. In our Judgment the
combination shoudbe made, but the Southern
Democrats should tender the Speakershp to
their Western brethren.
Our friend and able and eloquent Represen-
tative from the Second Congressional District.
Hon. Z. j. Ellis, entertains similar views to
our own, and in a recent interview In WASH
ington with representative Of the Cincinnati
Enquirer presented them with great clearness
and vigor. The following utterance of that
gentleman SO entirely expresses our own
views that we reproduce it here:
''In all my instincts. and loves, and preiu-
dices and hopes am Southern-SOuthern by
birth, by education and no one in all the
interests than am But we must never for
get that the South Is the weaker section; that
she Is intensely Democratic; that she will In
1880 give q solid Democratic vote; that the
Republican leaders know and are alive to that
fact Nor must we forget that our safety and
our hopes lie in the nationality Of the Demo-
cratic party; that our greatest dread now is |
that the North will be unitedly Republican,
we unitedly Democratic; we the weaker |
section, and the issue section against |
section, We must. remember, too, that we |
live subject to unjust suspicious and in an |
age Of great prejudice. Look at the course
of Blaine; read. Morton's letter; see the
constant tendencies, of the Radical Repub-
lican press What do all these mean but that
the North must be united against a united |
South Now the South should by no act of |
hers furnish illustrations for this argument |
or examples to enforce it. If we use our power
in Congress to elect a Southern Speaker and
officers, will the appeal not lie directly and
powerfully to the Northern mind: "Here is
the South controlling the Democratic party,
and that party controlling Congress. We Of
Southern men ex-rebels NV Southern ideas,
Southern policy, control the government; and
all because few, Northern men are enabled
to aid Them Such will be the argument, and
dices, 70 Northern pride and Northern inter
ests will inevitably tend to give the Republi-
cans power and control in all the States of the
North. This Is what wish to avoid We Of
by prudence and moderation we must de.
feat this deep and skllful game of
the Republicans. For. this reason
| would avoid the election of a Southern
power to say, "A red-handed rebel is the
fourth man in the government, and only
three human lives are between him and the
Presidency" Looking at the West see the
seat of empire there. AS Southern man
with those Of the Western people The
ines of trade, the lines Of pursuit, the lines
IF sympathy run North to South, and the
south lies just under the West. The ark Of
AXE up from New York and bear beyond the I
Alleghanes and place it in the heart of the
Valley. The West and South
must gather about t, and defend and pre-
serve it. We must endeavor to erect Ohio,
Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan, into
great and permanent Democratic States and, |
Is Southern member Of Congress and q
Democrat, desire to take the first step in
his new departure by electing q Western
nan Speaker of the House of the Forty fifth
congress.
We believe that the interests Of the South
md of the whole Union will be advanced by {
ARRIVING out the views expressed in this ex-
ract; the consummation Of such policy will {
insure the permanence of the power Of the {
ational Democratic party, and consequently
he permanence Of our constitutional institu- !
ions. I
The movement to effect this Western and /
outhern combination we regard as of vast
Importance to the material interests of the | c
ountry, and one which, If successful will S
ransfer the seat Of political power from the I
,ast to the West and South !
The New York Times has an elaborate and t
ather lachrymose article bemoaning the sad !,
ate Of President Hayes at the hands of his
nd Ia nc 20. | 1