The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1878-08-30
PARTY SOEEDETY,

Much has been said of late years about
"solid South" and prominent politi-
clans are beginning to talk about a "solid
North" We do not think that either is
desirable; nor that either is possible as a
continuing solidity for party purposes.
In all Democratic tabulations, the South,
as some fifteen States are commonly
called, is counted "solid' for that party
There may be some mistake about that,
though the fact looks so now. Whether
that party solidity will be impaired be-
fore 1880 we do not presume to foretell;
but that it will come to pass eventually
we can not presume to doubt.
The South is entering upon transi-
tional period in its political history. The
eonvulsion that wrecked its previous
political and industrial systems alike,
caused a civil chaos in that region. That
the South should have affiliated with the
Democrats as against the Republicans,
after the close Of the war, was most natu-
raj. Those visiting statesmen, known as
"carpet-baggcrs," who condescended to
rule the South through the negro vote,
though Republican in name, represented
neither the spirit of Republicanism nor
the sentiment of the South. They were
political Bedouins, roaming at will,
and willing to rob every tribe but
their own. They may have
been political necessity for the organi,
zaton of some form of local government
that might be better than anarchy. The
utmost that can be said of that anoma,
lous carpet-bag rule is, that it was not
yet Order, nor yet quite Chaos. 1t was
that Intermediary condition of creation
the nebulous, supervening before the full
light of the solar day, productive of con
fusion and yet prophetic Of light. Wher
the Federal support was withdrawn this
nebulosity collapsed.
Upon this occurrence, the State gov
ernments of the South became at once
solidifed under party rule. Granting
that the solidiiication was democratic
does that imply that it is to remain
"solid' and Democratic? The tota
wreck of its slave labor system, which
had become also a political system, mus
necessitate the institution of some othe
appropriate system, both industrial anc
political The development of such 1
system necessarily requires time. At frs
the South naturally became Democratic
from impulse, as antagonists of the Re
publican party, which had been mainl,
instrumental in working the overthrow
of their "lost cause" But, are ther
not indications of an opposite swing o
the political pendulum, of reaction 0
that sympathetic impulse which mad
the South "solid," in party sense?
Slavery and the political system tba
it engendered are total wrecks. Fror
their remnants not even raft can b
constructed. Some new system become,
therefore, a supreme necessity for tn
South Ia the gradual building up q
this new system, industrial and politica
it is impossible to presume that all til
statesmen of the South shall present a
undivided front on public questions $
important and so complicated. Such
measure of unanimity of sentiment an
opinion as that would imply has neve
yet been known in the political histor
of any country, and need never be e'
pected in this. Differences of opinio
imply difference in public measures, an
this in turn implies differences of partiC
in support of those measures. Cons
quently, the South can not renal