New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-12-12
MP PL1LNE,S SPtfCH.

The debate IN the Senate upon the recent
crimes against the suffrage in the South'
which began with Mr.. Blaine's speech yestc-
day. has already achieved good results. In
the first place, it put the question
at issue before the country IN the
clearcst possible light. Mr.. Blalnes
speech was digpifed, careful and moderate
and dealt with the exciting subject OF outrageS
and frauds calmly and dispassionateIy. lie
showed first how the practical exclusion
of the cOlorcd voters from the poiiS
gives every Southern white man more
than twice the power in the National Gov
eminent that is enjoyed by white man at the
North, and he fortified this point with aDuh-
dapt illustration and calculation. South Caro-
lima, Mississippi and Louisiana combined
with white population only half as great az
that of Iowa and Wisconsin combined, have
inst as many representatives as those States.
The same thing is true OF Georgia
and Alabama as compared with the four
Northern States of Michigan, Minnesota, Ne
braska and California. Thus, 10 quote MI
Blaine's own words, " the Confederate soldier
South is enabled to cast vote that Is twice
"as powerful and twice as influential as the
vote of the Union soldier North" This is an
impudcnt invasion of its rights which the
North will not tOleTate-an invasion by when
the Democratic party has already secured bOth
branches of the National Legislature, al
though it cannot command the legal votes
upon which the representation falsely pre-
tends to be founded.
The remainder of Mr.. Blaine's speech was
an eloquent appeal for equal rights and pur-
ity in elections. He drew a striking picture
of the plight of the Southern negro. now
made the unwilling instrument of increasing
" the political strength OF that party from which
che received ever-tightening letters when he
was a slave, and contemptuOus refusal OF civil
rights since he was made free" but the
portion of the address which will attract the
largest share of public attention is that in
winch Mr. Blame warns the South that the
North wants harmony, but wants its rights
also.
No honest American can afford to take issue
with the PRINCIPLES or the policy embodied IN
this address. If Mr.. Blaine is to be answered,
the reply must be to prove that the facts as
sumpd by him have no existence. And this IS
w.re the second good result Of yesterdays
from the uttcrances of the champions who
took UP the cause of the Democracy. that they
have no hope of disprOving MIR. Banes
charges Mr. Thurman could find nothing bet
ter, apparently, to say, than to repeat the phrase
which the South Carolina frauds have turned
into such mOckery-that Z" the intelligence
land virtue of a community must rule
it,; as if Intelligence" had the right
TO make slaves of the less intelligent, or
virtue would stuff $500 votes INTO bal
lot-box. Mr. Lamar could find nothing
better to do than to retcho tho old
grievance that small States have an
equal representation IN the Senate with
much larger States. Finally, Mr.. Lamar,
when driven into u corner, did say that 1t
any man had been deprived of his vote, the
whole power of the Government should be
used to punish the offence. Thus the whole
Republican case may almost be said 10 be
conceded In advance.