Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-11-15
THE DEMOCRATIC SITUATION.
SOUTHERN AND WESTERN DISSATISFACTION WITH
THE EASTERN DEMOCRATIC MANAGEMENT.

The declaration made by one or two prominent
southern democrats that they would prefer to
support General Grant as Presidential nominee
rather than Tilden. seems to be the outcropping
of considerable feeling of dissatisfaction in the
democratic party, both west and south, in regard
to Tilden and the eastern democratic manage
ment.
Col McCardle, of Mississippi, staunch dem
ocrat, and who until quite recently edited a
newspaper in Mississippi, says: 1T seems to me
that it would be wise craftsmanship for the
soshen to %ake pa some m move
lican leaders make it appear, as they do, that
the south is solid as menace, so long Will the
south be the section to suffer the eastern and
a solid south when national election comes on,
but after that the southern people receive at
the hands Of this class of democracy only abuse
What has the northern democracy done for the
south? We can't get any bill passed as a dis
our northern friends to join with sou us Tin In
Southern section, we are told that for policy's
sake, it must not be done. The south for some
time for the sake Of policy y has G followed d the
aye, and against the judgment of the southern
leaders. What is the result? Our section is
blamed for the extra session of Congress, when,
as matter of fact, the leaders of the south op-
posed it. The south is blamed, and ID too,
by the very leaders whose counsel the southern
men followed as sheep does belle wether.
due es at the north / repeat that it would be the
wisest craftsmanship to break it up, and more
over, believe it would be wise policy for the
southern democrats to say to the people OF the
north "the south has been and is solid, but not
as menace. 1t is solid because the political
leaders of the republican party forced it to be,
tive southern men. We want to break up sec
tionalism in the interest OF the whole country.
We will now join with you In electng General
Grant to the Presidency, with the hope that by
so doing he will deem himself President of the
whole country, and will cooperate with the
the south in an effort to obliterate sectional
feelings and sectional hates"
About ten days ago representative OF THE
STAR Travelled from the west to the east with
very prominent Ohio democrat, one who has
the respect and confidence of his party, and
whose counsel has often been sought. He eX-
pressed views not diSsimllar to those OF Colonel
McCardle. He said '"The democratic party, in
my Judgment, cannot elect their President; the
internal quarrels within it cannot be healed.
The party has no fixed principle or policy; the
best evidence Of this is the manner in which it
takes up and disposes of portable presidential
candidates. tell you, old Tflden is going to be
the wrecker of the party. He Is either going to
have that nomination or destroy any other can
didate, and he will be able to do the latter. If
prominent southern democratic leaders had the
sense to see it, they could serve their section
by taking up Grant. They need expect nothing
from Tilden should he be elected President, and
need expect no democrat to be elected unless it
is Tilden. Now, Grant is a whole-SOuled fellow,
magnanimouS, charitable, and without 1ll-will
to the South. Do you mean to tell me that If the
southern democrats should support Grant (and
they ought to take him uD in advance of the re-
publicanS), that he would not appreciate the
act? Why, believe that in such an event Grant
would give the South half the cabinet, half the
foreign ministers, and good share of the offices;
and, after ALL it is the offices which the southern
people want. Again, disposition shown by the
southern men to take up GrantwOuld distract the
North, wipe out sectiOnalism and bring the think
ing masses OF the country to study intelligently
whether the South is solid because 1t wants
to be, or whether deSpicable republican leaders
forced it to be solid, because they wanted it to
be for party ends. The talk OF electing Bayard
Is the SheereSt nonsense. The people of the
West look upon Bayard as an aristocrat, and
the apologist Tor the money power. He would
be beaten five thousand votes in Indiana. The
outlook is that if Tilden lives no democrat can
be elected President, and / tell you that after
the next republican President is elected the
South will no longer be solid. 1t is going to look
after its own protection. Now, in all reason,
in view Of the great probability that Grant will
be the next President, would it not be god
stroke OF policy to let the break UP come In al
vance of the election, and support Grant, WHO
after all ought to be more acceptable tnal va :
Greely? The effect would be IL Slch egens tina
the South would have some claim to patronage
whereas IL it waited until after the cicc:ion
could not so consistently make claim for It.
tell you, finally, that the end of the Sold South
is much nearer than republican politicians hOpe
for"