Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-11-18
THE SOLID SOUTH,

"A FoAPoeAoA Ao"A SOoS Up ITO" every he
publican newspaper Office, and from every
Republican speaker, about s'the solid South. -
They speak of the fact that the States of the
South are unit politically as if it was a
crime, never seeming to consider that in all
communities unity OF interest is reflected in
union of political action, whether at the
North or the South, at the East or the West.
Some 60 SO far as to declare that the South
has been made ''solid'' by fraud. The only
fraud having such tendency that is within
oar recollection was the shameless fraud b7
which two Southern States were swindled ont
OF their vote in the electoral college, and @
man not chosen by the people installed in
the executive chair. This very naturally
provoked q feeling of resentment, and caused
The Southern people to cast their fortunes
with the Democratic party.
What is theirs in the past record of the
Republican party or in its treatment of the
Southern people to induce them to cast their
fortunes with it? At the close of the war
military governments were established In the
several States. These were in measure en-
durable, and were to he expected under the
circumstances, and save in few instances
where the military abused its power caused
no complaint. Bus after constitutions had
been adopted satisfactory to a partisan Con-
gress and the State governments reereanized
in conformity with their provisions, the peo-
pie were prevented from choosing their own
rulers. A vast horde of carpet. baggers-
unscrupulous adventurers-swept down
upon them from the North and usurped the
relns ct government. Partly by means OF
inflaming the newly enfranchised negroes
against their former masters, and partly
through the aid of the Republican govern
nent at Washington, they succeeded in re-
tanning power until they had impoverished
the people and loaded every State and NUM-
cipa!Ay down with debt. Then. when the Or
ange bad been sucked dry and the outraged
people, rendered desperate by re-
peated robberies and expressions,
were ready to hurl them from power, they
abandoned the wasted country to its oriei-
nal owners. With their departure an era of
prosperity began.
But it soon became evident that the over
whelmlug majority of the Republicans in
congress would be placed in jeopardy by
the election of few Democrats from the
South. This possibility was an excuse for
fresh expressions. A pretext was soon
found for sending troops to every section on
election day for the purpose of intimidatina
voters, and they were used unscrupulouslv.
"The outrage mill'' was kept grinding for
month previous to every election, and from
its product the people of the North were led
to believe that the Southerners we're race
OF murderers and desperadoes, who only
awaited favorable opportunity to murder
and pillage the defenseless, and were re-
strained only by the strong arm of the mill
tary' The browning outrage-the olsen
franchisement of two States-wa have AL
ready alluded to.
Are not these wrongs enough to make the
South solid Ireland has been sssolid,, for
centuries because of less onerous burdens
Poland has been ''solid" against Russia and
Alsace against Germany for less cause. The
long and the short of it is that the neonle
OF the South believe in the principles of the
Democratic party. They know that if that
party is in power all the people will be
treated justly-Vill have the privilege of
local self-government guaranteed to them
by the constitution. It is therefore to their
interest that they support it. Is there any
people who would deliberately vote to retain
their enemies rather than their friends in
power? To do so would be the height of
folly Aen do not and will not support
those who do them indignity, and it is ask
ing too much of human nature to require
such disinterestedness. ...-..-s -