The Portland daily press., 1879-10-23

Boston, Oct. 81, 1879.
IL is gratifying to believe that after next
year we shall hear no more of the "solid South"
and the ''solid North'; that after 1880 we shall
hear no more about a new rebellion and
Southern supremacy Even now the South is
in the minority, and can control the govern
ment only by the assistance of one or more
large Northern States. But after the next
census and reappointment, the Southern
States will lose several representatives and
the Northwestern will gain several. The
whole number of electors now is 369. The
presidential candidate to be inaugurated must
receive 1S5 votes. Of this number the 'solid
South will elect 13S. These Will unquestiona-
bly, be Democratic electors. Now to elect a
President the Democrats must get AZ votes
from the North Can they do it? No man
can tell but at best the contest will be close
one, No Republican who cares for the interest
and welfare of the country and his party can
afford, at this critical moment to trifle with
the enemy. He cannot afford to vote for
mongrel Democrat even in an off year. There
in is a lesson for Massachusetts, stalwarts-
those of them who are following after the
strange god, Butler. Elect Butler this year,
and you give encouragement to the opposition
in every State in the Union, and endanger sue
cess in the Bay State next Fall. 1t is to be
regretted that the country is again, as of old
divided into North and South. But there is no
help for it. Being so it is for the interest OF
the North and L sincerely believe under ex-
isting circumstances, FOR tie country, that the
North should control Happily q change is in
prospect which will, after next year put an end
to this division and render a Solid South use
less. By the last census our population was
IS, 100000. By the next one it will probably be
5O000,OO0. OF this increase not less than
100000 will be in the Northern
States, and only 100000 in the in South
ern States, the greater part of it in
Missouri and Texas. The Northern increase
will be in Illinois, Michigan, WISCONSIN, Min
esota, Iowa, Nebraska and Kansas. When the
new apportionment of representatives is made
the number will probably not be over 300 AT
present there are 293 and of these 1S5 are from
the North and 10S from the South The South
will lose probably twelve members and gain two
in Texas and one in Missouri. The South VIII
then have only 80 members or one less than
one third. The North will have 2O2 gain oil
seventeen. The State to gain will probably be
Indiana, l. Illinois, 2: Wisconsin, 2: Michi-
gan, 2; Iowa, =: Minnesota, 2: Nebraska, ):
Kansas, 8. Undoubtedly the Northwest will
gain others by losses in the East Maine, Mass
achusetts and other States must of necessity
lose one or more each. By the new apportion-
ment there will be 376 electors, of whom 252 will
come from the North and only 12l from the
South The South will then be G5 electors
III apf
would be hopeless minority on purely sec
tional issue. The issue will then be dead:
hopelessly buried, and some new one must be
raised, one not sectional between the North
and South. The election of 1880, is therefore
the last one into which the sectional issue OF
Solid North VS.. Solid South will enter.
1t will be difficult to start a sectional issue
between the East and West l used to think
this would sometime arise. Personal observa-
ton there coneinces me such thing S impos-
sible for many years at least Certainly during
the next century. In the first place the West
is largely settled from the East. You can
hardly enter western city~or town OF any
size without finding eastern friend. And
you will certainly find in it many people with
eastern relations. This tic which binds the
East and West is q close one. 1t never existed
between the North and South. A second rea-
son is the remarkably strong friendship which
exists between the sections, due, doubtless
largely to the first reason named. No good
feelings ever existed between the North and
South. But the third and vital reason is the
business relations existing between the East
and West Eastern capital has built up the
West. 1t has opened up new country, built
cities and built all the great lines OF railway
and today owns great portion of both. More
than half of the railways west OF chicago are
owned in New York, Boston and Philadel-
,ho;r III
often remarked that these cities have mort
GAGE on the West With this state of affairs
existing YOU will see that it is utterly out of
the question for the East and west to have
contentious. Lastly, the West is powerless
without the East. Its crops must reach the
seaboard by way of the East. Through Can
ada or down the Mississippi is out of the ques-
ton. None of these causes ever operated be-
tween the North and South.
Have we, then, anything to fear? and, if so,
what? / believe we have. We have nothing
farther to fear from the South, nor from the
West, individually. But from all together
we have to fear the mob element now mar
shaled under the Democratic banner. We have
it to fear because such aspiring knaves and
demagogues as Butler will take advantage of
it and infame the feelings for selfish ends.
Pilsbury in your State is another equally un-
scrupulous being. John Kelly in New York is
another. 1 think the New York Republicans
are not to be pitied if they are defeated this
Fall, because they ought to know better man
to have anything TO do with Kelley Ihat
they do is undeniable. Coalition has Killed
the Democratic party in Maine, Massachusetts,:
Iowa and Ohio. It wouldn't be surprising II
it killed the Republican party IN New YORK
Nothing pays better in the end than square
figbt on both sides. Coalition does not pay.
Independence is surest of success.
The campaign in this State has now degen-
Grated into purely personal one. Mud-Sling-
ing is the stock in trade. Ben Butler declined
to discuss National topics and started out on
State issues. Those failed him in less than q
week. The opposition got the best of him ev-
cry time. The reforms made last winter were
too palpable. And the calling of the roll found
all the Butler men, save Senator French, to
have been opposing reform and retrenchment
at every step. So Butler and his followers had
to draw their fires under that furnace II
nance wouldn't do. and there was nothing left
but personal abuse. Well, when Butler asks
for an overhauling of personal records he can