Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1879-09-04
A SOLID SOUTH,
What That Phrase Means.
A State Of Affairs Which the Dem
cratic Party Defends and En-
courages.

In the course of his great speech al
Steubenyille, recently, Hon. John Sher.
man said:
| have thus far, fellow citizens, con.
fined myself to financial topics, most of
them of a temporary character, which
will be settled in the ordinary course OF
administration, and, whichever way set
tied, will not affect the peace and order
of society. But there is question inf
nitely more important than money, or
bonds, or property, or silver, or gold.
Several of the southern states recently
in rebellion, aided and encouraged by
the democratic party, have nullihed for
the time, in whole or in part, the consti-
tutional amendments passed since the
civil war, and intended to secure its re-
suits. 1t is true that the thirteenth
amendment, which abolished slavery is
nominally respected, but in the great
body of the cotton states the colored peo-
pie are still in condition little above
that of slaves. The fourteenth amend
ment which was intended to define the
rights OF citizens, and to secure the free
men in these general rights, is substan-
TALLY nullified The fifteenth amend
ment, which was intended to secure to
freedmen the rights, as citizens of the
United States, to vote, is practically
nullified. The latter amendment especial
ly has been overridden by force and vio-
lence. and by crimes so revolving as to
to indicate a civilization scarcely above
barbarism. In communities where the
colored people are in the majority they
have not only been deprived of the cleo
tive franchise, by force and violence, but
driven to the swamps, terrorized, and
bull-doZed. And where this was impraC-
ticable, as in some of the parishes of
South Carolina, they have been literally
cheated with tissue bailots-the meanest
form of ballot box stuffing; and now sew
eral members of congress hold their seats
In congress by virtue of the commission
of these crimes. In this way the south
ern states have been made solidly demo
cratic.
And now, this system of terror and
fraud, having deprived the colored peo-
pie of the elective franchise, is being eX-
tended to white men, especially to the
Greenbackers in the South, who seek by
indendent movements to secure some
kind of representation of popular opin-
ion. Cases have recently occurred where
men of character, democratic in their
antecedents, have been driven by rifle
clubs from running as candidates for of
fee; the worst case of all being that in
Yazoo county, Miss, recently, where
Dixon ard Bell were driven by open
force from the canvass. The road is be.
ing prepared to return Jefferson Davis to
the Senate of the United States.
1t may be truthfully stated, now, that
in some of the cotton States the prevail
ing law in force is the law of violence.
The constitutional amendments are open
ly nullifed. All the rights Of free dis
cussion, free speech, and free press, so
carefully guarded under our system, are
denied, and a despotism of terror is ex-
ercised by the most lawless elements of
society, in utter disregard of the rights
and privileges of American citizens.
know this is strong language, but it
is true; and it is equally true that the
Democratic party, which receives the
benefit of these crimes, seems to be cal
lous to their enormity. A majority of
the Southern States are possibly Demo
cratic. Several of them are almost GER
tainly Republican, and some are doubt
ful.
1t is peril APPS natural, though not wise,
that the body of the rebels of the South
should adhere to the Democratic party
but it is equally natural that the Union
men of the South, and especially the
freedmen, should be Republicans. A fair
expression of opinion would leave these
States like the Northern States, divided
into parties, and with free speech and a
free press the difficult political questions
of the South would be gradually solved
by the party divisions growing out OF
the war turning into other channels
With the South made solid by violence
it is so strong that, with few scattered
members and States of the North, it con
trolls the political power of the country
and, through the action of the caucus
can elect President and control the Sen
ate and the House And such is the aim
of the Democratic party. If this sue
ceeds, our political system, founded up
on free and fair elections, will be over
thrown.
Compared with this issue all other
issues are secondary. Though you may
not pass upon it this fall, yet your e1ec
ton this fall will affect the issue to be
made in 1880. when the republican
party will present a formidable and
stern resistance to this rebellion agains
constitutional rights, the same in princi
pie and in fact that we resisted in 1861
| and which we had toolishly hoped was
settled by the constitutional amend
ments.
| may be asked: "Well, what vii
you do about it? Would you have sold
iers in the south and federal armies a
the polls?"
My answer is that this is not practi
|
never used at the south, or at the polls
except to preserve the peace. The first
remedy is by an earnest appeal to thu
sense of justice and the interests and tht
manhood of the southern states. The ne
groes are free, are citizens, and art
voters. That, at least, is declared by
the constitution, and cannot be changed
1t is the interest of the white people o
the south to respect the rights of the ne
groes. for if they do not, and carry thei
oppression to extremity for a period o
wears, they will in time contend with &
majority of intelligent, property holding
law abiding freemen, both black anC
white, who will meet them with theil
own weapons. Such contest nov
would be utterly hopeless. The blacE
man must submit and suffer. His only
remedy for extreme suffering is his righ
to leave the land of his oppression-tht
same right exercised by the Israelites O.
old, by our forefathers, and by every citi
zen of foreign birth who sought in oul
own land to escape oppression or to i'm
prove his condition.
| If the white men of the south car
win by kindness the votes of theil
| former slaves no one would object
but if they continue wha
is called the mississippi plan" of terror
and violence, they will not only disgrace