Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1879-03-19
Southern Politics.

DR.. E. V. Smalley, the able correspondent
of the Cincinnati Commercial has just re-
turned from two months trip South, and
thus records conversation with wealthy
and prominent Southern gentleman
"The whites are as solid as paving stone
for the democratic party. l don't think they
are as bitter as formerly, or as violently hos
tile toward the Republican party of the
North, but they are determined that the Re
publcans shall not get the slightest footbold
10 the Southern states. They are pulled up
with political ambition, imagining that, with
the help of Northern democrats, the South
is going to regain her old supremacy in the
government. In this way they think that
the humiliation of their defeat in the re-
bellion will be wiped out. The triumph of
the democracy in its effort to get full pos
session of the government, and the complete
control of that party by the South seems to
them in some sort a justification Of the re-
bellion."
"What do they expect to do when they
get in power ?"
al have asked this question great many
times, and never got satisfactory answer.
Most of them say that they intend first to
put stop to what they call hostile treatment
of the South by the national government,
but Just what they mean by this they do not
fully explain. Then they say they want
liberal appropriations for the benefit of their
section. The idea seems to be that to make
things even they must have as much money
for Southern purposes as the the North has
had since the war began"
care the negroes still Republican in
sentiment ?"
Universally so l only saw one demo-
cratic negro in my whole journey. He is
member of the Arkansas legislature, and is
as black as your hat. Negroes have, how
ever given up all hope of succeeding in
strife with the white people. Republican
ism is religion with them. They believe
they are bound in conscience and honor to
vote for the party that set them free, but
they despair of their votes having any eff
feet. There are, however, some localities
where the blacks still elect county officers.
These are generally sugar-producing neigh
borhoods. Sugar is crop that requires
constant work the year round, and neither
planters nor laborers have much time for
political discussion. Planters would rather
have the negroes hold the Offices than have
their laborers disturbed"
"Have the Southern democrats much pref
erence between candidates for President ?"
"They don't like Tilden. They think he
was too old-grannyish and cowardly to as
sert his rights. They are the sort of people
who admire legal tricks, subterfuges or CT
pher dispatches. Nevertheless, if they think
Tilden has better chance to carry New
York than any other man, they will support
him. I'VE must have man who will carry
New York : that's what they all told me.
Hendricks has good many admirers in the
South, and heard considerable talk of Han
cock. Shrewd democratic politicians think
it may be necessary to take man with a
Union war record. In Texas Hancock and
Hancock are spoken of as an available ticket,
the second Hancock being John, the ex-mem-
Der of Congress of Texas. He was Union
man and has good record"
GLOW do the Southern Republicans feel
about candidates p
"They are all for Grant. ! saw few
colored men who preferred Blaine or Conk-
ling, but even they thought Grant the best
man to nominate. The South will come up
to the National Republican Convention solid
for Grant They seem to have forgotten all
his Inconsistencies in the treatment of the
Southern Republican governments