Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1879-04-09
Suppose.

| pat III III tueiI IedCtiot aty ptoSiahi iHo'
wnat will be the effect upon the coun-
try?
Suppose they succeed in amendlD g
the army bill t. SUIT their purposes,
aud in repeating the election laws.
The election machinery in The South
ern States will be wholly in the hands
of ex- Confederate officials. There will
be no restraining influence a d no COR
recrve agent. The old Union element
will be forced from the field, aud the
negroes will become participants
| In elections, or will be driven to form
alliances with the men who desire to
accomplish their reinstatement.
There Will be go officials TO report out
RACES, and DO encouragement to those
who resist fraud. The Democratic
rife club of the neig borhoud will
stand as the court of last appeal, and
democratic legislatures and State otfl-
GERS will combine to restrict the IT.
hueuce Of tue Republicans and t, in
crease the power of their own parry.
Having secured power by frauds, the
Democrats will letaln power by an or
gan ton like that of close corpora
ton. Under such Influences the spirit
OF rebellion will be encouraged. aud
the Confederstes who were content
to secede IN 1861 vii! then be satisfied
only with the surrender of the ent re
country. The GRIPPING of the army
aud the repeal Of the election laws are
preparatory steps. As the work OF
John b Floyd, Buchanan Secretary
of War prepared the South for war in
1860. SO the a;tion of a Democratic
Congress is now intended to give the
South advantages in the struggle Of
1880. La 1876 the South aided the
Democratic party In 1880 the Demo
cratic party will aid the South
Suppose the election laws are re-
peaIed and the Democrats cleo d
President IN 1880, aud Increase their
majority in Cpnyress. The EXON
tederates w.lI then control majority
of tie States. They will have clear
field 10 the national legislation. The
Republican minority will be almost
power!ess to prevent the repeals of
laws passed since the war. With
pos 0 fices aud all Federal appoint
ments In their control. the ex-CJnted-
crates Will fud means to educate pub
lie sentiment toward a repeal of the
amendments. And when more new
States are carved out of Texas aud
Missouri, and when the combinations
are favorable, the blow will be struck
and the work Of reconstruction all
undone. 1t is now conceded that the
trlumpns Of the Democrats are the
triumphs of the old rebels. The al
lance is open aud the declaration of
principles emphatic. And no one viii
claim that the triumph Of the ex-Con-
federates will Got be t. e humliation
of the old Union men.
Suppose the extremists of the
Bourbon Democracy secure what they
hope for, a complete triumph, what
w
Tn on States or communities? Even
wnlle ia minority they could not con-
ceal their hatred aud resentment La
virtual command Of that ma jority in
Congress, aud with a President ready
to accept their dictation, will not this
resentment and hatred be made mani
fest. and will not their influence be
seen in national legislation?
Suppose the extremists obtain con-
| troll of the government as they have
! obtained control of the Democratic
party, will the natural tendencies be
toward a settled policy ana good
strong government, or toward anarchy
and confusion? Will society in the
North maintain it's present status, or
will it naturally deteriorate to the le-
vel of that in the old slave states? And
ifi does deteriorate instead of advance
what will be the effect on business in
terests and public enterprises? Will
confusion and disquietude succeed the
present feeling of security! Will farms
| UeClluc III pI!CC, Guu C't Go tHdt al
now business centers lose their pres
tige? Will capital seeking investments
and emigrants seeking homes turn from
the North as they now turn from the
South. and will the battle against the
| B urbon extremists and destructionists
have to be fought over again!
suppose what We have sketched
should come up as probability, or
even as a possibility, what man having
the interests of the country at heart
would hesitate to strike blow at the
threatening evil? And yet the Demo
cratic party. controlled by the Bour-
bon extremists, is confident Of return
Jog to power. The time to strike is
nov. Bourbon supremacy looms up as
a possibility in the near future. Once
possible IT will become probable, and
then, when the dread certainty faces
the people, it may be too late to act