The Portland daily press., 1880-08-31
PRICE 3 CENTS.

from the ballot altogether. But even if it was
admitted for the sake of argument that the
Republican party gave the negroes the privil-
ege of citizenship in order to secure its own
political supremacy, it was much more COM
mendable act than TO deprive them of it for
the same purpose. The one act was done by
the operation of the law and the other against
it. The one was accompanied by peaceful and
honest means, and the other by violence and
fraud The one means the eventual elevation
of the negro to the full knowledge and respon-
Sibility of citizenship, and the other his con-
tinued degradation The one was real repub-
hcan craftsmanship, and the other oligarchical
tyranny, even if the motives were the same in
both.
Having thus defeated the Republican party
and turned its own forces against it, as it
claims, the South was confronted with new
danger to its political supremacy ON the ap-
proach OF the time for the taking of new CEN
Sus. By its political and social ostracism, il
had driven out or deferred immigration from
the North and from Europe; its industries had
languished and its prosperity was stagnant.
On the other hand the North aud West had
fourished under the influence of peace and
good order, industry and political liberty. A
great immigration from Europe had come to
It's fertile fields and its thriving cities. Dis
coyeries of mineral wealth had created new
States, and new tracts of fertile land had
had planted thriving communities ON the un-
occupied fields of the West aud Northwest.
Old States had grown more populous as new
ones were created, and the North had far out
stripped the South in the growth of population
as in wealth. This might have been borne,
and the South preferred its isolation and stag
nation to allowing political freedom, but the
ratio of representation is dependent on popula-
ton, and the census returns threatened the loss
of political power. The South was promptly
equal to the emergency. The same unscrupu-
lousness that stuffed ballot boxes beyond the
limits OF the voting population, is now endeav-
oring to swell the census returns beyond all rea-
son or probability, beyond the laws of nature
and beyond what is known of the condition'o of
things in regard to emigration and prosperity.
Ii the scheme is not defeated, the South Will
retain representation by fraud, which the
North is entitled TO by legitimate growth and
prosperity, and as it now boasts of having de-
feated the Republican party by suppressing
the negro votes, while it retains the represen-
tation, which they give, it will be claiming
that it has also defeated it by a false count Of
its population.
Ii the South is capable of taking such means
as these for retaining its political power, the
question: what is it likely to do in the future,
and particularly if it obtains the control of the
whole government and can use its machinery
for its purpose? The comparative difference
in growth between the two sections is likely to
continue, and the North and West to overbal-
ance the South by natural means. Effort will
be necessary to offset this, and after the evil
dence OF unscrupulonSneSS and violence which
we have had in relation to the negro vote and
the census; we may be prepared for anything in
the line of political man9nvre or worse The
means of increasing the Southern representa-
tion lies open to their hand. When Texas was
admitted to the Union, it was provided that it
might be divided into five States, when Con-
gress thought proper. Such proceeding
would give eight additional Southern Senators,
thus offsetting any Northern growth for many
years. Nor is there much doubt, if the Demo-
veto of Republican President that it would
be done without any further delay. With
Democratic administration, the Supreme Court
would eventually come to represent Southern
sentiment, to the possible danger of the consti-
tutional amendments. And then such laws
might be passed as would destroy the right
of negroes to citizenship by the law as is
done now in defiance of it, and at least
erect such obstacles as would long pre-
vent the action of aroused national opinion
from taking effect. These dangers are by no
means chimerical. but are in the exact line of
what has been already done and threatened,
and they are not beyond the energy and unscru-
pulousness of the South Those who have been
hattered that there is no question of difference
and no concealment of purpose, because a
Northern figurehead has been nominated as
the Democratic candidate, and those who
wish the South not to have control of the des-
TIMES of the nation, not because it is the South,
but because it is opposed to political freedom
and to the best interests of the country, its
own as we'll as the rest, would reverse so far as
it can the verdict Of the war and this by false
and unscrupulous means, would do well to
consider these things.