Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1880-08-11

tUtIl lTttuOn lDI tuht. lucy nhh Nohiohtb
from the polls like the children of the mist,
they had disappeared like the dew before the
sun. What had become of the negro vote ?
Every man knows, the country knows, Yer
mont knows. The shotgun policy com
menced by the Ku Kux, the White Leaguers
and the Red Leaguers had driven the poor
negro from the polls, and there was nothing
TO oppose the Democratic vote in the whole
south.
Where, then, was the good faith of the
south, when, after the rebellion, they prom
Used that the fifteenth amendment should be
observed-the amendment whereby 1t was
guaranteed that every man in this country,
no matter what his previous condition might
have been, or his race, or his color, should
have the right to vote? They broke the
promise which they gave to observe the pro.
visions of that amendment, and by means of
solid south in 1875 they once more had
majority in the lower house of congress, and
in 1877 they also obtained control of the
senate, and resumed their old dominion, by
the aid of the northern members of the Dem
ocratic party, whom, before the rebellion,
they had been accustomed to CALL do not
do it-doughfaces and northern mudsills.
"THE CONFEDERATE BRIGADIERs."
Having obtained Democratic majority
in both houses of congress, let us see what
they did. In the present congress there are
one hundred and thirty-seven Republicans
and one hundred and fifty-fve Democrats.
OF the Democrats one hundred are from the
south aud fifty-five from the north. And so
you see, if the northern Democrats stand
firm and vote with the south, these one hun
dred and fifty-fve can vote down the whole
| ~ To-, ka
senate there are forty-two Democrats, ma
iority of that body. OF these forty-two
thirty are southern men and twelve north
ern, and of these thirty southerners, twenty
three were either confederate generals or
held high positions in the confederacy dur
ing the rebellion. That is the situation in
the congress of the United States to-day.
want you to keep this in mind. Because
while | shall prove to you that the south has
got control of congress, | am also going to
show you what they have done since they
obtained that control, and what they are
likely to do, should they elect their candidate
for president.
Congress is made up in the way have de-
scribed. Now see the strategy of the south
erners and how they are trying to get the
control of this country by cunning, by
brains-for l give them credit for that
when they could not by force of arms.
They are hoodwinking the northern Demo
Gratis as they did before the war-not but
what Vermont Democrats are Just as intel
| ligent and Just as bright as Vermont Repub-
licans, only they do not apprehend the gray
ity of the danger with which southern DOM
ination menaces the country and party affil-
iations have led them to vote carelessly and
mechanically. The first thing the south did
after getting control of congress was to re-
organize the committees and the officers Of
each house. The result was that all the
committees contain majority of Democrats,
and majority of the Democrats in almost
every committee are southerners. Let me
prove this TO you in detail.
OF the twenty-eight standing committees
of the senate, the craftsmanship of seven
teen is with the south. They have given
the chairmanships of the other eleven to
their northern friends, but in these eleven
as well as in the other seventeen, majority
of the Democratic majority is composed OF
southerners-a large proportion OF whom
were rebels For instance:
The committee on privileges and cleo
tions, just now most important committee
as it practically decides all cases of con
tested seats in the senate--all questionable
rights to seats-is composed of nine mem
bers-six Democrats and three Republicans
but five of the six Democrats are southern
ers one is from the north
The committee on finance is composed Of
nine members-fve Democrats and foui
Republicans but two of the five Democrats
are southerners.
The committee on appropriations is com
posed of nine members-fve Democrats and
four Republicans but three of the five
Democrats are southerners.
The committee on commerce is composed
of nine members-fve Democrats and foul
Republicans but four of the five are south
erners.
The committee on post-offices and post
roads is composed of nine membership
Democrats and three Republicans but foul
of the six Democrats are confederates.
The committee on claims, now, in view
of the immense amount of pending rebe
claims-hundreds of Millions committee
of the greatest Importance to the south, as
it is to the nation, is composed OF nine mem
bers five Democrats, all confederates, and
four Republicans.
The committee on the election of presi
dent and vice.president, truly most import
ant committee TO our whole people, is com
posed of nine MEMBERSHIP Democrats and
three Republicans but four of the six Dem
ocrats are confederates.
In the house of representatives, of forty
two committees, the craftsmanship of twenty
two is with the south. So in the senate IN
almost all the committees, while the majority
of the members are Democratic, majority
of that majority are confederates.
The committee on elections is composed
of fifteen members-nine Democrats, six
Republicans but five of the Democrats arr
southerners.
The committee on ways and means i.
composed of thirteen members-eight Dem
ocrats and five Republicans; but of the
Democrats five are southerners.
The committee on appropriations consist;
of fifteen members-nine Democrats and