The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1880-09-09
The Results of Solidity.

The following calm and thoughtful article |
taken from that able paper, the New York
Times of the 20th, we present to our readers
and ask them to carefully read and ponder
over it. 1t contains food for reflection, and by
studying its sentences they will understand
why the Democratic party is cert ain to be de-
feated, and how the South is injured by the
folly and madness of the Democratic leaders.
Gen. Wade Hampton's boast in the Cincinnati
Convention that the 1873 electoral votes of the
South would be given to Hancock, a boast made
in advance of the election, and with knowl-
edgethat the rights persons and the mandates
of the constitution and laws would have to be
violated to make the promise good-has done
more to make the North solid than anything
else. The Times says:
When the Democrats, the opening of the pres
ont political canvas, boosted that they would
the support of the solid SOUTH and when Gen. Wade
Hampton confidently promised It's 1873 electoral
votes to the Cincinnati nominee, they doubtless
thought that therein they had source of great
strength and an advantage over their opponents.
According to their reasoning, here solid re-
OF 1873 of the 1863 votes, sailed down as 1t
were, and the contest would be over the remaining
25 oil whlch they needed only TO get4f 70 make sure
OF success. Considered sum in arithmetic the
problem looked easy. But these short-stghted cal
culators gradually finding out that the solid
south is source OF weakness ana not OF strengh,
and that its effect is to unite the North against 1t
with decided proponderance of Electoral votes. 1t
would have been far better for the Democrats If the
South had been solid. IL the abstract 1t might
be better for the country and for the South ITSELF
but what is best for Democratic is not best
for the country, and may be indebted to the sol
Id South for continuance or the ascendency of the
North or as we prefer regard it, of the national
policy in our Government, which finds its support
in the character and principles OF The Republican
party.
The effect of the soldtty of the South to make
It's Ideas and aims obviously controlling influences
in the Democratic party Its candidate must De the
choice of the southern Conservatives, they call
themselves, its must be their success, and
administration resulting from such success
be dominated by them. If the South had been
divided, if the Democratic party of the North were
the controlling wing, and if a candidate had been
tive of Democratic doctrine living issues AND
and questions of national breadth then there might
have been division of the North and far greater
chance OF success for the party. Many people
would not have seen in that success any danger t.
the predom1nance of national ideas In the Govern
ment any likelihood Of undoing the results Of thu
great struggle for the permanent establishment O.
the Union, any prospect Of saddltng the country
with enormous expense to meet claims for the osses
OF war incurred by those who Were not loyal to tht
Government. But the solid South with its threat o
Southern control ofth entire administration OF nat
ional interests, has brought these perilous chances
to the front,and endowed them with reality which
fepels Northern support from the Democratic par
W;
character of its candidate and It's pretentions thu
brought up the sectional issue anew, and given
new vitality and new meaning, but 1t has resulted
In that issue absorbing all Others AS consequence
of the Democratic position enforced upon the part.
by the solid SOUTH it has been obliged to keep al
practical questions of policy in the background, O.
ignore their existence. The Democrats deprecat
discussion of the sectional issue which they hav
made but they present nothing else to discuss. s.
far as their candidate is concerned, and their att
tude and utterances in the canvass, one would sup
pose that there were no such things questions o
currency and finance, of tariff REFORM of civil SCI
vice, OF shipping interests or Internal transporta
is said by the Republicans, and when they are mel
widered. In fact, the sectional issue forced upo
the country by the boosted soldiy Of the South ha
swallowed up all other questions and left as the su
preme matter Of choice, control Of the GOyernmen
by exConfederates with all their sinister purposes
or by men who have always been faithful to the VI
ion and to the cause of enlightened nationality
predominance of the spirit that suppresseS the rigf
Of suffrage by violence aud fraud, fosters gnoranc
and disorder, resists the authority OF the natona
Government and attempts to nulltfy its laws, or
that which secures the ballotbox against the ruia
and the cheat, cherishes education and obedience
law, sustains the authority of the Nation, and treat
disobedience to its laws as crime. 1t s a choic
between two civilizations and two tendencies, an
there is no question that the whole united Month
against the southern civilization and the Souther
tendency an element of control in the Govern
ment.
The solidity of the South is not only dtsadvar
tage to the Democratic party, making its defe;
certain when 1t might otherwise have been problem
atica but it will retard the progress of that secto
In securing its share of power and influence in hi
tional affairs If the people, or the controlling pa
Of them really accepted the results of the struggle
or the past, cheerfuy admitted The autnof1y OF III
Nation over them, and loyalty sustained that al
thority and the laws intended for its enforcement
there would be resistance in the North to the
taking their full share in the administration Of tt
common interests OF the country. But they have KEEL
up their peculiar claims and purposes, antagonistc1
the national SPIRIT and then grasp at entire contro
and as consequence they meet with a resistanc
that is simply impregnable 1t will be so as long
they maintain their attitude and refuse to divid
Ifthey presist in remaining sod it will be In soil
isolation, not a controlling but subject sectiol
looked upon of danger until the inf
ences of national progress shall have gradually dt
integrated the stubborn mass