The Portland daily press., 1880-09-20
The N. Y. Herald.
The Great Independent Organ Talks
Sense to the South.

We desire to call the attention of Southern
men, of Southern white men, of Southern
white men of intelligence AID influence sin
cerely and anxiously desrous to benefit their
States, once more TO what we conceive to be
the disastrous bunder which they are making.
They pretend that the South is solidly Demo
cratic. They maintain this prstence with such
vigor that possibly they may make it practi-
cal reality next November, as they have done
in previous years. But can they not see that
it is the "solid South which Is beating the
Democratic party? That when Hampton, one
of the best of the Southern men, and as wise
as any of them, urges the Virginia whites to
remain solidly with the Democratic party, and
stigmatizes as unpatriotic any Southern man
who leaves that party, he puts very forcible
and effective argument in the mouths of a
thousand Republican speakers? Can they not
see that every appeal in Southern journals to
stand fast in the Democratic lines, and every
denunciation of Independent candidates / / the
South makes Republican votes in the North?
Ii there was any principle at stake we should
say, "Stand fast by all means" If the South
ern States were suffering from unconstitution-
al Federal interference, or from Republican
n,isrule we should, as we did four years ago,
defend the solidity of the South. But there Is
nothing of the kind. The carpet-bag and bay
onet rule has been swept away, nor can it ever
be re-established. The Southern States are not
united upon any Federal policy. Do the sugar
and rice planters of Louisiana want a tariff
"fOr revenue only" such as the Democratic
platform demands? Not at all. They want
protective tariff such as the Republicans prom
n0 the WhitqS Of Micainoipri ~
Tennessee, want rigid economy in the expendi-
lures, and "public money and public credit for
public purposes only" as the Dem 2cratic plat
form demands9 No; they want liberal appro-
clamorous for government aid, and irritated at
its denial, in every Congress since the Demo
Gratis gained control Of the House. That is to
say, large proportion Of the white people,
States do not believe what the Democratic
platform asserts, and they do hold what the
Republican platform declares.
We tell the Southern men plainly that the
probabilities arc just now strongly in favor of
Republican success, and the "solid South is
helping toward this more than any other ele-
ment of the canvass. II the South were brok-
en- up into its natural political divisions now,
and If it were seen that Louisiana, Arkansas,
Tennessee and Virginia would probably 90 Re-
publican the chances of General Hancock's
election would be greatly increased for re-
move the justly irritating effect on the North
ern mind of Southern solidity and the Demo-
Gratis could hope to carry such States as Illi-
nois, Indiana, Wisconsin and New Hampshire,
which, under present conditions, they are sure
to lose.
Let Indiana 60 as it will, the Republicans
need not despair of New York. They have in
their hands the patronage Of the State govern
ment; the splendid revival of business operates
in their favor; the election of all their candi-
dates last Fall, with a single exception, ac-
counted for by the extraordinary personal pop
ularity of young Mr.. Seymour, gives them just
reason to think that the State is theirs.