Helena weekly herald., 1880-07-29
WHY is THE SOUTH SOLID:

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political contest that the nation is now wag-
ing is not at all one of personal nature be-
tween the candidates nominated by the two
great parties. The country must not be al
lowed to think that such contest involves
nothing but the personal qualifications of the
respective candidates. 1t is a struggle of
vastly more significance. 1t is grand strug-
gle for power by two great political organi-
cations, with principles and histories as
widely unlike as white and black, with poll
cies as diverse as the two poles. We would
have as great confidence to appeal to the
country on the personal qualifications of the
two Presidential candidates. Conceding to
General Hancock all that can in reason be
said in his favor, he il, in no respect the peer
of General Garfield in natural qualifications,
and still less by education and experience, for
the highest civil position in the government.
But it is mere triding to consider the question
on such narrow basis. The individual can
didates lose their personality when put for
ward as representatives of the great parties.
Candidate Hancock on the Democratic plat
form, with tine Solid South at bis back, is no
more the same man who fought at Gettysburg
than Benedict Arnold, with British COM
mission, ravaging and plundering his native
State, was the same person who fought 80
bravely at Quebec and Saratoga. The party
whose nomination he has accepted comes
before the country in platform which de-
clares its adherence to all the principles and
traditions of its past history, which includes
State rights, even to the extreme of secession,
opposition to all the measures of reconstruc-
ton, the constitutional amendments, in favor
of paying the national debt in greenbacks,
with various other heresies clearly set forth
in party platforms of the last quarter of
century. All of these false doctrines that
have been over and over again submitted to
the verdict of the American people and re-
jected are revived and ressserted, and Gen
eral Hancock, by accepting the nomination
on such platform, adopts ali and becomes
the champion of them. He becomes the
champion of the solid South against an al
most solid North. If the North is not as solid
as the South it is because there is freedom of
election here which does not exist at the
South. 1t is because there are great many
people at the North who care nothing at all
about principle, who care nothing about the
interests of others 80 long as they can push
their own personal political fortunes, who
are willing to be hoodwinked, deceived, dis
graced, abused, if only they can have share
of the Offices, who are ready to become the
unwilling advocates of principles that their
better judgment would abhor, if allowed
scope for action. -:
But why is the South solid in support of
the Democratic party: policy, platform, can
didate? Is it because there are none in that
section who think otherwise and would vote
otherwise if there was any free ballot? 1t g
asserting only what every child knows that
if the same freedom of election existed in
that section as at the North there would be
as large proportion of Senators, Represent
atives and electoral votes for the Republicans
as there are Democrats at the North. The
South is solid because those who rule there
have sworn big oath that negroes shall not
vote unless they vote as. they shall dictate.
The Democratic party to-day owes its major
ity in both the Senate and House of Repre-
sentatives to the violence and fraud practiced
at the South. 1t is not merely a question
whether fraud and violence shall carry the
election in certain States Of the South; it as
pires to rule the nation, and does to-day con-
troll both houses of Congress To enjoy i'm
munity for continuance of violence and
usurped authority the army has been cut
down and supervisors and marshals are left
unpaid. And Northern men are craven
enough to allow such things to 60 unpunish-
ed Worse still, there are thousands of men
at the North who actively enter into the con-
spiracy to continue the state of affairs at the
South and make it national. The South is
solid by strong hand in seeking to advance
its sectional ideas and interests. 1t wants
not only to rule the blacks of its own section
but aspires to resume Its sway AS of old over
the whole nation, and it makes use of the
Northern Democracy for it's purpose, and has
found Union General willing to enlist in it's
cause. a....,l
1t is only by diverting attention from the
real issues that there is any possible chance
to carry single Congressional district at the
North, Sectional parties are to be regretted,
but the only answer to solid South should
no a oelid North Tflou0ht not RI tao rnaeihla
in cause SO sectional, for purposes SO sell
fish and so dangerous to the national welfare
and existence, to find allies at the North.
Northern Democrats may deny the charge