Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1880-10-07
The Southern BugabOOs.

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Alabama, upon being notified Of his
denomination, made speech bearing
directly on the senseless attempt of the
Republicans to frighten honest voters
into accepting tainted candidate for
the Presidency by pretending to be-
lieve that the election Of General
Hancock would lead to the payment
of all sorts of Southern claims. Quot
ing the eloquent passage from Han
cocks letter of acceptance; in which
he speaks of the Union as the main
pillar in the edfice Of our real indie
pendence, Mr.. Herbert added that if
we could only get the masses Of the
North, thUse who are honest voters
and not ofiice-seekers, to understand
and know that this is the sentiment
that actuates us, that we recognize the
results of the war fully, that we sup
port the constitution with all It's
amendments, that we protect and
guard the rights of these freedmen
who constitute 50 large part of this
audience, we should add thousands of
votes to Hancock in November. But
every vile SANDER that ingenuity can
invent and malice can perpetrate is
being distilled into the ears of the
Northern people. John Sherman, in
n speech made at Cincinnati, actually
stopped so low as to tell the people of
the North that if the Democracy got
in power they would claim pay for Its
slaves. | see that Porter, candidate
for Governor, is repeating the same
stuff in Indiana on that stump. The
idea is so preposterous that it passes
my understanding that any voter
could be influenced by it, but such
men As Porter and Sherman would
not condescend to use such an argu-
ment if they did not believe they
could make votes by it. To catch
vote there is nothing they would not
say. This is hard saying, but / am
justified in it when men of their in
telligence resort TO such arguments.
Look at it. The South contains
scarcel Y more than third of the vot-
ing population of the Union. The
shareholders were not a third of the
Southern white people. Since the
freedmen have become voters the form
er shareholders are not more than one
eighth of our voters. To pay this
one-eighth of our people we would
have TO saddle the other seven .eights
of our people with debt of one hun
dred and fifty millions of dollars.
Why, if we were separated from the
North by gulf so wide and deep that
the lightning of the telegraph could
not leap it, We could not pass such
law. Fellow-citizens, this is Demo
cratic district. am the Democratic
nominee. | believe | am acceptable
to the party, but if should seriously
announce to the people that | was in
favor of taxing the voters who we're
never shareholders TO pay those who
were, | could not be elected. | could
not carry county in the district.
There Is not a district in the South
that could be carried on any such
platform. When, then, Mr.. Sherman
announces that there is danger that
the former shareholders of the South
will make the whole United States
pay one hundred and fifty millions of
dollars for the liberated slaves-well.
my friends, will only say he knows
better. Another slander he indulges
in is that if Democracy is successful
we will endeavor to pension Confed-
crate soldiers for the Confederate war.
Gentlemen, was Confederate.
bear on my person scars received in
lighting under the Southern cross.
yield TO no man in love for my dead
comrades or in sympathy for the lv-
ing heroes of that Confederacy. Yet
1t never came into my mind in the
widest flights of my imagination, nor
did 1t ever cross yours, that the govern
ment of the United States or any 9th.
er government could afford to pension
soldiers for fighting against it. 1t is
equally untrue that we could or would
embarrass the government with claims
for quarter masters stores taken dur.
ing the war. All we ask is the right
of local self-governmentl We don't
want to control the domestic affairs of
Indiana. They know how to govern
themselves in these matters better
than we do, and we know how 10 control
domestic affairs better than they do.
We want a fair shake in the blessings
of honest government. We demand
to be admitted 10 a full and free mar.
ticipation in its benefits as equals. and
we do not expect the government 70
enrich its people, for the government
has nothing but what It takes from
the people. But cannot waste time
! 10 answering Sherman's ISLANDERS here