The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1880-10-23
The Solid South.

tion of narrow majorities in two or
three of the Northern States. we
do not here criticise the South for
being solid !; we do not criticise the
methods by which this political So
lidity has been obtained we say
nothing of the suspicious circums
stance that in six years the Repuolis
can vote of Arkansas has been re-
duced from Al 1873 to 115; of MisslsS
sippi from 62,175 to 1,158; of Ala
bama from 80, ,272 to nothing we say
nothing of the terrorism in Loulsis
ana and the tissue paper ballots in
South Carolina. and The frank ayow7
ais in the more outspoken organs O
the South that the negro may vote
SO long as the white men count the
votes. We simply note the undls-
puted fact that If Cen EIancsSk .
elected at all it will be by the vote Of
the solid South. If two or three
Southern States should break from
the alliance there would be no possi-
bility of the triumph of the Demo
cratic party.
Nor do we discuss the question
here as to the responsibility for the
present sectional campaign. That
responsibility is about equally diyi-
ded between the two parties. II the
party had accepted President Hayes
policy in good faith, and entered
four years ago on the work of can
yassing the South in local and cons
gressiona! elections, there would be
no solid South to-day. If the Dem.
0cratic party had accepted his policy
in good faith and the South had re-
sponded to his generous confidence
with equal generosity, there would
be ne schd South to-day. Fe gave
both parties the opportunity to bury
the dead controversy.
However the solid South has been
caused, whoever is responsible for it.,
the fact remains that upon its So
lidity the success of the Democratic
party depends; that the American
voter is in effect asked to hand over
the control of the United States goy-
ernment to the States 80 recently in
rebellion against it. II is not strange
that the independent voter hesitates
about complying with this request.
We say that he is asked to hand
over the control of the government
to the South, and we say so advised.
ly. For it is of the essence of rep
resentative government that it should
represent the voters who have elect
ed and who stand behind the admin
istration. Neither Gen. Garfield nor
Gen. Hancock is invited to become a
dictator. The business of the Presi-
dent is to execute the will and carry
out in government the principles of
the party which has chosen him.
Gen. Hancock, if elected, cannot do
otherwise than carry out Southern
policy he would have no right to do
otherwise. If the North chooses the
President the North will determine
the policy of the goveI nment ; if the
South chooses the President the
South will have the same right to
determine the policy of the govern
ment. The question, therefore, for
the Independent voter to consider is
whether he is prepared to have The
South control the government even
for four years.
In considering this question the
intelligent Independent voter will
lay aside at once all groundless fears
of new rebellion, and re- astablishs
ment of slavery, the substitution of
a system of peonaga. or general
bankruptcy of the treasury by pay
ment of a billion or so of dollars in
Southern claims. He wi lot be
frightened by beating of the tom
tom. The Chinese method of war.
fare is quite in fashion with the p0-
litical organs of both sides it makes
great noise, and to a cert in extent
furnishes funny reading, ,br' L makes
no great number of VI ars. The
danger from Southern supremacy Is
less terrific but more real.
"The Southern States," say 5ena-
tor Bayard in his New York peecn,
"are solid for local self-g government
in each State, uninterfered with ex'
traneous power" This language Is
ambiguous, as are mos political
utterances, but it is easily interpret ed
by history. Mr.. Losing the az esl
living American histog.au, fii'
our readers what wa tie lie
nificance of the famous so
lutions of 1898 and he show now
even Mr.. Jefferson was unable q re
sist the pressure of his own part2 enc
section in favor ofa doctrine ofStates
Rights, in which he WAS never n
his inmost convictions, belever
We may believe with Gen. Han cOtb