The Princeton union., 1880-10-28
The GREAT ISSUE.
The True " Inwardness" Of the
Solid South"
An Open Letter from the Hon. Jay
A. Hubbell.

IIlCC W iepIeSeuC you III congress Tor tne uICD
consecutive time, should esteem it an especial
breach of duty, under ordinary circumstances,
to be absent from that district during this can
vass. But, occupying as I do the Chairmanship
OF the Republican Congressional Committee,
my judgment tells me-and in this think all
good Republicans will agree-that ] should not
be absent from this central post of duty. This,
therefore, must be my excuse for thus address,
ing you.
In the olden time, when two armies in hostile
array confronted each other, it was sometimes
the practice for the leader of each-or for some
specially selected man from each-to step to
the front and decide the battle issue by single
combat. Thus it was that David, afterward
King Of Israel, by Staying Goliath with pebble,
defeated the army of the Philistines.
AS nations grew more enlightened, the trial
by single combat ceased, and victory fell to that
side which had the most skill, courage, muscle
and weight of numbers.
Later on, other clements of warfare devel-
oped themselves, and it WAS found some
times that the nation with the longest purse
was often victorious But the latest lesson
taught lis by is that, all else being equal, the
army which is best armed must triumph. Thus
it was that Germany successfully dictated her
own terms at Vienna and at Paris.
Now, take it the great contest between the
opposing armies of Repubcanism and Democ-
racy into which we have just entered is not to
be fought out on the old plan Of single combat,
but on the new.
The leaders, Gen. Garfield on tho one side
and Gen. Hancock on the other-both cour-
ageous, both athletic, both skilled, both in the
very prime of stalwart life-are not to stand
out in front of the line Of battle and grapple
each with tho other until one falls wounded
unto death The day for such spectacles has
q ~ fhaT n ont fr>+ IN fror
and halt, facing the enemy, while the enemy
pelts each leader with voeys of mud and
bilingsgate The day for such a spectacle,
trust, has not yet come.
Not thus are the issues presented by two
great political parties before an enlightened
American public to be decided.
That party will be victorious which is the best
armed and equipped with the truest and safest
and Wisest principles, and whose record will
show that it has acted upon those principles SO
as to secure the greatest good to the greatest
number" That one will be trusted which has
shown itself most worthy of trust.
Hence it is that shall have not one word to
say against Gen. Hancock personally, as am
sure were Gen. Hancock addressing you he
would have not one word to say against Gen.
Garfield personally. Both of these disti1l-
guished leaders, if consulted, would deprecate
q campaign of personal detraction-of mud
Singing.
This is o contest OF principles, not men prin-
ciples as exhibited by the traditions, the history
the controlling spirit of each party.
The prize is vast No less than the Govern
ment OF this great nation, with all it's attend
ant responsibility for the safety, honor, happi-
ness, freedom and prosperity of all it's people |!
And I ask every Democrat at all open to the
convictions of reason. as well as every voter
who hesitates to weigh carefully and well the
facts confronting him, before he casts the vote
upon which SO much that is sacred to us and
dear to the oppressed Of all lands now de-
pends.
Consider well, my friends, these vital ques-
tions, and after that review, answer with your
enlightened votes the question that another
old-firne Democrat {Gen GrantS has put
whether the Democratic party, "as now con-
stituted and controlled, is a fit party to trust
with the control Of the General Govern
ment7"
How is tho Democratic party now s:consti-
tuted and controlled?" Let us see.
At the last Presidential election 1884, ,265
Democratic votes were cast in all the States for
Presidential electors. OF this Democratic
"popular vote,'' it is termed, 2,67O, ,065 votes
were cast by Democrats Of Northern States,
and ,614, 200 votes We're cast by Democrats OF
Southern States-Statcs that were known as
s'slave States" before the Rcbelion-to wit
Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Geor-
gia, Kentucky, Louisiana Maryland, Mississip-
pi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina,
Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia
States which are now claimed to be banded to-
gether as a "solid South" In other words,
the "solid South" contains trife more than
half as many Democratic voters as there are
Democratic voters in all the other States, or
One-third Of the entire Democratic vote of all
the States, North and South.
Now, where the responsibility for partymeas-
ures should properly rest upon tho whole Demo-
cratic party, North as well as South, one would
naturally suppose that in its councils the North.
ern Democracy, having double the popular
weight of the Southern Democracy, should rule
wherever Democracy is i'll power. Northern
Democracy has as much ability surely as has
the Democracy Of the South, besides having
two-thirds of the Democratic popular voting
power at its back, yet this immensely pre-
ponderating Northern vote is by some means
not allowed by the " solid South - to assert
policy of it's own, but is obliged to bend it
neck to the yoke of Southern dictation. Tha
is not healthy state of things to begin with
and this is the very kernel of the nut which
the people at this election are called upon t.
crack!
This usurpation of power by q small minority
Of a great party over the policy and actions Of
that whole party is what every Northern DEM
ocrat should resent. The possibility of this ex
ercise of power over the entire country by the
representatives of only l ,6l4, 200 Southern Dem
ocratic votes out of S,411,136 votes is wha
every Northern man should, by all legal means
resist The American people surely will no
permit this great and puissant nation to- bt
governed by q mere fraction Of party backet
4. by less than one-tifth of the entire popular
vote
That the "soid Southern" wing absolutel.
runs the entire Democratic party will hardl.
be denied by any person respecting the truth
OF course, in the making of national platforms
it stands nobly back and permits the Northern
Democracy to formulate grand professions ant
meaningless platitudes; but when it comes t,
work. to action, this soidifed, dominating
Southern fraction asserts its tyrannical power
and Northern Democracy tanely yields
Is the republic ready to slip its neck int
the Southern moose? Not yet, I take it, no
How is it that this 1900, 600 solid Southern
Democratic votes controls the whole Demo
cratic party, and in the event of the election o
Hancock and a Democratic House would con
troll the $4,000, 900 of people composing this re
public2
It is because by killing, by torture, by whip
pings, by other violences and, where these hay
failed, by stuffing ballot-boxes with tissue ba
lots, and by the commission of other frauds an
outrages-the Republican majorities, and i
some cases the entire Republican vote of th
South, have been wiped out, and the Souther
States stand in the Electoral College and
Congress ssoldly'' Democratic.
Thus it is that, claiming for the 'ssoli
South 1873 of the 1S5 electoral votes necessa1
to elect President, and holding large nj