West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1880-09-11


can party expects To gain by making the
sectional question leading issue IN llis
campaign. To all intcnts and purposes
That ISSUE was permanently settled three
years ago when Mr. Hayes, at the bidding
OF public opinion at the North, extended
The olive branch 10 the Southern Statce.
What has happened since then 10 Justify
a reopening Of the controversy Has the
South committed any graYc political crime
Tor which she muet bo punished Are
the lives and property of colorcd people
and of Southern Republicans less secure
now than they woro before the Cnrput-
blg system was finally oycrthrown
Hardly the most bigotcd stalwart viii ut
On the contrary, II is pn.cnt TO all, even
the uo6t skCptical, that in every Southern
State there hoo been n decided and Wide
spread Improvement since the Democracy
was restored TO power. Tho value OF
property has risen, the enforcement OF law
aud order has become more effective and
the Improvement in tho condition of all
classes of the people is too marked to
escape universal recognition. Northern
immigration is flowing in rapidly capital,
which ia proYerbally timid, finds noiL-
ing 10 frightcn il away from any part OF
the South but, ON the contrary, much TO
attract II, and the colOrcd people are max
ing senBib q progress In education, IN NOR
ality and in material prosperity. Whnt
moro could be desired What 10 IL that
Republicans demand OF the South ?
Simply that the colorcd vote shall be
hcrded for the Republican party. That
is all. But this has already been permit
ted 10y the country once, and with what
resultf ? IL Ia not necessary for ug To
review the record of the crrpct bag GOV
crhmcnte. The facts are sjll fresh In .he
memory of every intelligent citizen, North
aud South. BY aa overwhelming cxpres-
sion Of its Indignation the country forced
the Republican, abandon tha. policy.
Since then there has bocn nothing in the
conduct Of any Southern State 20 justify
for one moment the thought OF returning
TO H. Besides, even II the country could
be induced TO subordinate the interests of
the entire nation TO the supposed inter
ests OF the Southern negroes, what ev.-
dencc have we that the Republican party
could effect the desired result? II hoc
already had fair trial and has failed.
From the close Of the war up TO the final
overthrow Of the carpet bag regime IL
was IN full possession of all the means
and appliances for fully testing ifs patent
system for the fmprovemenp and pro
lection Of the colofed race. What did 10
acCOmphsn2 The record shows that the
proportion Of alleged oulrages, murders,
etc, for political pprposcg 10 tho South
was far greater during Radical rule than
II has been at any time since. Hundreds
Of Southern men were dragged before
partisan courts on the charge OF being
members OF the famoug Kuklux and
White League organizations many were
convicted and sentenced TO the pcnitcn
tiary, and yet, If we are 10 believe the
ttalWarl orators, murder under the cnrpcf-
bag regime continued 20 be popular
pas,mc at the South Nowadays, even
in the heat Of partisan campaign, it ia
the rarest thing 10 hear a rumor even OF
political assassinaii1n I'm any portion OF
the South The fact ia, the South is now
as peaceful and orderly a7 any other acc
ton Of the country, and lts rapidly ir
crcasing prosperity is the moat effective