National Republican., 1880-08-24
CoMPATIsoSs ARE opIoUs.


|
COMPARISONS ARE ODIOUS.
The New York Jowndlof Commerce is dis
gusted with the conduct of Mr.. MCPHER.
son in drawing a report from the bureau of
statistics which markedly contrasts the
wealth, energy and progress of the north
and west with the poverty, supineness and
torpor of the south. The democratic editor
is eloquent in denouncing such comparisons
as odious because made to subscrve par
tisan purpose. We quote:
The point of the documeut--that for which
the unnecessary questions were asked aud
auswered-is to show that the south, being so
much poorer than the north, ought to take q
much humber part in national affairs. Un-
der form Of government like ours nothing
could be sllier than this reasoning. Men, not
money bags (ought to) make our laws
mans fitness to go to congress or he president
of the United States should be gauged by his
brains aud morals not by his bank account.
What has the present condition Of her com.
merce, or finances, or mines, or manufactures
to do with the capacity of the south to supply
men qualified to take intelligent part in pub.
lie affairs and legslate judiciously on ques.
-'-''"' concern? Nothing what
mons OF hae'V... -" s'are assump'
ever. To assert the contrary lsan.---
tion.
What difference it makes whose OK is
gored! The revolutionary overthrow of
republican governments in the south, the
reign of force and fraud by which the gov
enments now controlling that section are
sustained the utter suppression of the ma
iority by the minority are defended by
northern conservatives and southern revo-
lutionists upon the broad ground that
property and intelligence should rule
especially property. This very south which
is now deprecating comparisons clung to
property qualifications for Office until the
war freed the poor white man as well rs
the black slave. Since the war, since re-.
construction for the first time in the south
| sought TO create democratic form of
government by extending suffrage to all
the governed, the changes have been rung
by all the organs of property, both south
and north, against the system which Iecog-
nizes men, not money bags as the makers
of laws. From them we have heard the
phrases "contiscation by taxation" "law-
makers without stake in the country
taxes voted by those who pay none," "the
wealth of the state not represented" and
a thousand other forms of expression of the
idea that poor man should not be per.
mitted TO make laws for the rich. A South
Carolina paper, which copies with favorable
comments the above paragraph from the
Journal Of Commerce, has itself been fore
most in far more odious comparisons APP
piled to republican members of the legisla'
ture and republican county and state Off
cals. The very term carpet bagger" wa:
invented to mark with odium the poor man
honor and profit in the southern states
with those who long ruled because of theil
material possessions. The carpet bagge
was often if not generally the equal of tn,
best in the states in all respects except tina
of wealth, and yet his desire to become
law-maker or an executive officer was re
garded as presumptious because he coulc
> point to no ancestral hall or broad acres b,
which to indicate that he was born to rule
Those who have used such arguments I
obtain and hold power, in spite of thei
being in the minority, are now annoye
because Mr. MCPHERSON and the republi
! can committee are using arguments some
what similar to show, not that the soutl
> should be deprived of any constitutions
share in the control of the government, bu
. to warn the people of the north that sec
r tion possessing but small proportion Q
, the wealth of the country is reaching ou
, to obtain an undue power over the taxin
a and appropriating powers of the govern
= ment. The southern democratic newspa
= pers are the last ones that should complai
of odious comparisons of this kind.