The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1880-08-28
THE SOUTHERN PROBLEM.

&c, and We must elect Garfield
This is begging the question.
However, let US grant for the time BEN!
that their stories are true. In what way doe
the success of the republican national tickle
this fall point out remedy for the trouble
For with such an existing state of affairs IL
the southern states us is claimed remedy fol
the evil is of prime necessity
Since the war; the republican party has hac
entire control of the executive and until 1877.
had an equally complete control of the legisla
tive department of the government
In all that time did the republican party
ever show any capacity for governing the
south? The theory that the negro should have
the ballot as a means of selfdefense was, per
haps, good one; but having given him the
ballot, the party left him there to guide him
self No effort was made to educate him IL
political duties; no remedy was offered to OIL
set the strain to selEgovernmcnt imposed by
giving the millions of ignorant blacks the con
troll of the governmental machinery. And
within three years after negro suffrage had
|
but of attacking civilization itself Take the
case of South Carolina, fair specimen Of Il
southern state under republican rule. The
convention of 1868 which drew up the con
sltution OF South Carolina, was composed OF
seventy-two negroes and tortynne white men
and Of the seventytwo negroes only thirteen
| paid taxes; and yet the convention directed a
tax levy of S2,230,9 $50, amounting to rate OF
six per cent. The character Of the convention
gave fair warning as to the character of the
government which would be organized under
| it, In the Legislature of 1869 there were twelve
black and twenty white senators; eight Of the
twelve blacks paid no taxes. In the house
there were eghty-six black and thirty
white members, and sixtyeight of the blacks
paid no taxes. Afterwards, things got worse
and worse as the carpet baggers learned their
trade more thoroughly, and the negroes, under
their guidance, became more conscious of their
power. In 1870 the tax levy was 1886, 04,,
or more than the whole amount levied on dOu-
bic the valuation for the five years before the
war. In 1860 South Carolina, in the height of
her prosperity, paid for Offices and salaries
$l53S00 IN 1871, in the depths Of rum, she
paid for these same objects 1851 $50. In two
years, 1901, $l,20S5,7 were paId out, for
which no vouchers were ever found At the
head of tins government was Chamberlain,
robbers, and afterwards protected them IN the
law courts.
The troubles of Sonth Carolina we're repeat
ed in every other southern state.
These facts were well known to republicans
The executive knew of the deep disgrace and
the party knew of 1t, for the president supported
the thieves with |. 5. troops while the party
appauded his action; and when at last Hayes
drew Off his dogs universal curse from his
party was his reward,
There is little use in reminding the people
of these things Republican government il
the south Is the scandal Of the generation, ant
is the more outrageous because 1t was dehber
ately and maliciously protected by the repub
lican party with malice atorethought.
But let the past GO DO the republicans pro
pose any remedy now? in 1876 their com
plants were the same as now-excusively
lstorics of outrages. They had not one wore
to say for their own legis ation or administra
ton, although they had been IN possession o
the government in several states They con
fined themselves to showing that great many
murders had been committed under their owl
rule in defiance Of their own courts, police an(
militia, and argued thcretrom that ergo the,
must be continued in power The same rca
sOning they use today, word for word, suggest
ing nothing to cure the evil offering nothing
except scolding of the southern people w
may believe that all the stories of outrages al,
true. Yet the question becomes, what Is tn,
remedy? VIII Garfield put stop to it?
, The republicans never have helped matter
, never showed the iaintest inkling Of under
standing the southern question rs their Owl
showing states it. Gen. Garfield IN congress
has invariably concurred in, supported an,
: taken part in all the extreme measures agains
the south, and at the Fifth Avenue conference,
acquisesced in the plan of 8" solid south
campaign although four years ago in a spasn
: of virtue he denounced that cry as vicious AM
u contrary to the best interests of the country
: The party has never risen to that point G
craftsmanship where ii recognized that ther
> is white question in the south, nor has Ca
Z field, for he has never been known to do othel
. wise than follow his party and subordInat
> what original ideas he may have had to tn
/ party's ipSe dirh Yet the white people al
> IN a majority in the south and It's future pro-
perity depends more on their state of MN
@ .han 1t does on that of the blacks Republ
# cans never send speakers TO the south to Oh
"A cuss economic or political questions; ncvC
!, suggest anything calculated 10 win the poop