The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1880-09-29
RADICAL POLITICS.
The Radical Side of the Presidential
Election, as set forth by Senator
Conklng.
SeetiOnalism Rampant.
a FURIOUS TRADE AGAINST THE SOUTH


Music was crowded to overlooking to night
on the occasion of the Republican mas
meeting. Shortly before ) O'Clock Senate
Coakling arrived, accompanied by Hon
Hamilton Fish, Hon. Lloyd AspinwaIi, JohI
Jay, Ex-Governor Dennison OF Ohio anC
lion. Levy Morton, and, as the party ad
yaHced upon the stage simultaneously
cheers arose from every part OF the house
and handkerchiets aud hats were thrown
/ ia the air. Excitement subsiding, Mr.. A.
pinwall advanced to the footights and said
he had been requested to open the meeting
by reading letter from Gen. Grant. (Pro
longed applause.) Hon. Hamilton Fish
| was elected Chairman and in brief speech
/ introduced Senator Conkling, VINO was
/ greeted with cheer upon cheer as he came
] forward.
The Democratic party is the Democratic
candidate, aud am against the ticket and
all IL works. The general issue confront
/ ing Us IS IN itself and its bearings sectional.
l would it were not so, but it is so. In
/ twelve States of the Union the approaching
/ election Is to be no more than d farce, unless
is has sometimes happened, it be turned
into tragedy. IN several Southern States
there are large Republican majorities, but
ali the Southern States alike, without ex-
ceptIon or doubt, are relied upon to count
on the Democratic side and to score 1873
electoral votes. There Is to be no free de-
bate, no equal rights, no true expression in
these States, and yet he who discusses these
questions must be told in the coarse parlance
of the day that he waves the bloody shirt.
The Senator denounced the proposed count
in some of the Southern States founded on
the last census, and then read Gen. Grants
recent letter, in which he says that the De-
mOcratic party, as now constituted and con-
trOlled. Is not fit party to trust with the
control OF the general government, and went
on TO say that the South controls the Demo
cratic party, and that IN Congress the South
ern members hold absolute sway. Should
any controversy arise over the Presidential
election, and the election be thrown into the
house, there the votes being taken by States,
the South would cast nearly all Democratic
votes, and in the Senate the vote for Vice
President would come from the same source.
In every event of Democratic success, the
Southern end of the Democratic party must
he 10 the Northern end as a locomotive is to
a tenders a horse Is to a cart. This is as
plain as any truth in gravitation or arith-
metic. The South has control of all the
working committees of the Senate. In every
committee there is a majority of Democrats
and of these majority in all cases consist of
Southern Senators. The same condition
prevails in the house, where there are forty
two committees, of which the Chairman of
TWENTY-FIVE are from the South. All the
committees are 50 constituted that the ma
jOrity is Democratic; and of the majority
more than half are Southern. During the
two wears in which this absolute power in
both houses has been so lodged the existence
of the veto power and approach of the Pre-
sidential canvass have suggested urgent rea-
sons for going slow; many expected bills
have not been introduced Many that have
been introduced have not been pressed
Some that have been pressed have ran
against such occasional opposition rs to
secure their present postponemeut or some
modification; but whenever the hour comes
to strike the veto power is in the Democrat
ic hands, put there by Southern votes
Whatever the solid caucus desires will be
written. That caucus will be controlled by
those who represent less than one-seventh
of the population and not more than one
fourteenth of the producing, commercial,
industrial, tax-paying, and property inter
ests of the country. The Senator read the
official figures Of the bureau of statistics to
prove this assertion, and said these facts are
not reported.
The next topic discussed was the trade of
the Mississippi river, and upon this point
Mr.. Conkling said: The river commerce Of
the Southern Mississippi is regarded as a
great topic OF Interest, a great safeguard
and an assurance against purposes of Sec
tionalism and large foundations for claims
set up for southern influence in national
affairs. The theory SO far is true. The tide OF
man in all ages has been lines of latitude
not longitude. Rivers and mountains on
the continent run north and south; men
bridge and tunnel them, and move east and
west. The construction of railway has
revolutiOnized traffic and transportation.
The companion and competitor to this
transcontinental movement is the lakes and
Erie canal. The commercial forces offs
great cities have grasped this vast carrying
trade, and propel and direct it. Boston,
Philadelphia and Baltimore at the east, and
st. Louis, Chicago and Cincinnati at the |
west command machinery and outlets, and
through which the surplus products of the |
United States reach the markets of the |
world; and through which the merchan-
disc of Europe is brought here and distri- |
buted Could science deepen the mouth of |
the Mississippi, the Great Eastern could |
load at the wharves of the Crescent City
the improvement could no more arrest or |
divert the movement of commerce east and |
west than it would control the tides of the !
sea or change the course of the stars. Sta |
tistcs were given locating the bulk and |
substance of the nation. The speaker said: |
| affirm that the broad issue at the election |
is whether our substantial fabric-commer-
cial industrial, and financial interests-shall |
be under the management and protection of |
those who are its chief creators and owners, |
or should it be handed over to the sway of |
those whose share in it is small, and whose |
experience, antecedents, theories and prac- |
tees are such that will not fit them or emit
tie them to assume its control.
Mr.. Conkling spoke of wiping out the |
Republican vote in the South by fraud |
cruelty, deviltry, force and tissue ballots, |
and repeats what he said in the Senate, that
the Democratic party would have to-day no
majority in either house of Congress except
for elections denominated and decided by
violence and fraud. In regard to a repudi- |
alton of the Southern debts, the Senator
said: IF their own State faith and credit is
not inviolate with the Southern leaders,
what in their hands would be the fate of
the obligations which were the means, the
cause, the memories of their defeat? But
we are told that Gen. Hancock would watch
them. An angel might watch a tiger;
child might attempt to divide beefsteak
with bloodhound a lamb might lie down
with lion, but the lamb would be inside.
Democratic ascendancy in all branches of
the government is deeper rooted than any
measure within the scope of popular ques-
tions. Statesmen abroad talk of the bal
ance of power, and changing the map of
Europe. These sayings mean not much
more than might easily occur here without
violating the constitution, or transcending
the usages of the republic. At least seven
new States could be brought in, and in cases
of some of them a very plausible cause
could be made The project would become
a high party measure. It's success would
assure a complete Democratic ascendancy in
the nation, for a generation, at least It |
would put the government not merely In |
the hands of the Democratic party, but of |
the Southern Democratic party.
The course of the Democracy regarding |
the Judiciary was freely criticised, and in |
his remarks upon the subject the speaker |
said: With the courts revolutionized to /
conform to the reactionary notions and |
dogmas, prejudices and interests. what may |
be the fate of the questions affecting COM
merce among the several States2 The |
hn.,I- .,,d lacral tar,dar