Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-07-23
NATIONAL ISSUES.

politics which are alone important 1t is
to be hoped that this danger will oe
avoided in the present contest, for as
suredly there are enough profound and
weighty considerations involved to engage
the most serious thought OF the people.
The known personal character of both the
candidates is such as to render detractien
a mere exhibition OF malevolence and base
ness. The questions upon which voters
decide to act should be those which con-
Germ the future of the Republic. In this
campaign the Democratic party stands for
ward as the representative and champion
of the doctrine of State rights. 1t has
been often declared that this doctrine was
obsolete, but so far is this from being the
case that if the next Administration Is
Democratic the country must pre-
pare for the rehabilitation of the theory,
with all that such rehabilitation
| implies and involves. 1t would be folly to
suppose that the Southern States, after
having already succeeded in turning negro
emancipation to their own advantage and
to the injury of their opponents, after hav-
ing secured the political solidarity of their
section by systematic suppression OF the
suffrage, would be willing to call a halt.
The Southern leaders believe that "much
% has been done, but more remains to do"
They look forward from the vantage ground
which Kukluxism has gained them, to
the full restoration of the power they held
before the rebellion. They fix their gaze
upon point in the near future when they
expect to be able to undo all the legisla-
ton growing out of the rebellion, when
they expect to be able to abrogate
all the constitutional amendments, when
they expect to be able to enforce the
payment of the Confederate debt and the
claims OF the rebel property owners, and
when they will have won more by com.
bined fraud and force than ever they lost on
the battlefield Nor need the declaration
that they contemplate the abrogation of
the constitutional amendments be regarded
as extravagant or visionary. In a recent
speech at indianapolis, Mr.. Porter, the
Republican candidate for Governor of To-
diana, pointed out the successive meas
ures constituting the Democratic pro-
gramme, and from this outline it may be
gathered that the policy of the party is
sufficiently comprehensive. The pro-
gramme involves these changes. a. The
division of Texas into four States, accord
ing to the Act of annexation, thus securing
eight in place of two Southern Senator's
o. The admission of Utah and New
Mexico to secure four more Sem
ators. 81 The organization of the
State of Oklahoma to secure two
more. This would give the solid South
A Senators, or exactly half the body. a.
The abolition of all the reconstruction
measures. o. The abrogation of all the
constitutional amendments. Co. The re-
construction of the United States Supreme
Court On this point Mr.. Porter said
It would be easy enough for a Court
composed of men believing in the South
81 ern theory of Stateism to hold that all
90 these amendments are void for viola
"t ton of the federal compact We
know, from experience in our own State,
" how easily constitutional amendments
may be overthrown to meet even the
SMALLEST exigencies of party. Now see
chow easily these amendments may be
overthrown to meet the over
wheIming demands of a section. The
"way is already prepared. a bill is now
pending, introduced by Manning of Ala
bama, to increase the Judges of the Su-
''preme Court to twenty-one. Let that
g bill pass, and the South viii demand
"that at least three-fourths of the increase
90 shall be appointed from the South. The
Cabinet, three-fourths Southern, viii
q know how to select msn whose senti-
'sments are known beforehand ON ques.
- tions so vital. Upon an agreed case like
"a that in our own State, the amendments
"may be declared. in the language of the
Democratic platform, unconstitutional,
revolutionary and void Judges
''who should thus decide would win
"honor in the South. Their mem.
tories would be eanonized by the
Southern people, for they would have
"opened the hospitable door through
(which the whole flood of claims they be.
'lieve just can be allowed" We here
have the outlines of scheme which is
perfectly feasible in the event of Demo.
cratic success. and against the probability
of which nothing can be urged but the
suggestion that the Democrats might
shrink from proceeding to such ex-
tremes. That suggestion, however, has
no force. The South has not shrunk
from putting its very existence in jeopardy.
| 1t has faced the North in the field,
and it is mere nonsense to assume
that it viii be less resolute, persistent and
aggressive when the danger has dimin-
ished at the same time that the value OF
the prize has increased. The proposed re-
construction of the Supreme Court is in.
deed the key to the whole situation. That
gained, everything would be gained. And
if the Democrats are ever In position
to increase tie Southern vote in the Sen.
ate, as above indicated, by making new
States, it is clear that all the rest would
follow naturally and almost inevitably.
1t has been said by superficial or insin-
cere writers that there is no longer
an appreciate difference between the Re-
publican and Democratic parties. The
Democratic doctrine of State rights, with
all that it involves, constitutes difference
as broad and deep as exists between oppo.
site elements anywhere in nature. The
Democracy is the Southern contest for
supremacy, and that contest brings in issue
every measure and every principle for the
maintenance OF which the North poured
out its blood and treasure like water.
The GaEENBAcKERs.