National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1881-02-05
A VOICE FROM GEORGIA.
Democracy Waning ia that State-Youns
Men 10 tRae Front.

To the Editor Of The Republican:
In view of recent utterances, as pub
lshed, of some of the leading representative men OF
the State of Georgia. crave of you sufficient space
| in your journal for the following:
As to the two leading political parties of the
country and their exact standing and their future
in Georgia, shall more particularly address
myself especially, for the reason that the
political complexion of the South, and of Geor-
gia particularly has been called into question /
viii not, however, make direct issue with any par
tieular person who has been interviewed" or
who has made "a speech" of any character in ref
erence thereto.
When the late unholy civil war ceased hun
dreds of gentlemen from States in the North were
| in the States of the South, and others followe
Many, nay. nearly ell of them, were appointed 10
positions under the Federal Government. Many
of those so appointed to office made themselves
| agreeable TO the people of the section in which
| they were locateds and were retained in Office
| by the tacit consent of the people. For" said
they, FIVE are to have Radical tmeaning Re-
| publcan) we would just as soon have him as any
man. On the other hand. there were those among
| the number who vanquished the South without
having been in the army who took not unto
themselves permanent homes among the people
down there, nor did they ever give any other evil
dence but that just as soon they were out of
Office in the South they would leave that particu-
lar section and seek fields for the investment
| of whatever money they may have attained. The
latter class were of such a number that they be-
came clannish, and as result the better class of
old citizens became wary of them, and hence no
socialism sprang up. In other words Just in the
same way that the price of article is regulated
by the supply and demand was the impression i'm
perceptibly produced upon the minds of old citi-
zens that such and such persons were ''carpetbag-
gers" meaning by the expression that he was
a, man coming from another State for the
sole purpose of holding State or Federal
Office, and did not intend to remain a citizen any
longer than he was in official position at good sal
airy. man who took up his home in Georgia
in good faith, let him have come from Maine or
any other State, was not characterized carpet
bagger-he was welcomed: The people were not
entirely satisfied pleased with the condition of
affairs wherein all the important and nearly all
the minor Federal offices in the State were filled by
men who had recently come TO Georgia, many of
whom had no intention of remaining permanently
there or anywhere else in the South. Some of
these men have even said: do you suppose |
would live down South here always?" Without
lntlmatlng that they might live as long there as
they would anywhere, it was refreshing to hear
some of them say that they did not intend to live
there always. Now this was the only hope the
some of these cankers. They could foresee no way
clear out of the dilemma but by electing a Demo-
cratic President; hence they were all Democratic.
But now things are changed Slowly, but surely,
revolution III political sentiment has been going
on among the people, particularly in Georgia, for
Of that State know more than do of any other.
Even since the last presidential election l have
heard expressions from many men, prominent
men, heretofore enthusiastically Democratic, to
the eHecL Iley WlSneQ Incy naQ voted Tor Gar
field" They express themselves thus to me be-
cause they heard it whispered about that voted
for Garfield. From these and other circumstances
reach the conclusion, which will inevitably come
true, that the Democrats are waning in Georgia,
and that If good appointments TO Federal Offices
are made in that State, that il will become res
pectable for good people TO be Republicans, that
party will that surely gain the ascendancy and
it will be only few years until the Republicans
viii carry the State But they say the Republicans
now in office there do not want this condition of
affairs brought about, because they would then
lose their power in the party and their places in
office. This can hardly be entirely true. 1t does
mated, there is great political change going on in
Georgia, and the young men-thoSe who have be-
come of age since the termination of the WARFARE
taking bold and active part in politics, and 60
ing TO control the State. The movement had its
beginning among some young men of Atlanta
ture about three years ago, and from a small
beginning has grown now into proportions
sufficient to have all influence necessary.
No man can get elected in Georgia now when the
young men are opposed 10 his election. The
young men elected Ben Hill Senator The young
men aided COlquitt for Governor, and it was the
young men who carried Governor Brown into the
Senate. The young men have taken hold and are
going to compose the new party of the future so
far State politics are concerned; that is, they
are very tired of the old, played-Out Democratic
party, party that cannot, or does not, do good
be independent If there is no other party for them
! to belong to- The young men already have one
immediate representative in Congress-Mr. Speer-
and they can put others there.
In conclusion, l may say that the people of
| Georgia, with fair showing and fair recogni-
the Union. Others may say not, but time will tell.
NJ. E THORNTON.