Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1881-05-04
CLEARFIELD, Pa, WEDNESDAY, MAY A. 1881.

among Senators from no other section
! of the country.
= There IS one point, and one only,
. upon which they are solid, on which
they will remain solid, and neither
{ Federal bayonets nor Federal honors
will dissolve that solidity. They are
in defense Of and for the protection of
! their own civilization, their rown society,
, their own religion against the rule OF
incompetent, the servile, the ignorant
, and the vicious.
, | will now submit proposition to
, the Senators on the other side of the
, chamber. am not going into the
, history of the causes which led to
J solid South, but here challenge any
Senator upon that side, with two ex.
, ceptions that | will not name, to write
fairly in his own language the cond.
tion of Southern people in any State
while under carpct-bag government
the character OF its officials the ma.
its administration and the opera.
tion of its laws | sayl will consent
for any Senator upon that side of the
House, with but two exceptions, (who,
out Of respect to them, | will not name, J
to write the history of the Republican
government in the South, its nature,
its character, its influence upon the
happiness and prosperity Of that peo.
pie. | will agree to accept bis descrip.
tion of it in his own language and
then | will submit the question to any
tribunal in the world ,toany community
in the world, as to whether there is |
anywhere on earth people who ought |
not to summon every energy, every |
man, every woman, every child inter-
ested in the priceless and precious
heritage of humanity, to throwoff that |
government and to be united aid solid |
to prevent its re.estabIishment
said that | would allow Senator's
or any other Northern man to write
the history Of one of those govern.
ments, giving the condition. of it, and
would leave him TO decide whether 1t
would not justify the consolidation of
all the social elements to get rid Of it.
| will go further, sir, and take il as
they have already written it, Heeis
what one OF them said while these
governments were reveing in corrHp-
tion and making the people of the
South walk with unsandaled feet over
the burning mari of the he'll which
they had organized
For the last few years the infamy and disgrace
Of certain Southern State governments have been
constantly on the increase. There have been cor
rupt Legislators and corrupt legislation. There
have been double Legislatures, double Governors,
double Representatives in this House, and double
Senator'S year by year 10 many States. There
have been bad men In these States, who have
bought power by wholesale bribery and have en-.
riehed themselves at the expense Of the people by
speculation or open handed robbery. CORRUPTION
and anarchy have occupied and possessed the
un!Ortun ate States.
This opinion OF tho honorable Sena.
tor from Maine MIR. Hale, who was
then a member of the other House,
which does honor to his head, as well
as to his heart, is the opinion Of "the
solid South )" and il he were there in
stead Of here he would be q part of
that "sold South" arrayed under the
determination that anarchy and corrup-
ton shall mover again occupy and rob
those "unfortunate States"
| find that some extracts from other
Senators upon the opposite side that |
had collected have in some way been
disturbed and mislaid shall ask per.
mission to incorporate them in my
remarks unless | can get them here
before conclude what | have to say
upon the subject.
Among these is the description of
the government of Louisiana under
Republican rule by the present Gov.
ernor Of Ohio, Hon. Charles Foster,
and also gentleman from New Jersey, :
who has recently been nominated by
the President for distinguished For
elgn Mission and who by bis high and
shining qualities will adorn any posi-.
ton to which this Government can as.
sign him. They both describe that
government in language stronger and
moro earnest than that which have /,
just quoted.
General Grant also, in one of his
messages depicting the PROSTATE con.
dition OF the Southern people, said he
sympathizcd with them in their pros.
trate condition, subject as they had
been TO burdens OF taxation without
any adequate return.
You sent your committees of investl.
CATION down there, and while they |.
would hunt up everything that could
assail the character and stab the sensi. :
bilities of the Southern people and pour
it out here, they could not help stun.
bling over the corruption, and the
atrocity, and the abhorrent Inlamies Of
the State governments which they
were upholdng recollect that there !
was Senator from Indiana, now dead,
who was upon one Of these committees.
His heart was full Of prejudice against
our people, but even he could not be
blinded to the cruel oppression under ,
which the people were writhing in :
agony. Referring to the condition OF /,
the people under those governments,
referring to the superintendent weight
of crushing and devouring taxation, y
he says
This Is true Of these States. have no doubt r
bad the ku Kux outrages bl3n iirsiel at
hese faithless public servants, tho world would I
have been we'll rid Of them and nobody COM Y
planned.
Mr.. Cockrell-Who was he ? =
Mr. Lamar-Mr. Pratt of Indiana. h
Those State governments have gone :,
and heinnuences have gone with them. :,
The people Of those States have recov. :,
,red their right OF solfgovernment. | +
need not speak OF the prosperity OF
hat people, black and white, under 4
heir present governments. The cen. !,
Ius returns have given result which ii
las astonished the world, and which II
8 wholly incompatible with the theory y
II down.trodden and oppressed peo.
,le which the Senator from Massachu.
etts represented the colored people of = !,
he South to be. Twill say one thing, ="
md that is, that il you wero to com. .,
,aro tho condition Of the State of y
or Alabama, or Georgia, or "
or any other Southern State, f.
n 1880, with the statistics and history :,
If its condition as prepared in 1870,
'ou will bo forced TO admit there is
rot Nation on the face of the earth
which in any periods of its history u
Exhibits such a contrast in all that u
Constitutes strength Of people and u
heir prosperity. u