The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1881-08-23
srALwaRrIsn souCH.
Interview with an Original Alabama
Republican en- the rarty's Pros
peets

Ut. John h. Henny, OF selma, hlaoama,
who, during the past few Days has been tar
ryipg at the fremont house, is the man who
wrote the frat republican resolutions thai
we're ever published in the state, and also
made the first republican speech ever made
in Alabama. In order to discover, through
him, the present condition of rOpublcsnsim
in the south, reporter of the Inter.Ocesn
interviewed him last evening, as follows:
Doctor, what ia the present condition OF
republicanism in the south
Let me say, frsi, that | was born and
raised there, and am 81 years old now. l
was q large Shareholder, but l rejoiced at
the emancipation. l would not have slavery
back under any consideration. Its removal
has lifted a heavy burden off the
southern people, and there Is no
southern man--I don't believe there is one in
l0,000-that would, If he could. reinstate
slavery. | have myself been republican
since Juue 1866, and was the mayor OF
Ssla.a at tha time of the surrender of the
city TO General Wilson. /. was place
no:sd tor its confederate machine shops, iron
works and gun shops, etc. b It 10 answer
your QUESTION % to the present condition oi
repuolicanism In the south. Well, sir, rs.
publicanism ia dead in the sOuLh us lar us TIE
republican party Is concerned, aud for this
reAsoi: The msltrlal for republicsnism i:
plentiful there, but there Is no plsn OF mean;
existing for
GETTING AN EXACT COUNT
of it or finding out the fruit Of their vote
aud they vote that 49, tho co!orsd people, oil
republican too. The colorsd people arc all
republicans in spite of all that democracy
says to the contrary.
What is the resson, If thers 10 plenty Of
republican material in the south, that the
republican party is not promptly rssur.
rectedi
II is owing, in Che first place, to the os-
tracism ofsll white republicans, yes, and
even of independents; snd, in the second
place, to the negro not having his vote
counted as he gives it in. The democrats, OF
bourbons are bitterly opposed to the repub,
llcan party, and there can never be repubr
licsn party built up in the south among tine
whites.
Not even in the large cities!
No, sir, not even in the cities You can
not build up even an independent party
there. People are opposed to everything ia
politics excepting democracy. There may
be a better chance 10 large cities. There is
no republicanism in the small towns of Ala
bama now. Ia large cities there 10 not so
much ostracism or bitterness between demo-
Gratis and republicans as there hro 10 the
smaller towns and in the country
Do you think this state of affairs is bound
TO continue in the future?
There is no help for it. iu my opinion, for
| see
NO CHANCE OF EMIGRANTs
coming to the country; not on account
the fear of ostracism, but on account Of the
unhealthlness OF the climate, in the swampy
lads, which are the rich lands Of the south.
where malaria prevails, the ugh 10 the center
of Alabama, 10 Perry and MsreDgo and Dial.
las counties, for instance, where there are as
rich lands Nc any in tho United S.a,os, oni-
grants might settle and yet enjoy good
show for health, and raise barley, wheat,
oats, rye, tsc.; and as people We would be-
glad.to welcome them, and if they come in
large numbers they could enjoy their politics
without fear. SOutherners have less respect
for southern-born republican man than for
foreigner VINO Is republican. They can
republican or should be any thing but DEM
ocrat. We would DO glad especially to have
Italians. Spaniards and Germans and Irish
men. Our climate would be best adapted to
Italians and ,Spsniards on account of lis
warmness and it is to Isly, Spain, Portugal
and southern France that we 10 k chiefly tur
emigran,s. That class Of emlgrants could
live .nd prospsr in The south We would
be gls. to have tbe,, come and aetle in col
onies.
D. you consider that what you say in re-
gard t. Ia republican party being dead in
the south holds true of Ill the south, or are
there exception.
Yes, sir, think /. is
DEAD ALL OVER THE SOUTH.
There is no exception, I,think. The only
republicans are negroes, aud owing 10 their
having no white leaders, they have no
chsnce of forming party aud making
success of it.
What is the feeling now of the south to-
ward the norths
There is no hostility nowsegsinst the north.
| believe every one is heartily sick of any
sentiment Of disuuion, and gladly welcome
the improvement that comes from the intro,
duction of railroads. 1t is the desire of the
south to create sentiment OF good feeling
with the north; but the north can nepe. sx-
pect the southerI people % ts republicans.
They would, howevot, gladly see both
parIies-Gepablicsn ana democratic dead,
and 0 nsw party formed that would be
national il ia action; that ia. two new parties,
but they can never become republican.
There are thousands and THOUSANDS Of peo-
pie in the south sick of the democratic party,
but who would gladly welcoms new party,
and TO
FORM SUCH A NEW FAIRLY
is the only way of ever getting the eouth cut
of the power Of the democratic party. II
10 the sentiment of The war that keeps up this
feeling against The republican party, and then
again, negroes being all republicans, they do
not want to run the rick of being governed
by the negro element OF the touth; and in
fact they would not submit to Il, and the
northern people cannot expect them 10 DO il.
THO south hss now no bitter teeling against
tic north, but il republicaoism ID too south
means negro supremacy, the southern people
will never accept republcauism. my
opinion there are good many districts in
the south that Justly belong 10 tho repubi-
Gao party and my firm belief Is that Missis-
sippi and South Carolina are overwhelmingly
republican, and nothing prevents them
from being republican bu. not having fair
count. Those ststes are republican because
they bsve got the black element there.
How true ia tho charge made that white
republicans in the south are not hones,f