New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-12-11
AT THE NATIONAL CAPITAL
LIBERALISM IN GEORGIA.

THE PROSPECT BRIGHT FOR THR DIsINTEGRATToS
OF THE OLD PARTIEs-A TALK WITH REPREsENp
ATIvE sPEER.
BY TELEGRAPH TO THE rRIBUSE.i
WASHINGTON, Dec. TO-" shall never go into
Democratic caucus" said Representative Emory
Speer, of Georgia, tonight. Last session ol
the leading Democrats in the Georgia delegation
accused me of being recreant to my party fealty;
that will never be said again. because shall nevcl
be bound by party fealty. 1 think know enough
about myself, my district and my country to act
intelligently every question that comes before
me. don't think need the instructions of o eau
GUS Again and again have differed with the Dem
ocratc caucus and acted my honest difference.
My constituents have approved that which my con.
science dictated, and by their votes have said thai
as their representative was right and the Demo
cratic caucus wrong. majority of 20 in 1878
became a majority OF 900 in 1880 in the strong
est Democratic district in the State district which
gave Hancock 10000 majority. What better i'm
dorsement could | desire II proved me right and
the Democratic caucus wrong, and encouraged me
to be more independent than ever before"
Is the Independent movement in Georgia or
ganized movement as yetp
1t is not now but it may be in the near future.
So far the movement against the ultra partisans Of
the Democratic party in Georgia has been in the
ndIuTe Oh BueIllld WarIdrc Inc young iien ol tne
State and some of the old men grew weary
of the methods of the managers OF the
Democratic party. They were tired fof
thing of being kept down. They thought the
old political issues were dead and ought 10 be
buried. They wanted chance to march forward
in accord with the new order Of things, industrial
and social in the South. They exerted their strength
Heretofore comparatively unknown, and soon made
it recognized factor in State politics. They sent
Stephens and FELTON, and such men to Congress-
Each man, however, ran in his own way, and all
without organizations Stephens old and tried, and
sure of his hold on the people, announced himself
candidate for Congress, swapping his finger at the
party bosses. Having been defed by him, they
promptly nominated him for the Office
to which he aspired. Thereupon he generous
ly accepted, not the nomination but what he
termed the Endorsement of the men he had been
denouncing as thimbleriggers' and caucus
packers OF course, being young man had to
fight without regard to the commendation or the
condemnation of the Democratic party Convention
In 1877 its nominee beat me. In 1878 beat him,
and in 1880 buried him under majority of 1000
votes"
when is your next eectionT
"Next year. when we elect full State ticket, be-
sides congressman. Whether there will be an or
90 1ized Independent movement in Georgia by that
tine with a State ticket in the field, not, do
not know now. think it will come about"
"0f course Mr. Speer. such organized Inde-
pendent movement against the Bourbons must, to
be successful include he Republicans of GeorgiaP
Eyes; and that is just where the difficulty lies.
The chief obstacle in the way Of the formation OF an
Independent party, which shall win on platform
embodying the liberal principles Of the Georgiam
of Today is the mass of ofice-holding Republicans
There are $4,000 Republican voters III Georgia: In
coalition with them we could carry the state
against the Bourbons They never viii succeed
more than carry two or three Congressional dis
tricts without them; and yet their leaders ayerso
to sharing the State patronage with any allies keep
I'D the party organization and discourage coaii-'
ton tits tie Virginia situation prior to coalition
over again without the debt issue. Here
are the Independents fighting to break up
the old moss-grown Bourbon party with its obieS
tiOnab methods and here and there are Republicans
perpetuating its m SCRABBLE existence lest il having
been killed by coalition, they might, in the dis
srbuton of patronage, be reiegated to their proper
pace--the background Liberal principles will win
ia Georgia some day; but it will not be througha q
victory of the Republican party. That party in
Georgia IS a sectional party distinctively The old
war issues buried we think by com,non consent,
are its only issues. 1t will ALWAYS be as inert as
they until 1t meTges into the Liberal party OF the
fu nre, leaving the war issues IN their graves
The two parties will then divide on the hVine
economic and industrial issues Of to-day"
Then Mr. Speer, the political future OF Georgia
seems to depend upon coalition, similar, to that
which carried Virginia at the last electlOnF
Yes and am hopeful that II will come, because
of tfis hope | consider the political outlook az
bright as shat OF ter industries. The time WIN
come when the Oil parties in Georgia w nlsnteg.
rate; when the Solid North and the Solid sodsh
will have disappeared, and when men will be di-
vided by honest differences as to tie best methods
of advancing the material welfare OF that ana
every other Southern Statep
Mr. Speer is already talked of by Democrats as
the best man 10 receive nomination from tho Lib.
erals of Georgia should an organization DC enecteo
in the race for GOvernOrship next fall.
THE AGRICULTURAL REPORT.