The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1881-12-10
Breaking Up.

When mass Of ice that has bound
up stream in letters begins to yield
under the pressure of freshet, there
comes first a loud report, great
crack or assure extending across the
crust then smaller assures seem to
dart toward it to meet it. and soon
fwhat was short while before solid
cake, becsmes a drift of broken and
melting fragments swept along on
the stream. 1.-The Solid South" a
crust of prejudice, mass of crystal
lied and petrified conservatism and
fogyism, that has for fifteen years
fettered the flow of progress and
prosperity in the South, appears to
be breaking mp in this way. The
defeat of Bourbonism in Virginia
was the first fissure in the crust of the
Solid South. 1t rang out with re-
port like a piece of artillery. 1t
showed that the strong currents that
had been moving beneath this leaden
and stolid repression were increasing
to torrents. and that the tide of social
and political prosperity could no
longer be stayed by caste. prejudice.
fossil traditions or wooden-headed
conservatism. The Bourbons lament
and wiring their hands and say that
Virginia is ruined. If this means
that Beurbonism is ruined, they are
not far wrong. But by and by it
will be perceived that Virginia is far
better off industrially, politically and
socially than ever before. A new
life is already evident there. But the
liberation of Virginia is only the be-
ginning of the break. In South Caro-
lima the same forces are at work with
increased power. The duel-fighting,
reckless, tissue paper ballot Bourbon
ism OF South Carolina has brought
that state to most unhappy condi-
ton. The frauds by which the cleo
tons have been carried for the Bour-
bons of that state have been open
and fragrant. They We're justified,
like duels, by public opinion. With
naughty frankness the Palmetto
statesmen admitted that to cheat the
negros at the ballot-box was better
and safer than to terrorize them or
drive them from the polls by such
events as took place at Hamburg and
elsewhere. This cheating of the ne
groes was at first only winked at.
The clean handed cavaliers would
not personally touch the defilement,
though they accepted the results.
The actual cheating was done by a
lower set of sharpers. But these
soon began to cheat on their own &C.
count, and are now pretty well in
control Of that state. and hold it with
a grip that nothing short of revolu-
ton will relax. But that revolution
is coming. The next election in
South Carolina will be a repetition of
that in Virginia. The tissue ballot
and the false count have had their
day. and like the shotgun and the
kuklux mask. must be laid aside.
The magnificent agricultural and in
dustrial progress of Georgia, as shown
in the Atlanta Exposition, is an evi
dence of the liberal spirit that must
soon throw off Bourbonism. So also
in Tennessee. In Maryland the re-
cent state elections revealed pro-
found dissatisfaction with Democratic
conservatism, especially when iron
bound by ring rule. It was not,
however, merely the disposition of
the Democracy to split into factions
that showed this. 1t was their readi-
ness to combine with the Republicans
to fight each other that was the most
significant fact. Though the Demo-
cratic leaders fought this with des-
perate energy and with partial sue.
cess, still their half victory was
almost a defeat. Some ofthe strongest
and most eloquent men in the DEM
ocratic party, especially in Howard
county, were ready to unite with the
Republicans to break the ring. The
elections terrified the Maryland
BourbOns. The Republicans carried
many of their fortresses, and Repuh-
lican strength is growing. while the
Democrats are wrangling in petty
factions and uniting their fortunes to
this leader or that without thought
of principle or policyin theirschemes.
II is within the possibilities that
MARYLAND may at the next election
be added to the Republican column,
and that an end may be made to
Maryland observation-disclosures
american.