The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1881-05-06
Senator T. F. Bayard and his
views on Politics.
What he thinks of the Ma
hone Bargain.
Benefits to be derived by the Demo.
cratic Party.

pressed his opinion on Mahoneism and the
south. 'What do you think of the issues
of the present session of the senate as af-
fecting the south and the welfare of the
Democratic party?' was asked 1T has
already proven that they have greatly ben
Gifted the Democratic party throughout the
whole country and tended to place it in an
attitude better calculated to secure success,
by gaining public confidence and respect,
than anything that has happened for long
time. That which was intended for de
struction has really proved to be healthy
medicine 1t has purged the Democratic
party in Virginia and other states, and log
ically led the conservative democracy of
the entire country into a position entirely
| cOnsonant to their former traditions and to
their manifest interests. The entering
wedge, of 'Mahoneism' which was eX-
pected to split the Democratic or
ganization in Virginia, will only
have the effect of harmonizing
local discontents and combining the better
elements of society in that state and in the
other southern states in favor of a strict
and honorable performance of all public
obligations The action of Tennessee in
| funding her full debt without scaling a
dollar, and st rates of interest acceptable
to her creditors is the best answer that the
southern states and people can make to
the Republican managers who charge them
with dishonesty and yet seek to disinteg-
rate them by prostituting public offices in
aid of state reputation. The rapid appre-
citation of the state credit in the money
market viii be followed by an enhance
ment in the value of property all over that
state, and will invigorate private enter
prises by creating confidence in the per
formance of all contracts.
THE REPUBLICAN MANAGERS
who have arranged at the dictation Of Mr..
Malone to bring forward Riddleberger as
Sergeant-at- Arms of the Senate have in
my judgment, greatly underrated the moral
sense of tha American people. In the in
veteracy of their prejudices against the
Southern people they have done them great
injustice in supposing that they were ready
to sell their birthrights for such re
markable poor mess of pottage. The
Southern people have traditions of honor
and honesty, and they love and ap-
preciate them both in public and private
as highly as any other portion
of their countrymen. Since the pas
sionate debate in the Senate commenced, in
which Mr. Sherman and others openly
avOwed the object of their arrangement
with Mr.. Malone, there has not been a
speech with the exception of Mr.. Ma
y
not Indignantly denounced the idea of any
enforced adjustment of their debts by the
southern states and people. With one
| voice the southern senators have denOunc-
ed any attempt to evade d just public obli-
CATION and avowed themselves and their
people to be in favor of just, lawful, and
voluntary settlements with their public
creditors. | am disposed to believe that
the attempt of Mr.. Malone and his new
nators and so far from being IAN entering
wedge" to split the Democratic party in
the southern states, will only consolidate
its efforts for success upon platform that
must commend itself to the confidence Of
the people Of the northern states and the
entire country.
WHAT THE sOURH NEEDS.
e'What the North and South needs just
now is that the real condition of societv
the feelings, necessities, and intentions of
the people, should be clearly perceived on
both sides, that misconceptions and sus-
piciOns should end and that misrepresenta-
tions mutually should be discouraged and
discredited. The identity and inevitable
unity of their interests is too plain to need
demonstration, and the wise and extensive
investment of Northern capital in trunk
lines of railway communication with the
Southern States which are binding the peO-
pie of Georgia with those of Kentucky and
Ohio Mobile and Pensacola with the peo-
pie of New York and Pennsylvania, of
Texas and Massachusetts, constitute strong
proofs of the confidence and amicable re-
lations which exist in the hearts of the
people, and seem to be so little understood
or desired by Republicans partisans. The
marvellous capacities of the Mississippi
transportation of the grain crops of the
great Northwestern States at such
nominal cost are proving more
and more the indivisibility and
necessity of our Union. Society contains
many forces, and clamor and acrid and ma
licious misrepresentation for party pur-
poses viii find themselves confronted and
overthrown by benefaction and human con
fidence, which, though less noisy, will
prove to be the ultimate conquerors. /
| think nine out of ten respectable men Of
the Republican party in the north would
readily admit the superiority in eloquenCe
and influence of the ten words and one line
! of Colonel Thomas A. Scott, as contained
| in his check for $4,000 to the Washington
and Lee University, to aid higher education
! in the south, over the vindictive and elab
crate assault so wantonly made by Mr..
Frye, of Maine, the other day, in the sen
ate I do not think l can be mistaken in
/
and to the whole country from this insult
ing and corrupt assault upon the voters of
Virginia by the Republican managers in
the senate. 1t has been universally re
sented by all good men of the
south everywhere, and do not
think its wholesome stimulus in
! bringing them more actively to
the support of public honor and fl
nancial wisdom is overrated by me. 1t
is the one object of my public life to see
this Union before / die Union of equal
and amicable States. l do not wish to see
the power of the South assume control of
the Union until it is upon principles thor
oughly consistent with the safety and vel
fare of the whole l shall never advise or
contribute to a recognition of sectional pow
er as a legitimate method for conducting
the government of this country, but long
to see the spirit of mutual confidence
spreading throughout the land, ignoring
the lines of States, and still more of section
al boundaries.
THE DEMOCRATIC SENATORS AND GARFIELD.
saIVith narties equally balanced, as they