Litchfield enquirer., 1881-03-10
The Inaugural and the South.

On our fourth page we quote an interest ing article from the North American Re- I view, written by the Chief Justice of Mis- sissippi, upon the subject of Reconstruc- tion through negro suffrage It shows strong feeling against the North for for cing such measure upon the South though 1t admits that not only is negro suffrage reversible, but that the negro vote must be freely cast and fairly counted. Judge Chalmers sees "that governments cannot live by means which revolutions justify, any more than health can be main- tained by the strong medicines sometimes
 necessary to preserve ife." President
 Garfield, in his inaugural address, thus
 expresses the same idea, "Bad local gov ernment, Is certainly a great evil which ought to be prevented but to violate the freedom and the sanctity of the suffrage is more than an evil-it is crime which l if persisted in will destroy the Govern ment Suicide is not remedy"
 Here then is substantial agreement in principle and yet there is serious diff ference when we come to the practical ap-
 plication of that principle. The South eFner sees in the restoration of negro dom- F ination not merely bad government but y anarchy, onfscation-destructio Yet h free and fair vote would restore negro domination in at least three Southern Nhot ic Ina ;1 b inclined to believe that Judge Chalmers < proposition, or something in that nature, is the only fair way out of the difficulty. Standards of education and property \ must be enacted which for time will disfranchise many, and to the attainment | of which, by the rising generation, the State and National governments must af- ford every possible facility and aid. In Il dtts to0rk the men of the North must atd and not O6struct.
 An educational qualification with per haps the payment of taxes, ought 10 be sufficient without the property qualifca- tion which might easily be made a per . petual bar. Then, too, the population !, thus disfranchised ought not to be count 2 ca IoWaroS representation.
 This is burning" question, and can hardly be allowed to rest as it is. The ! whites of the Southern states where they l are most numerous practically throw aside l all negro votes, and yet take advantage of them in Congressional representation. g We have no doubt that. the next House g will investigate the notorious frauds by which Southern Republicans are de- | prived of representation in Congress. On ! the other hand, we hope they will make no effort to restore any such local govern
 ments as disgraced Reconstruction.
 3 THE WESTMINSTER REVIEW, for January, contains: The Progress of Ship-building in England; Plato as 8 Reformer; The Early q History of Charles James Fox; The Irish [ Land Question; The Science of History Af. ghanistan; Bimetallsm and the Finances oi
 India; India and Our Colonial Empire; Con. ! temporary Literature :, Published by The Leonard Scott Publish
 ing Co.,, New York. $4 year. 'se W. B. Hall & Co.,, preprietors of that Palac, D of Trade and industry in Bridgeport alway D seem to ride on lucky wave. They hay, ! this season made a purchase at auction at j great sacrifice to the owners and sffer wonder full bargains. We clip the following iron 4 the Housatonic Ray:
 E The opportunity of the season is in Bridge ,s port at the great sale of auction goods by tha
 indefatigable Dry Goods House of w. B. Hal Z & Co. They purchased large portion of tn 2 stock of Sweetzer, Pembroke 6 Co, that wa !; damaged by water. Ladies who desire t d economze. should visit the store and see tl. < wonderful bargains in silks now being give 'I by the proprietors of that great Palace of in nl dnstry in Bridgeport. .ss. tigs..s. ].
 w. B. HALL 6 Go. Fl s4aAS EtsaffsBA sskY Q&s8Bg4g