The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1882-03-05
The POLITICAL SITUATION.

ever since 1872 there had beer
prophets by the score foreleIliBg
Iust such q change, and thai
nothing bad come of their predic-
tinns. Nevertheless, there now exist
stronger reasons than ever for be.
lieving that the change is fast
approaching. Perhaps these rea-
sous are not conclusive, but there
surely Gan be no harm in giving
the % a lair consideration
A reorganization Of parties does
not necessarily imply the adoption
OF new names. Names are often
more persistenl than ideas. In the
domain Of political action, especially,
they survive the principles and
purposes they typlfy in tbeir origin,
and are easily adopted to new
conditions OF party strife. The
names democratic" and ''repub
lican" have each done service tor a
multitude of varied and sometimes
conflicting issu0s, and as they are
good general terms, OF no particular
meaning that any believer in a
representative form OF government
can object to. they may last for
generations longer. But the signs of
the times plainly indicate that if
they are not abandoned they will
soon cease to represent the old ques
tons and elements which they have
designated In recent years.
Let US see what these signs are.
One OF the most conspicuous is the
TACT mat an annual message of q
president goes to Congress, Tor the
first time IN quarter of q century,
IN which there is no reference TO
the south rs a political entity, or
even as q geoe raphicsl section. This
ia OF great significance. The south.
its institutions. behavior, and designs,
has been the pivot of national poll
tics ever eince the adoption OF the
Missouri Compromise. Even as late
as the presidential campaign OF 1880
one Of the great parties ma1aits most
efectual appeal to the patriotism of
the voters on the ground that the
south was solid in support of the
opposing party. Now the official
chief OF the very party which OBJ
tanned ssOther tour years lease OF
power on that argument finds
nothing In the attitude OF the people
OF thae section TO call for even a
passing remark. But this is not all.
The omission of Pre- sident Arthur to
discuss southern politics might be
said to be accidental or deep stroke
of policy. But Congress has been in
session for many weeks, and neither
in the debates Eor In the measures
introduced can we find any trace of
a southern question. Apparently,
the south does not need legislation,
even IN the opinion of the most radi-
cal of the republican members, nor
Is any occasion found for discussing
her affairs. Thus the central Ques
ton which has divided parties since
the wa closed appears 10 have
faded out of sight.
Yet the progressive changes in
southern opinion we're never more
marked than nov. These changes,
however, are all in the direction OF
obiiteratlng old party lines. The
strong argument OF the republica g
in the north has heen that by a
system of intolerance, fraud, and
violence the southern states were
kept in the political control of the
democrats. Only one party was
permitted to have any potency in the
election Of public officers and the
settlement of public questions. Now
the result of the spirited canvass in
Virginia last autumn shows that
the one party epoch is passing away.
Ardent and healthful opposition to
democratic ascendency is developing
in the whole region between the Poto
mac and the Rio Grande, selling
upon one local issue in one state and
another in another, but always fight
ing the old order of things. In Vir-
ginia the new movement seeks to
scale down the interest on the state
debt; in Tennessee it advocates Iull
payment; IN South Carolina it makes
grievance out of a law prohibiting
cattle from running at large; in
North Carolina it wants a tax on
liquor-selling; in Texas it talks of
greenbacEs. All these issues are
temporary and to some extent sub
terfnges, thinly covering the impulse
to new organizations which many
men are reluctant to ayow at the
outset. Below the local questions,
apparently paramount, is everywhere
the desire for freedom of political
action, for broader views, for better
educational systems, and for more
liberal and progressive legislation.
If the republicans are losing their
cohesive force as q party by the
progress of the south. the democrats
are no better of. They have kept
their northern contingent together,
OF late, by their power to throw the
electoral vote OF all the old slave
states into their eide of the balance
in national contests. Here are 80
many vetes, sure" they were able
to say, sweeping a hand over the
map from Virginia to Texas. "Now
We have only to gain q few more in
the north to win the fight" This
they cannot say IN future contests.
The DEVELOPMENT 0f what il called |