The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1882-09-23
Meaning Of the River and HarbOr
Tote.

tllCltAlo Vi uOtu pdEtlcr.
The vote for the bill and against
the veto was composed of twenty
Republicans and six Democrats
from the Northern Atlantic States,
thirty-six Republicans and one
Democrat from the Western and
Northwestern States, two Repub-
licans and one Democrat from the
Pacific States, and finally forty
four Democrats, five Republicans,
four Greenbackers and two Read.
justers from the Southern States
or to sum up the vote more closely
the bill was passed over the veto
by a coalition of Northern Repub-
licans and Southern Democrats,
Greenbaekers and Readjusters.
In the whole North and Northwest
including the Pacific States, only
eight Democrats voted to pass the
bill over the veto; in the South
forty-four Democrats joined fifty
six Northern Republicans to pass
the bill over the veto.
This vote is but one, though per-
haps the most significant of sever
al examples, which deserve the
consideration of those short-sight-
ed Democratic politicians who still
think of a "solid Democratic
South y as an element in the next
Presidential election. The "Dem-
ocraticn South is a hollow shell.
The South is not Democratic any
longer except in name-and its
politicians use the Democratic
name only as a concession to a
Southern tradition which retains
but a slender hold even on the
popular mind in that section. If
the Republicans should boldly
take a new name for their organi-
zation in the Southern States, that
device would play havoc with the
Democratic organization there.
The Southern people want lib.
eral appropriation for internal i'm.
prOvements; constantly increas-
ing proportion of them want a
high tariff maintained. In the ses-
sion of Congress which has just
closed they voted with the Repub.
licans for the River and Harbor
bill, for public buildings in great
and unusual numbers; and of the
Democrats who voted for the Tar.
i'll Commission, leaving out seven
in Pennsylvania, there were only
seven others from the North and
Northwest twenty from the South.
ern States.
Our object is to show to North
ern Democrats that they cannot
safely count on q "solid Democrat
ic SOuthn hereafter. 1t will be q
great piece of good fortune to
their party if the Democratic lead.
ers are wise enough to see this in
time. The material interests of
the "new South" draw it with ir-
resistible force toward the Repub.
lican party; and the Republican
leaders are shrewd enough to see
this and to take advantage of it.
The River and Harbor bill was
framed to show the Southern peo.
pie who are their real friends.
The Southern States received in
this bill, at Republican hands, a
very substantial share of what the
Northern Democrats denounced
as "plunder."
The Southern voters will scarce.
ly omit to notice that eight North.
ern Democrats were found to vote
for these Southern appropriations.
This fact will remind them that,
while the Democrats controlled
the House, the River and Harbor
bill was cut down to very low fig.
ures, and in one year the Demo.
Gratis refused to pass it at all, and
having sufficient majority, pre-.
vented this annual scandal.
The Republican politicians have
, done wisely-from their party
standpoint. They see that the
! public policy which they assert
the policy of high protection and
the liberal use of public money fol
internal improvement and subsi
r dies-is favored by a largely pre-
/ ponderant number of voters in the
Southern States. Out of an over
flowing Treasury they have given
many millions to the South. They
have a right to expect Southern
support hereafter, and the South
ern voters would show themselves
| to be very stupid indeed If they
did not, in all those parts of the
South where "liberal appropria
tions" are wanted, abandon the
Democrats, from whom they car
expect nothing, and take care to
elect, it matters little under what
, name, men who will in Congress
and elsewhere vote with the Re