Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-04-18
RannhIIcarism -. Rourbonism.


can National Committee was held in
Washington on Monday last, at which
the subject Of party interests in the South
occupied a great portion of the attention
of the assembled patriots(0, and it was the
unanimous sentiment that union OF the
Republicans in the Southern States
should be effected upon "a broad politi-
cal basis" AS a matter of course, the
the same old twaddle about ga free ballot
and fair count was freely INDUCED IN
notwithstanding that a fair count did
not form a very conspicuous doctrine OF
Republicanism North or South during
THE Presidential count of 1871, when
the electoral votes of three Southern
States were stolen for Hayes. Still. with
Characteristic sham and hypocrisy, this
old stereotyped expression was uttered
with usual bombast, and it was re-
solved that the Southern Republicans
should, in national affairs, antagonize
the principles and policy of the " Bour-
bon Democracy"
AS far as the success OF the Republi-
can party in the Southern States are con-
cerned, the National Republican Com
mittee may as we'll understand once for
all that they have no hope. That party
has been fully tried in the South, and in
every respect it has been found wanting.
1t has proven false to both white and
colored, and shown that 1t has
no regard for the welfare of either
race. The whites, it tried to rob, and
did rob and plumber, through the me-
dunn of excessive taxation and reck-
less expenditures of the public money in
Jobs concocted for the enrichment of
those in power and their special favorltes
and pals. The blacks, who had no
property to begin with, it induced to save
up their earnings and deposit them in
Freedman's Savings Bank, under the
direct and immediate protection" of
representative and leading Republican
philanthropists. But having in this way
succeeded in obtaining control of
thousands of dollars in the
aggregate. it then turned to and plum
dered the credulous freedmen as re-
morselessly as it had previously robbed
the defenseless whites. Therefore, among
rich and poor, whether white or black,
in the South, the Republican party is
simply an object of loathing. This SEN
timent may not be held by all without
exception. but it is so generally preva-
lent that Southern Republicsnism cannot
hope to make Roadway against il.
AS far as the resolve to oppose the
Bourbon Democracy in national
affairs" is concerned, it may be
stated that the expression Bourbon" is
simply a catchword invented TO mislead
and deceive. Nevertheless it is a term
Of which the Democrats need not feel
ashamed. It implies good old-timed
respectable opposition to centrali-
cation, mOnopolies, favoritism, ex-
travagance and corruption: 1t
means that the Democrats are friends
of the primitive teachings of our fore
fathers and the founders of the republic,
who thought it wrong to use government
money for the benefit of personal and
political friends and favOrites, or to
repudiate solemn obligations, State or
Federal; that they are opposed to
monopolies and monopolists. and favor
a government of the people, for the PEG
pie, and which will confer the greatest
blessings upon the greatest number-in
short, that they favor oldtimed honesty
and economy; are opposed to centraliza.
ton and the paternal idea in our govern
ment, and desire to see the whole coun-
try generally, without regard to sections
or classes, prosperous and fourishing.
If "BOurbonism' expresses these Dem.
cratic ideas and teachings, then the
country sadly needs more of it. A great
many genuine old Bourbons in the North,
1
who have forgotten that slavery is abol-
ished and the war is over. may be in
fiuenced by so 1imsy q catchword. The
Rev. FeltOns aud the Mahones of the
South may roll the term upon their
tongues with high resounding IRIS until
they are hoarse, and thereby they may
succeed in deceiving the thoughtless and
unwary for a season. The indications
are, however, that the days of Radical
| BourbOnism in the United States
are numbered and that genuine
Democratic Bourbonism is beginning to
commend itself to popular favor. The
country has had enough Of progress, .
as that word is defined in the Republi-
can vocabulary, viz: that the treasury is
an oyster which the favored monopolist OF
subsidist may open at will. A return to
active zeal and vigilance in protecting
the peoples interest is what is now far
more TO be desired, and the result of the
late election in the West gives token that
the people are awake to their true inter
ests, aud are no longer inclined to be OBJ
scured by cunning politicians.