Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-07-29
Radical Antics, and Mr. Van Wyck's
Resolution.

tune on the stage in this country and IN
England by counterfeiting a negro fan
tsstIcally dressed, with banjo in hand,
and deligbting crowded audiences with
an Ethiopian melody, famous as Jim
Crow" The refrain of this celebrated
song was:
81 wheel about, turn about. do jes 50;
And cherry time turn about jump Jim Crow"
and it was accompanied with the
most ridiculous contortions that had
ever appeared con any stage" 1t
must have been strange to see the
crowds thronging the theatres to
laugh at this absurd bur-
lesque of negro character, and
to observe the hearty zeal with which
the populace dethroned Shakespeare and
the classic drama, aud substituted in their
place Jim Crow Rice and his African min
strelsy, and men of cultivation douotess
wondered at the change and the reaul
ness with which it was made. jim CROW
Rice wheeled about and turned ABOUT
foo to some purpose, accumulatlng
handsome fortune, little thinking that
he was furnishing precedent OF whirll-
oio nolicy for a great political party to
ssturn about and do jes So whenever it
was expedient to amuse and delude the
neople with eccentricities that it might
win power and profit by them.
For if we examine the record of the
Republican party from the inception of
the civil war to this time, we are struck
with the absence of all political aud con-
stitutional principles. and the glazing in
consistencies that mark its career, and
that in the discussion of all questions of
public policy, its refrain was like jim
Crows, 81 wheel about, and turn about,
and do jes so" with corresponding buf-
foonery. During the war and recon
struction, the seeding States were Gin
the Union" or tout of the Union" as
Republican party purposes required them
to be treated; they were held under mill
tary government until readmitted into
the Federal Union 0hOugh previously
claimed to be in the Union and rebels),
and made subservient to the political
control of emancipated slaves. When
this policy failed of its designed
effect, and the intelligence of the
whites conquered at the polls, returning
boards were introduced to set aside
the constitutional provisions for elections
of Federal officers, and theft was Gov
cred by judicial ermine. The freedmen
we're fooled with promises of promotion,
and when found deficient in their autici-
pated political supremacy, were basely
plundered of their money and kicked into
the ditch and now we have the most
supremely ridiculous antics of all in the
Tariff Commission, and in Attorney
General Brewster's opinion of the status
of Congressman.
The country is groaning under heavy
and unnecessary taxation. One hundred
and fifty millions of dollars are annually
collected from the toiling masses above
the needs of the government and locked
I'D in the vaults of the Treasury of the
United States. For what object? do
you ask. We answer, confidently
for no honest purpose perceptible to the
saqacity of political integrity. And we
ask further of you, what do you think
of it? And would honorable statesmen,
capable of ruling the country, needlessly
gather and hoard the wages Of the peo-
ple's labor in such INSCRIPTIONS man
ner? The Democrats in Congress essayed
to stop this excessive robbing of the
general welfare by reduction OF
certain duties on importations and OF
internal revenue taxation. How were
their efforts to tighten the burdens of the
people met by the Republican party?
By ingenious postponements aud plausl-
bic but false pretexts. As if TO weigh
well the proposed reductions before
taking action, the Republicans appoint
a commission of doubtful constitution
atty, instead of a committee of Congress
as hitherto, to investigate and report
upon needed reforms, if any. And
vet they know all the time that
the Republican administration is pocket
ing annually $15O,OOO,OOO over and
above the amount required to run the
government, including Robeson's navy
contracts and the pension bills Why,
no people, even in England. would stand
such taxation and such grants.
Wedo not know whether the resolution
of Mr.. Van Wyck, of Nebraska, in the
Senate on Wednesday-in which Con
gress was called upon to instruct the
United States Attorney General, as soon
as he can safely and prudently withdraw
his attention from the star route prose-
cutions, and can satisfy the President
and his Cabinet on the question whether
or no member of Congress is a State
or Federal officer, to proceed to Long
Branch and aid the Tariff commission
in solving the intricate problems before
them-was conceived in jest or earnest
1t stands, however, a cutting sarcasm on
Republican legislation. and Attorney,
General Brewster's construction OF the
political status of Congressman. Mr..
Van WICK scored ga ten strike" by that
resolution of his.