Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1882-09-20
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EvEN'a. SEPT. 20. 1854.

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"WEDNESDAY EvEN'0. SEPT. 20. 1881.
Blaine Woolng Southern Sentiment.
Mr.. Blaine, who has been revivified as
political power by the result of the
Maine election, is entitled to great con-
sideration for his utterances by reason Of
his personal weight, and when in addi-
tion there is intrinsic weight in what he
says, his utterances are particularly
noteworthy. He has been known, ever
since his connection with the Garfield
cabinet, as an opponent of the Republi
can strategy in Virginia, which has the
cOuntenalce Of the present administra-
tiOn. 1t has seemed supremely brazen
IN a Republican administration, whose
party claims to be the exponent of pub
lie credit, to ally itself with what is
known as the Reputation party of Vir-
ginia. The way in which this position
has been defended has been by the denial
that the Malone party favors repudia-
ton and this position has been auda-
ciously taken in defiance of the known
status of the party, which is indicated in
its very name. 1t proposes to read
just" the state debt by looping off the
major Part it. Mr.. Blaine has been sa
gacious enough to see that his party de
manded too much of the credulity of the
people in asking them to believe that it
could Join hands with Malone without
damage to its public credit professions :;
that it could touch the Malone pitch
without being deliled. The Chicago
Tribune has published an interview with
him in which he reiterates this view and
makes some quite novel suggestions.
He expresses his entire sympathy with
the straight Republicans Of Virginia,
who have declined the Malone coalition.
lie declares that it was great political
biunder to unite the Republican party
with the Readjusters holding that the
Republican party has always been de-
voted to upholding the public faith,
and that to turn right around and join
the Reputation wing of the Virginia
Democracy was the last degree of folly.
One new thing that he says is that the
general government should in some way
aid Virginia IN settling her debt, be-
cause it wrested from her West Virginia,
which is an empire of wealth. When
we were at war with Mexico, says Mr..
Blaine, and dlsmembered her territory,
We made her an allowance OF many mil
lions of dollars and he thinks we could
afford to be equally just and generous
to one of our own states that we dis
membered for our own advantage. He
suggests as another reason for this, the
fact of Virginia's cession Ofall the north
west territory for the common veal
nearly Il hundred years ago. He says :
/" have thought Of this matter great
deal since the debt agitation began in
Virginia last year. have asked myself
why Virginia alone of all the COnfeder-
ate States should be made to suffer des
poilment and dismemberment. He
does not think that West Virginia should
pay any Of Virginia's debt, because
she was not erected into state to Oblige
her inhabitants, but as a war measure
for the benefit of the whole Union.
These suggestions have the merit not
only Of novelty, but of substantial foun
datiOn. The dismemberment of Vir
ginia was only justifiable as war mea-
sure against a public enemy. There
was no warrant for it in the
constitution. Congress possesses no
such power to divide state outside the
inherent power of the conqueror to dis,
pose of the conquered and if Mexico
was properly paid for her territory that
had already been won by our arms there
is good reason why like payment should
be made to Virginia.
Mr.. Blaine's idea will be popular in
the South, and it looks as though his
eyes were bent in that direction for po.
litical support. He sees the growing
strength of this section and that the Re,
publican party has no standing in it.
He realizes that an opposition party to
the Democratic party can he nurtured
there by proper management. 1t has
been q standing wonder that the Repub'
lican party has not sought to establish
itself in the South by the only means
which can give it a permanent founda-
tion there and that is by putting itself
in sympathy with the voters who possess
the land. The Democratic party has
been strangely left to hold this field
alone. But it is not in the nature of
political things that one party can for
ever remainzlnclallenged in its posses
sion of a state /; and it only requires a
moderate amount of sagacity in Mr..
Blaine to see that by putting himself en-
rapport with Southern sentiment he may
sap its Democratic strength. lie is well
come to the effort if it inspires him to just
and generous dealing with people who
have never had such treatment from his
parry. If he can, by such fair means,
disturb the Democratic unanimity of
the South we are content.
Mr.. PATTIsONs' speech at the recep-
tiOn given to the Democratic candidates
by the Commonwealth club, of Phila-
delphia, is a manly political utterance
that will be read with interest and is
deserving of careful consideration. So
plainly does it present the issue that is
now cOnfrnntinU fho noonIo oe D,,n,,,I