Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-08-28
DUTY of the Georgia DemOcracy.


come to be regarded as a settled fact,
and besides this, Mr.. Stephens we'll re.
cognized reputation throughout the State
aud country has a tendency to induce
the belief that the mere fact of his
being the Democratic standard bearer is
of itself sufficient to secure the triumph
of the party. His election therefore is
already regarded as a fOregOne cOnclu-
sion, and the effect of this belief will,
there is reason to fear, cause many Demo
Gratis in the State to take no special in.
terest in the canvass, and to stay away
from the polls on election day. 1t is al
ways the height of unwisdom for any
people or any party to underrate an
enemy, and nothing is more likely to
bring about failure as an Overweening
and complacent self-conddence. There
are many cOgent reasons why the Dem
ocracy of Georgia should not permit
themselves to be thus misled into jpOp-
ardIzing the success of their party in
October next.
Mr.. Stephens, individual name may be
a tower of strength, but the following
facts should be borne in mind: In the
first place, the Independents of the State
/ are especially incensed against HIM.
They relied with so much confidence
upon being allowed the use of his name
to give them a certain responsibility and
standing in the community, that they
even went so far as to recommend him
to their followers as a good man to sup
| port for Governor. When he refused to
accept nomination at their hands, how
ever, and when he declared that he was
an organized Democrat, and would
neither allow himself to be used
as a tool to defeat his party,
nor would he run for the Office
unless his party in convention assembled
desired him to be its standard bearer, he
effectuaIly routed the Independent mon
grel forces, and completely crushed the
| hopes of success in which they had so
exultingly INDUCED. This, of course,
aroused against him their bitter resent
ment, and they will leave no stone I'm
turned to accomplish his defeat. DIR.
FELTON, has already made a desperate
effort to destroy his political reputation
by declaring that he (Felton) is as good a
Democrat as he (Stephens), and this
assertion, preposterous as it is, is being
extensively repeated, and will doubtless
be believed by some over-credulous and
unthinking Democrats to Mr.. Stephens
| hurt.
In the next place the Republicans of
the State, hopeless of securing the cleo.
ton of one of their own recognized
leaders, OF of any one heretofore promi-
nently identified with their organization,
will adopt as their motto, Anybody to
beat the Democrats" and will cOncen-
trste their strength upon General Gar
trell. This, added to the fact that the
Federal administration will promise the
Gartrell faction its influence and patron
age-iust as was promised Malone in
Virginla-wlll undoubtedly enable Gen
eral Gartrell to make a more or less formi-
dable resistance.
Again, it cannot be denied that there
is somewhat of an clement within the
ranks of the>DemOcracy itself opposed
personally to Mr.. Stephens. These are
the irreconcilables, who refuse to forget
the past; who constantly recall Mr.
Stephens course during the war, and his
acts since the conflict which did
not meet the approval OF
his party. Although Dir. Stephens
was nominated by over two-thirds of the
votes of the recent State convention, and
though party fealty and party discipline
require that personal feelings anc
private prejudice should be made tC
yield 20 the will of the party
still this class refuse to acquiesct
in the action of the convention, and mo-
only 90 not support the Democratic
standard bearer, but are even working
against him as boldly as they dare. Such
as these are very poor Democrats, it il
true; still they make an element Of
opposition which cannot wisely be de-
spised.
By Census Bulletin No. 294, just pub
lished, giving the population and males
of voting age of each county of the
United States, it is shown that in GeOrgis
there are 1904 white males of ma
tive and 1928 of foreign birth and 14S,
Al colored voters. This gives the
whites majority in the entire State o.
only 81, 496. 1t Is not by any means Ger
tain that all the negroes will vote against
MIR. Stephens, but it is absolutely Ger
tain that all the whites will not vote fol
him. If, therefore, the negroes and In
dependents should mass their forces fol
Gartrell, and the irreconcilables should
refuse to vote altogether, the margin tC
be relied on for Mr.. Stephens success
becomes entirely too small to be COM
Portable.
1t is evident then that the Democracy
of Georgia cannot afford-to be apathetiC
or over confident during the pending
campaign. 1t should never for mo
ment be forgotten that the election Of
General Gartren would be, to all intents
and purposes, a Republican victory, and
a stalwart Republican victory at that,
since his success is undoubtedly
desired by ths present stalwart
administration. This would mean
the disintegration of the Democratic
party in the State, and the jeopardizing
Democratic success in 1884 Surely a
mere plain statement of these things
should be sufficient to arouse every Dem
ocrat in the State to a sense of his
duty, and to a determination to work
and vote to make the triumph of Mr..
Stephens, and the party of which he is
the standard bearer, an absolute GER
taintY.
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The Queens army just now has its
hands full in Egypt, but there is more