The Brookhaven ledger. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1882-06-01

Questions that the N. Y. Times
Addresses to Southern Editors.
--------
The Times prints fifty answers to
the following questions addressed
to one hundred editors OF Democrat
ic newspapers at county seats in
Alabama, Arkansas, Florida. Geor.
gia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North
Carolina, South Carolina and Texas.
|. Is tho policy of the Democratic
party managers in harmony with
the general sentiment of the people
of your district. If that policy ex.
cites any dissatisfaction, is it chiefly
directed against principals and per-
sons sustained by party leaders?
2. How do the people regard the
administration of President Arthur?
8. Is there in your neighborhood
any decided expression of opinion
in regard to the tariff? II so, what
is its effect and nature?
The Times summarizes the an
swers to the first question as fol-
lows: That the South is as solid in
it's utilization with the Democratic
party may be laid down as made
absolutely certain by these observa-
tions; the masses still look to the
Democracy as unfolding their best
interests-material and political
on all national issues. The people
are unit. Perhaps one-fourth of
the letters speak Of dissatisfaction
with the methods of the leaders, but
the writer's are very careful to state
that the people are in full harmony
with party principles and will for
get all local differences in defending
them. Only in two responses to
the first clause..of the question is an
swer made-''Not entirely So" On
local issues-In two or three States
legislation is not entirely satisfac-
tory to the whole of the party, as
for example, the stock law in South
Carolina and the prohibition law
in North Carolina have divided the
party, but this division is q State
matter and would be lost sight of in
considering national issues. They
oppose Republicans as seeking an
alliance with the colored man and
putting him in power over them;
they assert that the ignorance Of
that race units it for control and
its supremacy would annihilate all
hope of prosperity.
OF replies to the second question
the Times says: In all letters ref
erences TO the hope of the South
from Garfield's administration seem
like wall; the people however,
trusted that President Arthur
would carry out the policy of his
predecessor, but disappointment
has followed, and more than half
the letters speak of him as narrow
partisan seeking only the interests
of his party, las one from whom moth
ing beneficial for the South can
cane. appointments to Office in
the South, as q rule. are a great
cause of disappointment and are re-
garded as showing that Arthur is
not friendly disposed.
From the three states of Mississip-
pi, Louisiana and Arkansas only
come expression of praise, and these
are almost entirely due to the Mis-
sissippi levee proclamation, and
even then generally mingled with
words of distrust.
Answers to the third question
show that, with one or two excep-
tions, little discussion of the tariff
is reported among the people.
Many writer's say that the question
is not understood by the masses
one that they have no conception of
what tariff means.
The truth appears to be that they
are to busy too take any interest in
the matter, and, being chiefly agri
culturists, the subject naturally at
tracts much less attention than in
other sections of the country. About
80 letters say that where there is
any discussion at all feeling is in
favor of tariff for revenue only with
such incidental protection as would
naturally follow.