The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1882-08-02
The |" Bloody.shirt,, q Cry. =.

~ - . not btrange tnat democratic
newspapers should cry out against the
" bloody shirt" and the "reyival of
the issues of the war;" when Repub-
hcans direct public attention to the eff
Forts OF the South Carolina Bourbons to
disfranchise the colored voters of that
State, and rob them of the ballot with
which Republican policy has endowed
them 1t Is precisely in their line. 1t
is for the interest of the Democratic
party that the people should be made
TO believe that the colored voters of the
South are secure in all their rights; that
the white Democrats do not interfere
with their voting; that when their votes
are cast they are honestly counted; and
that all the talk to the contrary is par
tisan falsehood. The chief business of
the Democratic party for. great many
years has been TO inculcate at the North
confidence in the patriotic, law-abiding,
Union-loving disposition of the South
ern Democrats. They have sometimes
succeeded. But viii any of them name
O single instance, from the time of the
earliest compromise on the slavery ques-
ton down to the last Democratic Con-
gress, in which, having the power, they
openly ayowed their purpose to wipe
out all the Legislation of the war period
when they did not betray the trust
reposed in them and endeavor TO cheat
those who had confded in themP OF
course, the Democrats of the North are
anxious. extremely anxious, that there
should be no Interference with and no
unfriendly criticism of the conduct of
the Southern Bourbons. WhyP Be
cause left to themselves they can make
out of minority a majority. and rein
q, Golf1
South, by whose aid the Democratic
minority in the Nation may be brought
into power And once in power they
can make South Carolina methods ma
tional and perpetuate their control.
No wonder, then, that Democratic
newspapers cry :. bloody shirt and at
tempt to laugh down any serious con-
sideration of the methods and policy by
which the South Carolina Bourbons SUBJ
vert the freedom of the ballot and rob
colored voters OF their legal rights. 1t
is the policy of their party, and they are
entirely consistent in upholding it.
We do not expect them to do otherwise.
But when newspapers nominally Re-
publican, or even Independent, that are
not bound by any allegiance to the
Democratic party and that boast of their
freedom from partisanship and their
catholicity of view, join in the cry
against Republican criticism of the
Bourbon methods of suppression as q
.awaving OF the bloody shirt" we con-
fess we are at q loss to understand 1t
except upon the ground that they are
either totally-and it would almost
seem willfully-ignoranto of the facts, or
utterly destitute of the logical faculty to
reason from them There are not many
such. it is true, but we have found here
and there one that talks in this way; as
though the issue thus raised is obsolete;
as though the revival of 1t was the work
of Republicans, and it was wickedly
done to kindle anew for partisan pur-
poses the passions and animosities of
the war. Are these. gentlemen ac-
Quainted with the actual condition of
affairs IN South Carolinai the condition,
not as represented by the opponents of
the Democratic party, but as admitted
by Democrats themselves and by the
Democratic press of South Carolina?
And have they given moments thought
to what must be the effect. not merely
upon parties,i but upon free institutions,
If the South Carolins. Bourbons are per-
mitted to go on without interference or
/ check in the way they have marked out?
The Tribune, it is, not necessary to
say, does not favor any continuance or
revival of what is called derisively the
sbloody-shirt" ISSUE 1t would gladly
see full and general acceptance by the
South of all the results of the war,
and an end made of sectional issues, so
that the country might come up to a
calm and sober discussion of the
great economic and financial ques-
tions which press upon US for
solution. We have hoped that the
Democracy might by this time have
mustered courage enough to SO align
itself as to make this possible. 1t is
not our fault nor the fault of any Re-
publican that instead of it we are still
considering the old questions whether
all voters shall be protected in the eN-
ercise of their rights, whether the laws
shall be obeyed, whether any of the
States in the Union shall be exempt
from the principle OF majority rule.
These are the questions raised by the
South Carolina Bourbons. Let it be
said in their favor that they present
them squarely and fairly and without
dodging. Dismissing all questions of
Constitutions or statute laws, they SIM
ply say: =. The majority are not fit to
/ govern; law or no law, we will not submit
TO their RUE we nave nO UlOOuy
shirt" in answer: we return only the
notice we sent them twenty years ago
TO just such challenges: 1.-The laws
smust be obeyed," and thereon we ap-
peal to the country. What else can we
doa Shall we sit supipelyi by under
what onr Democratic friends call the
doctrine of "non-interference," and
not even protest against this palpable
feversal of one of the wars most inn
portant results? Unhappily, our nom
Interference with South Carolina under
such circumstances means South Caro-
lina's serious Interference with us.
iHThe usurpation of minority in South
Carolina affects the political complexion
of the two houses of Congress. Should
other Southern States, influenced by the
inpunity she enjoys, follow her exam
/ pie, the effect would be to put not mere
| " those States but the whole country in
| the hands of minority party. Sup
preston then would have its perfect
work. The time to lay check on this
Is now; the place is South Carolina
/ " Y. Tribune. ~ tsit .el,.
a