National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1882-04-19
rhn nlnndr shlrt Redlylrua.

Some weeks ago two young men in the
town of Athens, Ga, got into q dis
pute as to which ought TO have given the
sidewalk TO the other. The dispute cul-
minated in quarrel and in bitter feud
between two other young men, friends
respectively of the first two, and this fcud
finally ended in the killing of one by the
other. The slayer was promptly arrested,
lodged in Jail, and now awaits his trial
for murder.
Such and similar quarrcls, ending in
like results, though fortunately ,infre-
quent, are liable TO occur anywhere, and
in all such cases it is the prerogative of
the law courts to see that the dignity of
the law is maintained and to bring the
guilty parties to merited punishment.
Less than this could not be demanded
more than this could not be expected.
But the circumstances referred to oc-
Cured in q Southern town, and the quar-
rel was between a white youth and a
black one. The slayer was negro, the
slain white man, student of the uni
versity, we'll and respectfully connected.
II occurred, too, at time when political
excitement was running high, though
politics had nothing whatever to do with
it. Nevertheless there are seldom want
ing partisan ghouls to seize upon and en-
deavor to use such unfortunate occur
rences for mere partisan purposes, and
in the present case the Bourbon press OF
Georgia have made indecent haste toput
the corpse of poor Mr.. Roundtree on ex-
hibition as a political martyr and to
| charge the crime of his murder to the In
! dependent movement.
With this purpose in view the Macon
Telegraph makes a foolish assault upon
the Hon. Emory Speer, the able and elo-
quent Representative in Congress from
the Athens District. Mr.. Speer's ofiense
consists in his having been twice elected
to Congress as an Independent, in his
enjoyment of the respect and confidence
of the Republicans of his district, and in
his open and manly defiance of the con-
stipated NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. dominant i'll
Georgia-known as the machine or
Bourbon" Democracy. Moreover, Mr.
Speer is one of the alumni Of the State
University, is one of its present board oI
trustees, is descendant of one of the
oldest and most influential families in
Georgia, and possesses all the requisite
qualities for successful political leader
ship. No wonder, then, that such man
occupying such position in politics
should be regarded with distrust and
alarm by the Bourbon leaders and theii
dependents of the local newspaper press
Mr.. Speers vigorous and scathing reply
to his traducers is reproduced in another
column of this mornings paper, There
is an important political sequel to al
this. Here is native Georgian, still OF
the youthful side of the middle Of thu
arch of life, openly defying the Bourbon
Democracy, proclaiming the freedom
of the ballot, legal vote, and an homes
count and, in spite of the combine,
, efforts of Bourbon leaders all over tn
State, holding his position in the Nationa
Congress by large and recognized ma
ority of the legal voters of the Mint
District Such man isdangcrous jus
now, when there are not wanting evi
dences of general thaw and breaking
up in the heretofore Solid South"