The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1882-07-29
Carpet -Baggers.
How They Are Building Up the New
South.
KNOXVILLE, TENN, July "a, 1888:

KNOXVILLE, TENN, July "A, 1882.
To the Editor of the Press.
The people of the Northern States are hard
Iy aware of the great change in public senti-
ment that is now going on throughout the
South The old cry of "earpet-bagger" is fast
dying out as the natives begin to discover the
usefulness of that once despised class. As
they look about them and see the cities and
towns that have sprung up since the war they
discover that in almost every instance it is
Northern capital and especially Northern en-
terprise that has done the work. Atlanta,
Chattanooga, Nashville, Knoxville and other
cities that have met with marked prosperity
since 1865, owe their boom to the carpet-bag-
ger.
The liberal and most intelligent of the peo-
pie have discovered that the prosperity of
many community has been checked and de-
layed, if not destroyed, by prescription of those
who would have settled in their midst. The
whole South can now see the difference be-
tween the prosperity of the cities named, and
that of those localities where Northern men
were driven out by the various devices and
abuses that existed under the Ku Klux and
White League reign, and when your readers
are informed, during future exciting political
campaigns, that those old scenes of violence
are being repeated, they may be sure that they
receive no sanction from the true "better Glass;
of Southern people.
The future danger lies in the possibility that
certain self-constituted leaders may not be
able to control the demon they may call up to
fill their nolitiCal wator-iarS,
There is certainly strong anti-BOurbon
movement all over the South. In some of the
States it is not yet strong enough to venture
into the field with any considerable hope of
political success, while in others the way to
substantial victory seems fairly open.
1t is admitted by all candid and well informed
politicians that Republican success in the State
of Tennessee is almost fully assured. There is
no reasonable doubt that Gov. Hawkins, Re-
publican, will be reelected, and the chances
are regarded as even that the Legislature will
be so constituted that the election of Repub-
lican United States Senator will be an easy
result. There is wide split in the Demo
cratic party on the questions arising from the
proposed settlement of the State debt and the
so-ealled "State-credit" wing of that party,
has more in common with the Republicans
than with the slow tax" or reputation ele-
ment. Both factions have their candidates in
the field for Governor, and the indications
now are that they will carry their organization
Congress and OF the Legislature.
This disruption of the old Democratic party
is made possible by the steady growth OF an
opposition that had its origin before the war,
when Tennessee was Wing State, and which
has lain dormant under the excitement growing
out of war issues.
The old Wings are the men who have dis
covered that they have been chained to corpse
and are breaking away from their cadaverous
company by thousands
Tennessee has now three Republican NOM
bers of Congress. This member will be in
creased to five and possibly eight at the next
election. The last Legislature only lacked
five or six of a Republican majority on joint
ballet It is believed that this narrow margin
will be easily overcome at the next election,
and that there will be good, clear working
majority for the Republicans in both branches,
they having secured some substantial advan-
tages in the redistricting OF the State, and the
abolition of old gerrymanders.
1t is sincerely to be hoped that the Republic
cans of Maine will send us greeting in Sep
TENDER which shall give us encouragement
and cheer US on to victory.
There is one other circumstance which al
WAYS proves disastrous to the Democracy, and
that is, Tennessee is blessed with fine crops
and general prosperity. The prayers OF the
bourbons for famine and blight have not been
answered, and no Proyidential calamity mas
occurred within her borders that can be
charged to the Republican administrator py
Democratic orators.
If hey could only work up a well authentl-
cat cattle plague or hog cholera they might
get boom, but even that would hardly save
them.
Let us have good account from Maine. and
Tennessee will reply in thunder tones with the
shout of Redeemed! PILGRIM.