New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-06-17
BOURBON DISINTEGRATION.

sURE-HOw REPUBLICAN IDEAS WILL BE DIFF
FUSED.
lFRoM THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE rRiBUNE'l
WASHINGTON, June 14.-The subject of the disaf-
lection in the Democratic party Of the South mas
been discussed in series Of letters to The TRIBUNE.
covering the five States of North Carolina, Tonnes
see Kentucky, Mississippi and Georga-four OF
which are the States which give the best promise.
apparently of speedy results outside of Virginia.
There are some deductions which it seems safo TO
make from the comments of Southern men on the
situation all of these States and some general oD-
servations that may be found of interest
L There is no cure for election frauds IN the
South but public opinion This is the judgment o
all who have gwen the matter study both men IKE
Mr.. Calkins, the chairman of the Elections Commit
tee. who has won distinction this session by the
ability. courage and pertnacity with which ne mas
fought through the elections cases both IN commit
tee and on the floor. and men like Mr. Lynch, VINO
has lived through every chapter of bulldozing and
fraud 1t goes without saying that it is o. little use
to pass laws for the punishment of fraud, except as
means of directing public attention to the subject
and perhaps of throwing a few more oD-
staces in the way of fraud, when the Jurles
refuse to convict even in the cearest cases.
and when as happened in the South
Carolina cases not only is money raised by popular
subscription for the defence of the criminals but
men saw when called upon to contribute that they
are on the jury list. and what they will do IN the
jury box if they put there ought to be taken as
a substitute for subscription. Where a state of
public opinion like that prevails, the enactment OF
laws against fraud is in as likely to help
to make fraud easy it is to make it difficult. For
example the testimony taken in Mr. Lynchs contest
shows that Que Of the favorite forms of fraud in his
district was for the election inspectors TO adjourn
after having made little progress with the count
Sometimes supper" the excuse; sometimes
there was no excuse at all Very often an adjourn
ment would be taken night The balot-0oxes
would be taken to the home Of some Democratic IN
spector and during the interval they would be
"doctored TO suit emer gencIes. Mr.. Lynch has
prepared a bill. pending in the House, which Is
founded on mis- practical experience sufferer by
fraud and this includes provision that the count
shall be completed without adjournment as the law
is in Northern States. This provision is surrounded
with other safeguards and penalties are at
tached TO the violation of them, but this
very provision will probably be used by
Democrats to iDvalidate the vote of poll
by simply adjOurning the count when they know the
vote is heavily against them All this, Of course, Is
no argument against the passage Of effective laws.
1t simply goes to show that the real object TO be
sought is the better element Of the South
ern people to a sense of the disgrace and danger to
republican institutions involved in crimes against
the ballot, and in this way to build up a public
option yainst them. This process i already goi ng
on in some parts of the South, and every time Con-
gress unseats member who was not legally elected
the lesson is, literally. driven home.
H. 1t is said by Southern men who sympathiZe
with the Anti-BOurbOn movement TO be true that
the Democratic party is practically solid on Ma
tOnal issues, except where independent canvasses
for Congress have caused National issues to be
brought up for discussion but they say also that
discussion is all that is needed to bring about gen
eral Bourbon disntegratOn. An Anti-BourbOn
Democrat said the other day in discussing this:
9" The southern people have gone 20 the ballot-box
year after year and voted the Democratic ticket SIM
ply because it was the Democratic ticket without
any definite idea many of them, what it meant The
stolid ignorance and Indifference Of thu Democratic
masses are surprising. Ninety-Gve per cent of the
Southern voters to-day hardly know what tariff IS
But wherever there has been an inlependent can
vass for Congress, National issues have been
brought forward and the result has always been
that the hold Of the Democratic party has been
weakened"
III. When the influence of Republican IDEAS car
res voters away from the Democratic party, 1t must
take them toward the Republican party, and will
probably take them into IL no the end, MO some
Organization having Republican principles. 1t is
visions as have grown up in the Democratic party
at the South. and upon the grounds that have
arisen there without affecting the relations of the
independent mon 70 the Democratic party as Ma
tional organization. The growing feeling in the
South in favor of a protective tariff wherever
the subject has been discussed, must make
Republicans as surely as the sun makes
hay, The issue of honest elections cannot fail to
drift fair-mindel men in the South toward the Re-
publican party so long rs the Democratic party is
solid against them, AMI resIsts the exposure of
frauds and the righting of as it has done in
this Congress. Mr.. Jones the Greenback member
from Texas said in the House the other day that
if his position IN favor Of fair ballot and honest
count put him with the Republican party he
was willing to stand there. Other instances
might be given to show how I'M
tenable the theory seems to be that
the leaven Of Republican ideas work in thu
Democratic party in half dozen Southern States,
80 as 10 divide it in State elections and yet leave IL
absolutely solid for National purposes. But the
most convincing circumstance is the secret senti-
ment of Southern Democrats, which does not find
expression yet because to utter 1t now would prob
ably result in the political ruin of these men, and
they realize that the time has not come for them to
say all they feel. An influential Southern man.
who has been member of Congress recently, and
may be again, was IN w asnluglon lew Ntcha dEO'
In talking with the writer, he said If should be
elected member Of Congress, and the House should
be Democratic, and by working majority, should,
in all probability vote for the Democratic nominee
for Speaker. But if the organization should depend
upon my single vote would never make Demo-
crat Speaker l believe it would be a crime 10 let
the Government 90 into the hands of the men who
lead and control the Democratic party to-day. And
there are many in the South who feel as do
Declarations have been made here this session by
members of the Democratic party in good standing