The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-12-31
SHALL THE ISSUES BE METZ

eliminated from our politics." The applause
given alike by men of all parties and we
hesitate not to say that they voiced the SEN
timent of three-fourths of the voters of the
nation To this we may add an equally prev
alent opinion that the time has fully come
when the unblushing effrontery of polygamy
and It's continued defiance of law and public
opinion must cease. But how shall this over
whelming demand be met? Shall we inter-
ject some timid resolution on either or all
of them into our platforms and then leave it,
as the ostrich does its egg, to
bring forth a living entity or to
perish uncared for, as luck may determine?
Why should we not earnestly grapple with
each? The Republican party is no effete
organization. Ii had q. mission twenty-five
years ago, and it undertook its work heroic
ally and performed it successfully. AS each
success revealed the demand to take up new
issues growing out of the necessities of the
old victories it never hesitated to grapple
d
year earlier it might have shrunk from the
task. Thus successfully, has championed
the war; emancipation, acknowledgements,
public economy, honest money, the reduc-
ton of taxes, and the honest payment of
the national debt What though, when it
took on new issues as they arose, now and
then some -timid souls, not in sympathy
with the new movement, deserted the ranks?
Their places we're promptly more than filed
by new recruits. The party was never
stronger than when boldly fighting for the
right as God gave it to see the right, and it
was never so weak as when it sought to dodge
duty under the plea of conservatism, or at
tempted to satisfy the public demand by an
evasive policy.
Look at one class of facts demanding i'm
mediate and heroic treatment 1t was hoped
that time would at least mollify the South so
that man might be a man there; but recent
events have shown that things grow worse
instead of better. The murderous attack on
the colored people at Danville, Va, has not
been rebuked by single Southern paper or
politician of the Democratic school, and fear
of violence compels others to handle it ten
Derby. The Democracy of the North are in
such accord. with their Southern brethren
that they have not rebuked the crime by
word or deed, and the whole party is to-day
shaping every measure SO as to profit by the
solidity of the South for their men and
measures. In short. it is now apparent that
the negroes of the South cannot be permit
ted to vote. But it is not the negroes alone
who are to be killed for voting The chair
man OF the Republican committee of Copiah
county, Miss, was brutally shot at
the polls simply for voting after he
had been warned not TO. These are
only samples Of a system of terrorism that
pervades the whole South, so that it turns
out that the average vote cast for congress-
man in the North is about double that cast
in the South. In other words, half of the
Southern voters are disfranchsed by the
shotgun, while all are counted in the appor-
tionment. This is question which must be
met boldly, and it should be met now, as we
met the question of secession twenty-three
years ago. General Grant once uttered
sentiment which should be taken up, and
which should become the central idea in the
coming canvass: Every man must be per-
mitted TO vote and to have his vote honestly
counted" This should be pushed with zeal
and determination from year to year, until
these rights are secured beyond repeal, if it
takes thousand years and costs oceans of
blood, If nothing less can do. Otherwise we
have no government by the people No cry
OF bloody shirt or States rights should cause
the nations hand to slacken for moment.
No man can shut his eyes to another mat
ter of equal import That the liquor-selers
of America have formed a most powerful
political league for their own interests none
can deny. The result of the late New York
election is full of significance. The Demo
cratic candidate for Secretary of State had,
ture, voted for some Insignificant amend
ment to the excise law, which was to make
an enforcement of the law possible. He is
no Prohibitionist, but as a good citizen he
wanted to see the law, which was practically
a hundred or more years old, obeyed. His
candidacy gave the league an opportunity to
rebuke such an outrage, and he fell behind
his ticket some IS, 900 votes Who does not
see that the existence of such a force in pol
itics is dangerous? The question of temper
ance does not enter into it at all
1t is the question of foster
ing dangerous idea in politics.
If the railroads of New York had combined