Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1883-12-19
The Solid South from Another
Standpoint.

American Register.
The solid South, that is, that part Of
il which is coming to the Republican
National Convention to assist in its
deliberations, and, If possible, to
choose candidate for them, seems to
be giving the Republican managers
some trouble. They don't like the
idea Of having SO many delegates from
that section helping them to select a
man as candidate when such dele.
gates will be utterly powerless to give
them single electoral vote in return.
They want a Republican party in tho
South, but they want it to represent
something besides ofhceholders, po-
litical Adventures and negroes. But
their efforts to secure such party in
the South has been signal failure,
because their past conduct, when they
had an opportunity, was SO bad that
the class OF people whom they would
like to have won over to them would
have nothing to do with them, and so
the party there has remained pretty
much as it was during the halcyon
days of the reconstruction party.
The Republican party OF the South
is maintained simply for the purpose
of holding the Federal offices there,
and aside from this it has nowhere a
hsbitation or a name. That is all
there is Of it, and all there will ever
be OF it, unless the party takes new
departure, which from present appear
ances is most unlikely. The Repub-
lican managers are, therefore, reduced
to the necessity Of their recognizing
this batch of ofhoeholders and ne.
groes as a party or Of throwing them
overheard, which latter plan they
would not care to adopt,
Senator Frye is not exactly certain
that such a party, representing moth
ing but the Federal Offices, and not
able to give the Republican candidate
a single electoral vote, should come
into the convention and cast BOG votes,
nearly half the entire strength Of the
convention. He has, therefore, pro.
posed to curtail this useless strength
to a considerable degree, but is met
with much opposition in the carrying
out Of this project, The moro wise
and sensible Of the leaders would be
glad to throw out tho most OF this
vote, or at least to greatly reduce it,
and give the States which must be
looked to for Republican salvation the
right to name the man they can hell
to elect, but unhappily for the we'll
being Of these wiser managers, there
are certain other ambitious leaders
who do not sec the wisdom Of such a
method, and are determined that nc
such reduction Of southern delegates
shall DO made.
There are men in the Republican
ranks who are friendly to General
Arthur, and these men are not willing
to see sudden and radical reform in.
treduced now upon the eve Of ma.
tional convention. They understand
that any attempt TO ourtail the south
ern representation In the nationa
convention at this time has a direc
meaning and a certain significance, ant
that it means a blow at the admins
tratioa. For reasons which are wei
understood the south would natural.
follow the lead of the administration
not from any particular reason, bg
because HAVING no party strength
at home and being mostly ofioehold
ers, they would ally themselves to thi
representatives Of party strength, snt
as this is the administration, thei
party attachments would naturally &
there. And it lisa fact we'll under
stood by the leaders not friendly t
General Arthur, which accounts TO
the sudden desire to change thi
voting power. II is now becoming
pretty generally accepted that Genera
Arthur will be q candidate, and i
this vote was thought all right whel
it was cast for General Grant in 1886
! il cannot DO any less so now when j
may be cast for some one else, Th
South contains the men Of whom tn
Republican party processes to be 9:
pecially fond, and to whose interest
5 they are always alive, and it oannC
with ar.v show Of consistency punis
, them because their votes will not ava
in the great struggle for party honor
Our Republican friends love to tai
0 of the solid South. Let them acceI
. its solid voting power In their M
tional Convention as an earnest Of u
r good and patriotic purposes OF Il
delegates, and pardon their inabiliI
D to render much Of an equivalent
s tho polls for the privileges acoorde
+ them. Let the zeal Of such DELEGATE
in the choice Of o candidate atone f
their shortcomings as a party, and i
d the party managers evidence their r
Q gard for the struggles these delegat
n must make to keep even q somblanl
Of party alive when the whole for
u Of publico sentiment there is again
them by cordially admitting them
Il their councils. The motive Of 1
h. anti Decentralization managers Is pla
- and tho party cannot afford to kick
% helpless dependents in the South
o cause they are not backed with a pa
majority.