The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-12-19
Won't Divide.


written by northern editors or spoken by
northern speakers. in which II is coolly
assumed that the southern Democrats
could afford to divide upon that question.
The docirinaireS OF the Democratic party
talk as II there were no other or more I'M
portant question before the people OF the
southern States. The iniquities OF the in
ternaI-rcvenue system count for nothing.
Mfr. HENRY WATTERsoN and all his
followers are opposed 10 the aboli-
ton IL the internal taxes. Congress
treats with contempt the protest OF
the Virginia Legislature against the
continuance OF those taxes. There is
nothing up for discussion but the tarIil.
To Us in the South it is rs II man aillict-
ed with the smallpox should be taxing
measures 10 ward of the measles. Inc
spies. iniormers, and elechoneerers whom
the intcrnal-rcvenue department OF the
South keeps in its employ disturb not IN
the least the tranquility OF The northern
Democrats. The odious prosecutions; the
laws authorizing interference IN southern
elections; the prosecution OF southern
election. and other officers for simply per-
forming their duty as they understood
il. the "standing-lsIde OF juror, Sc
lected according TO law, and the sub
s,itution OF partisan jurors; the perse-
cutions Of white men and the coddllng OF
negroes Of which The Republican party Is
guilty: the alliance with MALONE; the at
tempt to break upthe solid South by The
use of the patronage Of the Government
in the Interest Of the Republican party
all, all these things are unworthy OF notice.
A division OF the voters on the tariff issue
/, demanded by our northern iellow-cti-
zens of both parties. and division there
must be. The programme Is laid down by
the Chicago Tribune in the words follow
ing:
"If. under the whip and spur OF the
caucus, Speaker Carlisle shall force a radi-
cal reduction IT tie tariff through the
House, II i; not al all likely that such bill
will receive the concurrence OF Republic
can senate or the approval OF the Republic
can President, and consequently the two
parties will 90 before the people clearly
committed upon the tlrifi issue. Ii this
be brought about, il may be predicted con-
fdcntly that there win be more distWb-
ance in party allegiance than there has ever
been since the war OF the rebellion was in
auguratcd, and no man can foretcll which
OF the two contending parties Will be the
gamer and which the loser. In the event
OF n trial Of strength on this question the
political situation will be more interesting
and important than at any time since slave
rs was IN issue"
Now. we must repeat. and keep repeat
ing until the northern Democrats and the
Democrats in the House OF Representatives
can be made to understand it, that there
are 1913. 900 negro voters in Virginia who
Will not divide upon tie tariff issue. They
are going TO votc-thOsc Of them who vote
at all, as I'll but a few thousand OF them
will vote next year-lor the Republican
nominee ior President OF the United
States, without any sort OF care as
to what he thinks about the doe
trinc OF protection. They would vote
the Republican ticket if the platform
of that party should declare for " tariff
for revenue only" They would vote the
Republican ticket if the platform Of that
party should declare for " tariff for pro-
lection onlv." In a word, the negroes
will vote the Republican ticket next year
as solidly as they voted the MALONE ticket
this year, and with the most absolute in
difference as to what the Republican par
tvs platform shall contain.
What are the figures to which the atten.
ton of the northern Democrats ought TO
be called? These: The Democrats car
ried Virginia last month by 1900 ma
iority in round numbers, or, in other
words, their candidates received l4i,OOO
votes rs against $4,000 east for the Cod'i-
ton candidates. Suppose, now, It be de-
termined to make a fight OIL the question OF
protection How many vote, can The Demo-
Gratis draw from MALONE on that issue So
nearly none that the number would not be
worth counting. How many Democratic
votes could the Republican ticket command
ON that issue? We will not say how many.
but we will say that nothing would
save the Democratic party from defeat in
Virginia but the refusal OF Democrats who
believe in protection TO divide uron that
issue. What folly, then. to be talking
about fehtmg battle for the presidency
of the United States upon that issue. The
men who do that sort OF talking don't know
what they are doing. If any Democrat in
Congress wants to know the situation in
/ Virginia let him ask our congressman.
They know the condition OF thing, ut
/ home.