Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1883-12-01
The Southern Question. -
Baltimore Sun.

1t is persistent idea in some To-
calities that the solid South is some
how or other problem" or "queS-
ton" which needs solution. 1t Is
not urged that the Governments OF
the various States of the South are
net at present directed by the intel
ligence and character of that sec
ton, but that some of them must
by all means be made Republican.
The "Southern question" is not
how to improve the administration
of the local affairs of the Southern
people taken as a whole. In point
of honesty and economy the man.
agement of their affairs is admitted
to compare very favOrably with
that of the best governed States OF
the entire Union.
1t is conceded that to-day the
South is abundantly prosperous, and
it cannot be denied that this pros
perity dates in each State from the
point of time at which that State
escaped from the Republican gov
eminent fastened on it during the
ruinOus period of so-called recon-
struction. With remarkable uni
formity the era OF enterprise, prog
ress and rapidly increasing wealth
comedies in every Southern State
with the incoming of the period OF
repose that followed the advent of
the Democrats to power. The in
dustrial awakening which the South
has experienced within the last
seven years, or since the last South
hnRnnRPo ia
control, would of itself be strong
argument with philanthrOpists for
the continuance of power in the
hands of the same men that now
WELD it. The history of last seven
teen years abundantly proves that
whatever change of parties or party
names may come about, cheap, hon.
est and efficient government can
hardly be obtained from cOmbina-
tons effected by the carpet-bag and
scalaWag elements of Southern pO-
litical life. MahOne's brief dOmi-
nation in Virginia was but belated
repetition of the vice, corruption,
political debauchery and disquiet
which the triumph of those ele-
ments had some years previously
produced in the States further
South.
The Malone method of solving
the Southern queStion-that is to
say, creating Republican majOrities
in the Southern States-has, in fact,
excited so much general disgust
throughout the Union, that, having
failed, it is seriously proposed to
abandon it for another and more
honest avenue to success. The New
York Times proposes argument and
discussion. "Mahone's career"
says the Times, "has simply shown
that the Southern whites cannot be
seriously divided by such men as
he with such methods as his. 1t
remains to be seen if they can be
divided by honest men and decent
methods, not as Southerners or on
any sectional question, but as
American citizens on the broad
question of good government .
There is now but one cOurse-to ap-
peal to the South precisely as to the
North, on living issues, addressing
men of both races and of all parties
candidly, openly, without fear or
favor. That such an appeal would
produce a satisfactory result we
have little doubt, but whatever its
result, there would be one supreme
satisfaction in it-nO one would
need to be ashamed of it,"
An era of persuasion would doubt
less be welcomed by the South.
There could be no objection to a
concerted effort on the part of "hOn-
est men" with "decent methods"
to change the political faith of that
or any other section of the country.
Such men and such methods might,
perhaps, not be without effect in al
tering the political faith of several
Western States which have for
many years past been almost SOL
idly Republican, but consequence
of this character would be more
than compensated for by the i'm
proved political morals that would,
perhaps, be introduced thereby into
public life.
WINSTON, FORSYTH Co., n. C.
GENTs-I desire to express to you
my thanks for your wonderful Hop
Bitters. / was troubled with dyspep-
STA for five years previous to my COM
mencing the use of your Hop Bitters
some six months ago. My cure has
been wonderful. am pastor of the
First Methodist Church of this place,
and my whole congregation can testify