The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1884-06-24
Demagogy ad Nauseam.


shall make demagogy an essential feature
OF the canvass, and there is no room to
doubt that between now and November
We shall have demagogy dd nduSean. We
saw nd nansedm advisedly, and mean all
the term implies. The pot OF red paint is
Y already part OF the furniture of the aver
\ acc western Radical editors desk, and al
eady the small-fry orator in the BLAINE
NIb meetings is shouting "blood" with
a.tay.down-in.the-boot voice that re-
Minds us OF an amateur actor'st first at
tkaSt 10 personatc Macbeth. While
all his is despicable, and calls for the
STRONGEST condemnation, it has not failed
to develop eleneuts OF consolation for the
Deuocn:s. In fact. II Is not without ele-
ments OF consolation for all tue men, no
matter what may he their partv prcdlec-
tionS. II indeed illustrates that there are
occasions on which good may come out OF
evil. II not only shows. as we have here
toiorc stated, that the party OF corruniion
is desperate, butt the comments il has evoked
from the fair-minGod Republican papers, as
well a. from the Democratic papers, prove
the public mind to be in healthier state
than il has been for many years. IL may be
tina, The Republican papers characterized
as fair.minded see the dangerto their party
of making sectionalism prominent ISSUE
and this may. in measure, account LOT
their structures upon my sch attempt, but
this does not render their utterances any
the less significant II does not rob their
remarks OF their force in so far as they re-
flcc, public sentiment. 1t does not alter
the fact that while the chief hope Of the
BLAINE party Is to fire the northern heart,
reason IS asserting It's sway with the masses
The Philadelphia Inquirer tRcpublican)
afford, strong evidence OF this when 1t
saws:
A week or a fortnight ago Mr.. Shcr-
mans senatorial southern outrage commit
tee submitted It's report, or rather two OF
them-a majority report full OF blood
cmdlng horrors, and minority one soft
n six, rs mild as milk, with no hint OF
horrors or OutTagcS about IT.. Did any
bodv except the faithful editors read either
one or the other? Does any one outside
OF the newspaper offices or the unfortunate
Clerk of the Senate happen to remember
that any such reports were made,
or, >if so. what either OF them con-
tainedy We doubt it very much.
Apparently that would argue that the con-
sciences of the American people have be-
come hardened; that there is general indlf-
ference TO outrage and wrong, ana that the
most narrowing accounts OF political in-
timidatiOn has ceased 10 affect the country.
The real truth is that the public conscience
j. 40 more hardened now than II was when
those political tales OF southern outrageS
were quite new, and that the general ieei-
in is rs strong now against a wrong and
outrage as it ever was, but the people no
LONGER believe in these reports OF southern
ouirageS. made Just prior TO a national elec-
ton. which ii is shrewGly suspected are not
made TO serve any good or honest purpose.
Besides, there is great intelligence among
the people, and after their experience OF
such unbiased and truthful witnesses as
Eliza Pinkston and James Anderson they
NAV readily be excused for failing TO place
absolute faith in the testimony OF those who
have succeeded them as witnesses before
congressional committees. Again, there Is
very common feeling that nearly twenty
years after tie close OF the war that war
matters should be put aside. that southern
outrages should not be invented and used
as campaign thunder in presidential cleo
ton contests. Nobody really believes in
the sincerity Of these partisan COMPRESSION
al investigations or reports. The common
impression is that they are devised chiefly
for The purpose of firing the northern heart
against the South. Well, the northern
heart docs not wish to be filled with
hatred toward the South. 1t wants peace
aud good will in and through the whole
country, and it is tired OF politicians Keep
ing alive strife and ill-will Tor selfish pur-
poses"
We can pardon the fling the Inquirer
makes at the minority report OF the COM
mittec for the sake OF its general treatment
OF the outrage question and OF the en-
couraging inference TO be drawn there
from. This inference is that our contem-
porlry recognizes that the time has passed
WHEN passion aud prejudice can be stirred
M - such a degree o. to blind thinking
men 70 The saturnalia Of fraud that the Re-
publican party has been indulging in Tor
wears. In uttering note OF warning to the
rahid element of the Republican party-a
note OF warning that comes too late, Tor snch
papcrS as the st. Louis Globe democrat and
the Cincinnati COMMERCIAL Gazette have
sworn allegiance to the bloody shirt-it con
fessos that its party has made fatal blundor.
OF the Democratic papers tina. think that
sectionaism Is 10 be made the main issue by
the Republicans, and that that is the best
evidence Of their weakness, there are quite q
number. However, a quotation from The
Boston GioJc VIII serve as summary OF
their opinions. The G|0be, in commenting
ON mrid campaign article which appeared
in the Commercials Gazette, says;
when such an effort crops out in
diyidually now and then, II Is bad enough,
but when an influential and accredited
Marty organ deliberately sets out TO open thai
question again. make ii one OF the issues
Of the campaign, and manufacture party
capital out OF the dying emberS OF sectional
hatred. It's malevOlent action deserves im'
mediate rebuke from the honest and we'll
meaning OF both parties"
"But the question can fairly be asked
Which marty can better be trusted, the ont
tbat would put away all bitter sectiona
memories and help on the harmonious de
veionment Of both the North and the South
ar tbe one that aims to add 10 its strength
Inv such undetermined means and such ap
pealing to preiudices that ought long age
TO have died natural death as that quotcC
from the Commercial GGzette?"
We rci,erate that we are TO have dema
gogy aud sectiOnalism dd nduSe0m, unC
that The course OF the bloody-shirt shrek
ers calls for the strongest condemnation