Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1884-07-08
TUESDAY,. JULY 3, 1884.
The Sectional Party.

The Sectional Party.
The Republican party Is sectional party.
II confesses the fnct In It's national platform
Of this year, as is evidenced by the Ian
guage Of the following paragraphs Of that
platform:
"The pcrpetulty OF our institutions rests
upon the maintenance OF free ballot and
honest count and correct return. We de-
noubce the fraud and violence practleed
BY the Democracy In the southern States y
which the will OF the voter Is defeated as
dangerous 10 the preservation OF free insti-
stitutions, and we solemnly arraign the
Democratic party n being the guilty ie-
cipient Of the fruits OF such fraud and vio-
lence.
1--WE extend 10 the Republicans OF the
South, regardless OF their former party
affiliations. our cordial sympathy. and
pledge 10 them our most earnest efforts To
promote the passage OF such legislation IS
will secure TO every citizen, OF whatever
race and color, the full and complete -ecog-
milton, possession, and exercise OF all civil
and political rights"
These paragraphs afIoid an all.sufficient
answer TO the appeal which the New York
Tribune makes to the businessmen Of the
South TO unite their fortunes with those Of
the Republican party.
To libel the people Of the southern States
Is poor way Of beginning campaign
whose results are expected TO show an In
creasing Republican strength In those
States. The Republicans denounce "the
fraud and violence practiced by the Demo
cracy In the southern States" Here
Il charge made by a sectional party
against the people Of section OF the
Union comprising very large portion
OF the entire population OF the United
States. BY the phrase "the Democracy In
the southern States" the Republicans
mean TO designate the white people, and no
white man will, IL is to be presumed, deny
that the whites are the best people in the
South. Besides. il is not charged by any
body, we believe, that the Democrats OF
the South practice "iraud and violence"
In their dealings with the whites. 1t il the
negroes that are assumed to be the victims
OF those alleged wrongs. The second par
agrnph quoted above shows that 1t is the
negroes who are made the subjects OF "vio-
lence and fraud" This second paragraph
pledges the Republican party TO "esrnest
efforts TO promote the passage OF such leSis-
lation as will secure TO every citizen OF
ulafever race aud color the full and COM
plete recognition, possession, and exer-
Ill .s.-fI n1 ri
The words "every citizen" would
Of themselves have been sufficient II the
Republicans had not framed the above par
agrapbs particularly with view TO Sc
curing the votes OF the southern negroes
and their particular friends In the North.
The Republican party has for twenty
years made political capital in the North
by arousing the preiudces OF the Unionists
against the so called "rebels" Of the South.
The charges contained in the paragraphs
quoted above, libelling the Democrats
Of the South and appealing TO the negroes
for their support, were skiiiully drawn so
ms 10 have also, II possible, the effect OF
once more exciting the animosities OF the
northern people against the Democrats OF
the southern section OF the Union. The
northern section Is so much larger than the
southern that the former can, II solid,
always, Of course, easily out-yote the latter.
This superior voting strength OF the
North is what has induced the Republican
party to become sectional party. The
Democrats, on the contrary, make no sec
tional appeals. They lay down platform
upon which men Of every section can stand.
They treat the northern people as friends
and brethren instead OF as aliens and enc
mics. They libel no section. Largely
more than half the Democrats in the land
live In the northern States. The Demo
cratic party is therefore national in fact as
well As in name, in its objects and In every
respect whatever.
Suppose Mr.. BLAINE shall DO elected
President on the 4th Of November next.
VIII not every southern Democrat feel that
the war spirit Is ,,ill ruling the country,
and that the people OF the southern States
are still regarded as enemies by the people
Of the northern States!
Suppose, on the other hand. that the
Democratic nominee shall be elected. VIII!
not every man, North and South, realize
that grim-visaged War" has at last
"smootbed his wrinkled 'front.'" and the
States become onee more united In the
bonds OF confidence and brotheriy lover
In other words, the road 10 "s union OF
hearts and q union OF hands" leads
through kindness and Cancellation. rather
than through libels aud wrongs. The Re-
publican party has not even tried to be-
come a national party. On the contrary,
a was In the beginning . war party, and
10 this day continues 10 be war party. 1t
hopes 70 perpetuate its power, not by
snreading fiaternal feelings throughout the
length and breadth Of the land. but by
keeping alive the base passions and pre-
iudices that were born Of an interneeine
war.
But LEI the Democrats administer the Ma.
tional Government for four years, and
never afterwards will the voice OF strife be
heard. Defeat the sectional party once, and
Il viii vanish as did the Greenback party
after It's defeat in 1873. Then will the voters
divide upon politico-economical questions,
and national platforms cease to libel the
people OF any section. A genuine peace
will have come, and come TO stay.
To-day the Democratic National Conven-
tlon Is TO meet TO provide either for this
happy state Of things, or for years OF I'M
happy sectional chickering's. What sort OF
southern Democrats are those who place
tariff problems above the question Of free
Souihy