The Russellville Democrat., 1884-11-27
THE SOLID SOUTH.


publfc-One Of His At
facks on the South
ern States.
In response to d serenade rendered
| him by number Of his political
! friends at Augusta, Me-, on the 18th
inst. Mr.. Blaine took occasion TO
make the most bitter and malignant
speech Of his life against the
| Southern people. Below we print
| full text Of that part Of his speech
devoted to the South:
THE SOLID SOUTH.
Speaking now, not at all as a de-
feated candidate, but simply as a
loyal and devoted American, think
tile transfer of the political power Of
the Government TO the SOUTH is q
great national misfortune. 1t is a
misfortune, because it introduces an
element which cannot insure har-
mony and prosperity to the people,
because it introduces into the re-
public the rule of minority. The
first instinct of the American is
equality-equality OF right, equality
of privilege, equality of political
power, that equality which says
your vote is just as good, just as
potential as the vote of any other
citizen" That cannot be said to-
day in the United States. The
course of affairs in the South has
crushed out the political power of
more than 100000 american citi-
zens, and has transit ed it by VIC
Hence to others. Forty two Presi-
Dental Electors are assigned to the
South on account Of the colored
population, with more than l,l00,-
900 legal votes, have been unable to
choose a single elector. Even in
those States where they have a ma
Ijority of more than 100000 they
were deprived of free suffrage and
their rights as citizens are scornful-
Ily trodden under foot. The eleven
States that comprised the rebel Con
federacy had by the census of 1880
i I, 100000 white population and s.
i 100000 colored population. The
colorcd population almost to man
desire to support the Republican
party, but by system OF cruel in
timidation by violence ard murder,
whenever violence and murder are
thought necessary, they are absolute.
" deprived Of all political power.
II the outrage stopped there it would
be bad enough, but it does not stop
there, for not only is the negro pop
ulation DISTINGUISHED, but the power
which rightfully and constitutional
| ~ belongs to them is transferred to
4 the white population, enabling the
white population OF the South TO ex-
I ert an electoral influence far beyond
that exerted by the same number OF
white people in the North.
A PUNGENT ILLUSTRATION.
! 10 illustrate just how it works 10
the destruction OF all fair elections,
let me present to you: Five States
in the late Confederacy and five loyal
States IN the North, possessing in
each section the same number OF
electoral votes. In the South, the
States of Louisiana, Mississippi. Al
ALBANIA, Georgia and South Carolina
} have in the aggregate forty-eight
electoral votes. They have $780,.
} 600 white people and over 100000
colored people. In the North, the
States OF Wisconsin, Minnesota,
, Iowa, Kansas and California have
likewise, in the aggregate, forty
: eight electoral votes, and they have
a population of 100000, or just
, double that of the five Southern
States which / have named. These
Northern States had practically no
colored population. :. It's, therefore,
evident that the white men in those
Southern States, by usurping and
absorbing the colorcd men, are ex-
erting just double the political power
of the white men in the Northern
States. submit, my friends, that
such a condition of affairs is extra
} ordinary, unjust and derogatory to
the manhood of the North. Even
those who are vindictively opposed
to negro suffrage will not deny that
| if Presidential electors are assigned
} to the South by reason of the negro
population. that population ought
to be permitted free suffrage in the
election. To deny that clear prop
osition is to affirm that Southern
white man in the Gulf States is en-
titled to double the political power OF
white man in the Northern Lake
States. 1t is to affirm that Con
federate soldier shall WELD twice the
influence In the nation that Union
soldier can, and thata perpetual an6
constantly increasing superiority
shall be conceded to the Southern
white man in the government of the
Union. II that be quietly conceded
in this generation it will harden
into custom until badge of lnferi.
GRITTY will attach to the Northern
white man as odiously as ever Nor
man noble stamped it upon Saxon
churl
INTERESTING TO NORTHERN LABoRERs.
This subject is of pecuniary deep
interest to the laboring mer OF the
North. With the Southern Democ-
racy triumphant in their States and
the nation, the negro will be com