The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1884-12-01
The Southern Question.

The Southern Question.
In view of the acknowledged, inds-
rutshls fact that elections in some of
the Southern States are not free and fair,
and that the Democratic party carries these
states by virtue of past or present denial
to Republicans OF free opportunity to vote,
the question inevitably recurs, VIVA. can
be done to prevent the wrong? 1t is not an
unimportant question either, because the
evil strikes not only at the just practical OPP
srstion of Republican form of government,
but at the very p; inciples upon which it is
based. tits not accidental, nor, as physicians
say Of certain levers that must have their
run, self-limited. 1t is deliberate and the
conditions are such that there is reason to
fear it may become malignant, threatening
the existence of the nation as true Repub
lie.
There are some who say that the coming
into power In the nation of the Democratic
party will cnre the evil. They argne that
the oppression of the Republicans in these
ssstes is on account of the hostility of the
Southern whites to the national Republican
party as the party which suppressed the re-
oeilion; that when this party goes out of
power in the nation, the occasion of the ty-
ranons union Of the Democrats in the South
arm States against the Republicans there,
and of the intimidation they have exercised,
will be no longer in existence; that then the
whites will divide among themselves on new
political issues, and as each party will
desire all the support it can get each will
protect Its coIored allies. If this rea-
s1ning is sound the end Of the wrong il
a. hand; but it is doubtful whether those
wAs think so have made correct diagnosis
Of TIE disease.
On the other hand, others have thought
thas the only hope OF cure is in the contiu-
ued ascendancy of the Republican psrty In
she nation. These also hold that the motive
Of the oppression is the bitter hostility of the
white people, that is the Democrats, to the
Republicans, protraction of the enmity of
ths war period, and they reason that The only
way to get rid of it is to convince those who
cherish it that their expectation OF restora-
tioR 10 political power in the nation through
These say that the division of the white race
upon new issues will come through despair
Of being able to obtain any share of power so
long as they continue Democrats. If that
were the only dependence we might give
mp hope now, for it is settled that the Repub-
lican party is not to continue in power, and
lhat the Democratic party will control the
administration for four years at least.
Those who are guilty of the unrepublican
oppression, If they were actuated chiefly by
the motive alleged, have now the encourage
nent Of success to continue in their course.
In considerations of this subject there
Is one point that ought not to be overlooked,
namely, that this wrong was first resorted
to for the purpose of securing good local
government. The Republican state govern
Hants in many of the southern states, and
especially in those of the extreme South
where the enfranchised freedmen are the
most numerous, were extravaut ard corrupt
There were honest aud able men connected
with those governments, but they could
not control the dishonest. The op.
portunities of freedom and of pow
or were too strong for the moral
weakness of the race just lifted cut of
slavery, and they did not want for designing
adventures to teach them the art of making
politics profitable. The methods resorted to
for overthrowing these governments were
nonstrous in wickedness; but the motive
related primarily to local affairs.
Unquestionably other motives entered in
80 the purposes Of the Democrats Of the
Southern tes,-prejudice against the Re-
publican party as the party Of the North,
and modification at being governed by those