Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1884-08-16
EQUAL Rights North end South.

The Providence (R. H. Journals little
gun is shooting wild again. No sooner
have we congratulated ourselves upon hay
ing gotten our contemporary TO fire true
than away il goes at tangent. 1t seems
TO have genius for throwing the fat into
The fire. and discountiEg its good works
and fairness. one day IT is as happy as q
healthy infant with a new rattle, and the
next it is as cross as that same infant cut
ting its eye-teeth. Wednesday it was all
smlos, Thursday it was mad with every
thing foot high and day old. In It's
issue Of Thursday il quotes from the Dis
patch the sentence. " II you desire TO see
the South free once more. work for the
election of GROVER CLEVELAND" and pro-
ceods TO comment as follows;
"The people Of the North have labored
under the impression that the South was
free already, the large section OF the south.
ern people who were not free having been
liberated from bondage as result OF the
war against the Union. What greater free
dom does the South desirei The southern
States have been restored TO the sovereign
and self-goverLing capacity which they
occupied before the war, subject only TO
the sumo constitutional limitations and Fed
eral laws which affect alike all sections OF
the nation. Or do the dominant majority
OF The southern people, now sOnIewha re-
strained ly national authority under Re-
publican guidance, aspire to freedom in
dealing as they might please with the
negro population, freedom in defying
Federal statutes, and freedom in ralding
upon The national treasury for reimburse
ment OF the diSloyal who lost property
in the war, and FOR gigantic political job
berry such as, according 10 the New York
Times, Cleveland has approved and abet-
ted in New York; The South already
possesses freedom in the true sense. Vir-
GINA is as free to-day as Rhode Isllnd so
are South Carolina and Louisiana. the only
difference beng that here all who are en-
titled TO vote can do so freely, and in the
South. according 10 sworn and trustworthy
testimony, many have been prevented by
intimidation and even by murder from ex.
crcisiDg that privilege. We apprehend |
that the freedom the South desires is not |
such as the North will be willing to &c.
cord"
Now, il the above is not an exhibition OF |
bad temper, what is it' Nor is that all. 1t |
also affords an example OF the fact that bad |
temper and sound judgment cannot go
hand in hand. In ono breath the Journal |
says the southern States have been restored |
TO the sovereign and seli-goyerning capacity |
which they occupied before the war; SUBJ |
ject only TO the same constitutional limita- |
tons and Federal laws which affect alike |
all sections OF the nation; and in the next |
Il tells us that the dominant majority OF |
the southern people ere somewhat restrain |
ed by national authority under Republican |
guidance. Here the Journal gives itself |
away completely; and here is just our
cause Of complaint. theoretically Virginia |
is Just as free as is Rhode Island. Practi. |
cally she is not. for the restraint imposed |
" under Republican guidance" loo often |
hollow mockery. Too often the "constitu- |
tlona limitations and Federal laws" instead |
OF affording protection, have been made.in- |
struments Of oppression in order 10 bolster |
up the fortunes Of the Republican party. |
Time and again the whole power OF Fed |
eral court in the South has been used |
as political machine in the inter- |
ests OF the Administration at Wash. |
ingtoD, and under alleged authority o.
Federal law United States deputy marsbals
have committed outrages upon the rights
Of the people which would not have
been tolerated in Rhode Island. Only |
a 10
eressman in this city, all the election
officers at several OF the precincts were
arrested, the ballot-boxss closed, and the
election stopped for hours. One OF the
parties TO the arrest was Republican can
dldate for Congress and Federal official.
70 much for the past and the present.
As for the future, we again call our con-
tcmporary's attention 10 The threat of Mr..
LOGAN that the National Government must
20 beyond "declarations aud resolutions"
Restrained by national authority under
Republican guidance" is good. Yes, the
South is under the same constitutional lim-
tations and Federal laws as the North
subject to political construction.
"Raidiug upon the national treasury is
also good. Considering the record OF the
Republican party in respect OF that matter.
we hardly know whether TO look upon the
utIerance as joke or a piece OF
cheek. IL intended for the latter, it Is en-
titled 10 the cake. None OF its Radical con.
emporarios will, we think, even demand
bat 1t divide the prize with item.
As TO the Journals remark about the
Sew York Times. CLEVELAND. and politi.
al iobbery, we leave the Times to take care
4 that. Al best it can have no more effect
" southern game than a spent ball, and it
5 evident that It was loaded into the Jour
ais gun at random. When, however,
ur contemporary makcssa boast that all
rho are entitled to vote In Rhode Island
an do so freely, we must say that the butt
I It's gun Is more dangerous than the
inzzle. We would gently remind this
palot' ia the cause OF suffrage and equal c