Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-09-30
WEDNESDAY. .sEpr'BER 80, 1885.
Free Government-The Bloody shir''
what is the meaning Of all this out


rree 0overnment-The Bloody Shirt
What is the meaning Of all this out
cv against the southern peopleS 10
the accomplishment Of what end does II
tepdp There must be some object
present in the minds Of the men VINO
are guilty Of making these utierances'
What is that object?
1t is possible that in the northern
States the object of the malignants is
merely to gain local partisan ad'an-
t.ee. They may be playing the dema-
eosus's part. They may be seeking to
sIsym the voters as . means of keeping
tbe Democrats out Of power If out, or
Of getting them out Of power if in.
But when southern men begin to wave
the bloody shirt, and to make politi-
cal campaign hideous with libels and
ISLANDERS upon their own people, there
must be some other object in view.
SHERMAN may be working simply for
reelection to the United States Senate.
MALONE, however, surely cannot hope
10 secure his reelection to that body
by denouncing bis own people as assas-
sins and murderers.
MALONE, WISE, WooD, BLAIR,
and the other Republican leaders in
Virginia, would no doubt in the event
of their defeat, now so probable, like
to get possession of fat Federal offices.
Thew would now, it is to be presumed,
20 so far as to demand, if they thought
they could get it, the assistance Of the
Federal Government in their scheme
for ruling Virginia in their own interest
and in the interest Of the Republican
party.
In q word, MALONE and WISE
would have Virginia ruled from Wash
ipeton, as she was ruled in RECONSTRUCT
ton days. There can be no other rea-
son given why they should censure the
manner in which the election laws OF
this State are administered, and de-
nouncs-the people who execute or ad-
minister those laws, and, in q word,
cut themselves off from oil sympathy
with their own race.
Some of the Mahoneites declare that
there is in Virginia q public opinion
which ostracizes them because they are
Republicans. VINO make up public
opinion but the people? How can a
minority Of the people thus control
public opinion? II it is replied that it
is done by the use of money, that reply
does not remove the difficulty. Why
is it that the large numbers of per-
sons claimed to he on the other
side do not find money equally
potent? Haven't they got it? Why,
II would never do to make such con-
fession as that. Where are the thou
sands and tens Of thousands Of sturdy
farmers, rich planters, businessmen,
&C., &C., who, we have been assured,
have heard Mr.. WIsE's speeches and
applauded them to the echo? Where
are the thousands of Democrats who
have personally assured Mr.. WISE that
they would not vote for LEE because
LEE had refused to divide time with
himg
Suppose that two out Of every ten o
the white voters in Richmond were Re
publicans who could keep them from
having a public opinion of their own
How would it be possible for them t
be prosecuted or ostracized by thei
fellow -ciiizeDss 1t couldn't be done.
Is II not . logical inference, then
from their acts that the Mahoneite
would like to have Virginia ruled from
washingtong II not, what can thei
object be- If public opinion in vir
ginia runs so strongly against them a
they say. what other object can the.
, have in view than the invoking in thei
behalf Of the strong arm Of the Fedora
Government
But suppose that, after all, the Ma
honeites should, when pressed upo
this point, reply, as Mr.. WISE woul
seem ready to reply, that it is not Il
masses Of the Democrats but the lea,
ers only who are intolerant and pr,
scriptive. Then there is no publ
opinion OF which the Mahoneites ca
complain. Their charges are an attac
upon free government. To say that Il
masses Of the people can be influence
by their leaders to ostracize their neigl
bors when they themselves have no wis
TO do so, is to say that the people Al
incapable Of sslfgovernment. And
incapable Of self-sovernment, the pc
pie Of Virginia ought to be governs
from Washington. Q. II. ID.
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