National Republican., 1885-05-23
THE LABOR QUESTION.
Tho Gospel which shouId Re
Preached 10 the Southern People.

Preached 10 the Southern People.
EDITOR NATIONAL REPUBLICAN: The :
Breakfast Table letter published in TIE ,
REPUBLICAN on the 9th instant refers !
to and in a measure, discusses one of the
most important political questions which
this nation has to solve. refer TO the
negro labor of the southern states, and
the protection IL is to receive through his
exercise Of the elective franchise. All
history teaches that II ones interests are
4 TO be protected, he must be the protector.
II was in view of this truth that the Re-
| publican party, in the reconstruction OF
the rebellious states, insisted that the
right OF suffrage should be conferred upon
all citizens, to bo enjoyed equally without (
regard to color or previous condition of .
servitude.
Labor is the ordained means by which
all the necessaries, comforts, aud luxu-
ries of life are to be produced and en-
joyed. Without IL there can be neither
individual nor national prosperity. Let
1t cease for a day, and there would be
universal stagnation and death. Yet
few like to labor. Most prefer rather to
live by the sweat of other mems brows
than by that of their own. The effort to
live and accumulate by tho labors Of
others has given birth to tyranny,
slavery, monopolies, and all the oppres.
sions which one class has suffered at the
hands of another class To protect them
selves against these efforts those who
labor must have power to resist them, and
there is no such power in this country
but tho ballot and the intelli genco to use
II. The freedmen arc the principal la
borers OF tho south, and though, In theory,
possessed of this power, practically they do
not enjoy It, Through the machinery
adopted in nearly all OF the southern
states, for the holding and superinteud-
ing elections and determining the results,
the power Is placed in tho hands Of the
property, non-laboring class by force aud
fraud to thwart the will OF the laborers
as expressed by their ballots, and this 10
done unhesitatingly whenever and wher.
ever this non-laboring class deems IL for
! its interests. 1t is this machinery that
makes the south q unit in all Presi-
: dental elections. 1t is this machinery
that puts all the southern state govern
I ments under the control of the non-labor-
ing property class Notwithstanding the
, laboring class forms q large majority.
This explains why there has been so much
, legislation in those states for the benefit
/, and security Of property owners and not
! any for the laborers. This Is the reason
, why lynch law in those states runs riot,
} and that We rarely hear of colored man
there charged with high crime boing tried
. by court and jury. This Is tho reason
: why freedmen in those states do not and
dare not bring suits against white men to
: secure their rights OF person aud prop
' erty. There is among southern people a,
Kind feeling for the negro, and also n
: knowledge that it is for their interest to
o keep him as u laborer, and II Is this feel
Z ing and this interest and not the law that
y give tho negro the little protection that
u he has, but this is extended TO him SO
long only as ho occupies menial posic
tion, or, as they express 1t, Keeps hiC
place." 1t Is still truth that all kind oi
}. labor performed generally by negroes IL
IL considered degrading, and whenever per,
g formed by white people those performing
a II are regarded socially as Oh the same
o level with tho negro. The greatest boon
g that could be conferred upon tho southern
Is people would be a gospel which they
10 would accept, and which should teach
Is that all honest labor is honorable, and
that in its performance, interest, duty,
and patriotism are all combined.
y Neither labor nor laborers can be de-
s. graded in one part of the country with
ie out the same pursuit and operators feel
u, ing the stigma more or less in other parts.
l. The laborers, therefore, of the northern
~ states have special and deep interest In
OF the elevation of tho laborers of the south.
lp orn states To effect this the freedmen
Is must be secured
1. In the practical exercise of the cleo
tive franchise.
st g. In the enjoyment of the means OF
II. education that they may learn how r.
nt vote in an intelligent manner.
IL 3. They must be encouraged to accumu.
re late property. have houses OF their own
no and thus become materially interested In
is the prosperity Of the state in which they
IL live.
on 4. Their rights Of person and propert,
must be determined by courts and jurie
and not by lynch law.
OF The Republican party, by amendment
~ OF the constitution and appropriate legis
cd lation. endeavored to effect all those. bu
ld the perversity of the Democracy has in
nd great measure rendered their efforts nuga
&C. tory. Still the laws stand aud the con
as stitution. and these the President ha
ioa sworn to support and enforce, and sacredl.
promised, in his inaugural and otherwise
that the rights Of the freedmen shall b
a maintained. He can and must keep hi
he oath and promises. He, in sympath,
en- with the Democracy of the south, cal
nd solve, IL it ever can be solved, the great
as est political problem of this generation
is how to secure good government in tn
he southern states, at the same time main
tanning practical universal suffrage, ant
lot all his civil aud political rights. Thi
} is cannot be done by using al
Wis the patronage Of the goyernmen
cd. to continue in power in Virgini
'th party which has just enacted m ele,
n tion law which takes all power from th
ile people in towns and counties to superir
tend their elections, and puts the whol
machinery of their management in tn
tes hands of n partisan legislature--a Ia,
in more anti-democratic and disgracefu
ect than can be found upon the statute boo
ars of any other state. giving power to th
Try controlling party to perpetuate its exist
in ence eindefnitely. Ifthe President woul
.- only adhere to the principles Of civil Sol
vice reform, both in its letter and spri
and, by so doing, show its untold benefit
ing so as to commend 1t to the wisdom of q
the classes. it might be extended, not only |
no. the administration of the national goy
The ernment, but also in the administratio
in of state governments until no one woul
ep.) be eligible to any Office whose qualities
tions to discharge its duties had not bee
nto ascertained, and thus secure good an
Jol. competent men in Office with uniyers'
ly's suffrage, even in states whore SO large
cut proportion of the voters are illiterate an
inexperienced. HAMLIN.
III The Everlasting Truth.
up. A northern secossionist Is and wi
v Is Justly remain peculiarly despicab
creature to the public, That Bouthel