The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-09-02
ME. BLAINE AND THE SOUTH.

which is offended at Mr.. Sherman's speech,
and which seems to think that the future of
the Republican party must be in the direction
of free trade, in All explanation of the reasons
and lessons of the defeat Of Mr.. Blaine last
year, says:
SIN his letter of acceptance in 1884, he said
nothing about the South"
It is we'll, at times at least, to know what
one is writing or talking about. Mr.. Blaine's
letter of acceptance is easily accessible in al
most any newspaper Office. Had it been re-
ferred to, one conspicuous paragraph would
have been found to be as follows under the
caption of the Southern States"
~ recognize, not without regret, the neces-
sity for speaking Of two sections of our COM
mon country The South needs
capital and occupation, not controversy. AS
much as any part of the North, the South
needs the full protection of the revenue laws
which the Republican party offers. Some of
the Southern States have already entered upon
a career of industrial development and pros
perity These, at least. should not lend their
electoral votes to destroy their own future.
issues that grow out Of the memories of the
war will summon the Northern States to COM
bine in the assertion of that nationality which
was their inspiration in the civil struggle,
and thus great energies, which should be
united in common industrial development,
will be wasted in hurtful strife. The Demo
cratic party shows itself foe to Southern
prosperity by always invoking and urging
Southern political consolidation. Such pol
icy quenches the rising instinct Of patriotism in
the heart of the Southern youth; it revives
spirit of barbaIic vengeance for the love of
peace, progress and harmony"
This sounds as though Mr. Blaine had said
something about the South in his letter of
acceptance and it is not unlike the appeals
that have appeared and continue to appear in
the Republican press of the North against the
"solid South, which is and always will be, SO
long as it continues upon its present sectional
basis, the most threatening danger to the Ma
TONS peace and prosperity. But there is still
another paragraph in Mr.. Blaine's letter which
seems to have been forgotten:
''A free ballot is the safeguard of Repub-
lican institutions, without which no national
welfare is assured. A popular election, hon
estly conducted, embodies the very majesty
of true government. Ten millions of voters
desire to take part in the pending contest.
The safety of the Republic rests upon the in
tegrity of the ballot-upon the security of
suffrage to the citizen To deposit fraudu-
lent vote is no worse a crime against constitu-
tional liberty than to obstruct the deposit of
an honest vote. He who corrUpts suffrage
strikes at the very root of free government.
He is the arch enemy of the Republic. He
forgets that in trampling upon the rights of
others he fatally imperils his own rights. 1T
is good land which the Lord, our God, doth
give u.s. but we can maintain our heritage
only by guarding with vigilance the source of
popular power"
Singularly enough, as though Mr.. Blaine
would have these words Of his specially re-
membered by those of his countrymen who
should read his letter, they are the very last
in the entire document, occupying that con-
spicuous place by reason of their Importance
Senator Shernan's Mt. Gilead speech, and he
will note that ''strong family resemblance"
which the Boston Transcript says character
ICES all Republican platforms this year. Mr..
Blaine pleaded for free manhood suffrage, and
his plea was to the South, where alone it is
unknown and disallowed. Mr.. Sherman's
speech was for free manhood suf-
rage for that equality of rights"
which Charles Sumner, in his i'm
mortal epigram, said 'is the first Of
rights On the principles elaborated by Mr..
Blaine nearly five millions of Republicans
stood and voted in November last, only nine
months ago. Those five millions of men can
not be coaxed or driven to abandon that plat
form because few hundred people in New
York State cared more for the possible reap
pointment of a prig as postmaster of that city
than they did for the most vital principle that
can affect free government and upon which
the Republican party was founded, and for
the advocacy and maintenance of which it
has waged battle for thirty years. When
next the attempt is made to lecture the Re
publican party, it will be we'll not to falsify
its history nor to msrepresent its leaders
@-H...uu..Ezazza
WOMEN suffragsts in Maine are making
themselves ridiculous by petitioning for the
ooy,parfa t; Of tho daafb Oap4o,oo 800