Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-10-07
THE OHIO CAMPAIGN.
THURMAN VERSUS SHERMAN.
Judre TLurman's Defence OF the seush-He
Administers q severe Exeoriatien 70 Her

time to reply to recent speeches OF Sen
ator Sherman. Judge Thurman, at tn
beginning Of his speech. said the Noun
Gilead speech Of Senator Sherman, de
liyered at the opening Of the campaign
was an indictment Of the South anc
revival Of the charges Of crime
and outrage made in years gone
by. He quoted the words o.
President Garfield in opposition to the
revival Of sectional hatred. The lasl
presidential campaign, be said, wa
opened by the Republican candidate on
the tariff as a chief issue, but before
the campaign closed this was dropped
and the "bloody shirt" raised as the
banner Of certain Republican victory
but when the votes were counted the
banner was found TO be trailing in the
dust. Particular stress was laid upon
the sentiment Of Grant that the pas
sions Of the war were at an end, and
amazement was expressed that man
speaking over his tomb should be
so audacious as TO say there is
no reconciliation that the rebellion is
not at an end that the only effective
way to suppress it is again to send the
"boys in blue" to the South. Quoting
from Senator Sherman's speech, the
speaker said Now it is impossible,
Is it seems to me, to misunderstood
these uttersnces. They are either vain
and empty declarations or disgusting
bravado, such as no man of ability
could indulge in without disgrace ;
or they are his real sentiments, and
mean, when thoroughly analysed, that
if the Republican party cannot obtain
power in any other way it shall obtain
and hold it by the sword. / knew that
such an idea, if you don't reflect upon
it, is calculated to excite your deri-
sion; but stop and reflect. If the
great State Of Ohio can be carried
by such appeals to passion
sd prejudice as Sherman is
making; if his weapons shall be suffi-
Gent to thrust from Office men whom
two years ago you elected if they
shall hew the way to fifth term in the
Senate for their author, they will be-
come the creed Of the Republican
party in 1888, and the doctrine Of hate
will be strongly, if not permanently,
established in the land"
Judge Thurman said the issue raised
by Sherman is a dangerous one to the
business and prosperity Of the Ameri-
can people, and the effort to blow into
fame the dying embers Of civil strife
should be frowned down by all loyal
people.
The speaker next proceeded to answer
the arguments of Sherman concerning
the grievous condition Of the colored
race in the South, claiming that they
were now in enjoyment of greater
prosperity and greater civil rights
than were ever enjoyed on this
globe by an equal number Of their race.
lie dated the prosperity Of that section
from 1875, when the Democrats came
into control and Radical rule and car
pet-bag government ceased. At the
end Of ten years it can be safely affirmed
that there is not an industry in the
South but is more prosperous than it
ever was in that region before until
now. They have in many lines Of manu-
fscture become the rivals of the mills of
the East. The speaker sketched briefly
many enterprises in the development
Of the South the free schools for col
ored youth; the contentment which
exists among the colored people, and
the fact that they have not migrated to
any Ct the old free States. All this, it
was argued, proves that they were not
disconnected, nor murdered, nor de-
privsd Of their rights, as depicted by
Senator Sherman and other Republican
orators. The colored man seemed to
prefer living with the white men South,
even though they be Democrats, to
dwelling in the tents of Radicals,
though they be saints. 1t was argued
that all those things could not be so if
the negroes South were in a state of
wretchedness, which had been SO often
asserted.
Judge Thurman quoted at length
from the tenth census QSS0) statistics
IN proof of the assertions which he had
made, the principal point being that
he colored people are in the majority
n but two Of the southern States
South Carolina and Mississippi-and he
confined his argument to the census of
hose two States. The object in these
igures was to show the depression in
III values in the periods covered by
rule and the advance Of all
material interests under the Democratic
Government. After dispoSing of
wilderness Of figures in regard to the
of South Carolina, the speaker
ummed up by saying: SIN short,
that feeds or clothes the ne
,ro in that State is within his reach to
degree that he never knew before.
low, once more put it to you: Could
his be the case if South Carolina is in
be lawless condition that Radical speak
rs represent it to be: Not much, fell
Ow-citizens. This continued stream
4 prosperity under Democratic rule
royes that the rule is benefcent, and
he quiet that prevails in that State
roves that the people of all classes there
re contented under their government"
Judge Thurman denied the assumption |
( Senator Sherman that all the colored |
oters in the South are Republicans and |
'ould vote that ticket if not terrorizsd. |
lie said "If it were true, it would be
serious question whether a peo-
10 so Servile and cowardly are
t to exercise the elective franchise, but
II enc, | do not believe they are
} utterly debaSed. believe, that hav-
g good reason for not voting the Re-
ublican ticket, they abstain from do
g so in great numbers, or they vote the
emocratic ticket. l know very we'll
lat under the manipulation Of the
reedmen's Bureau agents soon after
lie war the colored people Of the South
ere to a great extent drawn into
epublican so-callsd Union Leagues,
Id were taught to believe that if
lie Democratic party succeeded they
ould be once more reduced to slavery.
do not deny that great effect was pro-