Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1885-08-13
THE SOLID SOuTH.
The Policy of the Administration Re
garding Appointments:
The President Said 10 Be Determined
To Break 1t Up.


leans Times Democrat: The Star to-
day contains an article, in which the
Southern situation is discussed from
what is unquestionably an administra-
tion point of view. This newspaper,
which processes independence in politics,
manages in some way to whip around the
popular breezes, and imagining just new
that breah-up is hand and that Mr..
Cleveland will be on top, it is laboring
assiduously to become his organ here
The source of the writer's information
can easily be traced from the prominent
use that is made of the old scandalous
twaddle about the regular Democracy of
Louisiana, and it is, moreover, made
very plain that it is made not only the
purpose of the Gibson people to break
up the party, but to assist, as
near as possible, to bring about new
political alignments all over the South
1t would seem, indeed, from the tenor of
the discussion, to be the cherished aim
ofthis administration to bring to close,
at as early day as possible, the present
political solidarity of the South. The
THE SOUTHERN SITUATION.
The effect of the past five months of
Democratic administration upon the
South is attracting attention. After the
election of Mr.. Cleveland it was pre-
dicted by Independent politicians that
the Democratic success would do what
Mr.. B1aine's greatest efforts failed to
| accomplishments up the solid South.
This opinion is now expressed by South
ern Democrats, with whom a Star re-
porter has talked. They speak of it, how
| ever, with the greatest complacency, and
| look for decided party advantage as the
| result. Mr.. Cleveland's attitude toward
| the South has not been such as to please
a very large element of the Southern
| Democracy, but it has been such as, it is
| declared, will best advance the interests
of that section, and finally strengthen
the party throughout the country. The
party workers, who were waiting to
swoop down upon the Offices and get as
much as they could in the scramble, are
disappointed and out of humor.
I'm some cases, remarkably that o1
Louisiana, the minority faction of the
party has been recognized to the utter
exclusion of the great body of practical
politicians who have been peddling bal
lots aud doing the work at the polls
But the Offices, it is said, have gone as a
general thing TO the men against whom
no objection could be urged, and the
hand of the administration has been ex
tended to strengthen the conservative
politics throughout the South. In most
cases the local Federal offices have beer
turned over to the Democrats, and no
to the craftsmen to be used as politica
tools.
The result has been to give the peo
pie in that section con6dence in the ad
ministration. This is said to be partic
ularly the case with ~ ,,ooni.
,wro find, instead of the 'bulldozers' the,
expected, that the men they respect mos
are being put INTO power. BuTit divide
the party, and the reliance of the admin
istration is generally put in the minorit
faction. One prominent Southern of
, fetal, with wh ON the reporter was dis
cussing the subject, said he had bee
watching very closely, and expressed tn
opinion that nothing but good for tn
party would come from the President
course The disaffected, he thought
would not revolt at once and throw th
government back into the hands of th
! Republicans, as however dissatis6e
| they were with the Democratic admins
tration, they preferred it to the Reput
| lican
They would, however, as soon as tn
Democracy's permanency in powe
seemed assured begin a fight for suprem
acy in the party The South would the
] divide upon economic questions and see
e tionalism would be lost forever. Th
South would no longer be found present
: ing solid front for the Democracy. Th
!, fundamental party principles would II
}, | main the same, but there would be man
, questions to divide them. The colore
a people, he thought, would divide O
!, economic questions, and color would fad
: the loss of Southern States to. the part
!: would bring over to them Eastern {
y Northern States of greater strength, an
: thus the conservative Democratic part
c would gain by Clevelands policy. H
a looked to Louisiana for the first breal
y and said he expected to see that Stat
60 Republican nexS election. He thougl
e it was politically the most corrupt Sta
n in the Union, and the best element
}, the party there was always kept in tt
: minority.
r, 1T was the lottery men, he believe
y who had beaten Jonas for the Sena
;, and had control of the State. The M
jority faction, who were now denouncil
: | Cleveland for ignoring them and reco
r, nizing only the Gibson faction, repr
t, seuted an element that it was the poll
lie of the administration to oppose, al
;e Jonas and the other men appointed
'r Office were engaged in trying to purge Il
rs party of bad influences. Under the
circumstances he did not think it wou
8, be surprising if the State went again
lie the few conservative men the Preside
a, had selected as his representatives.
IN "As to the appointments througho
er the South, many more had been ma
than it was generally supposed would
lie and the offices were in the hands of t
t. best Democrats who could be found
& fiji them -