Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1885-02-26
THE FOLLY OF SECTIONALISM.

Mr.. Blaine and Mr.. Evarts, who
are likely to be contending candidates
for the Republican nomination in 1883,
call Mr.. Cleveland II ''sectionaP' can
didate and the Democratic party
"sectional' party.
Let us see on what unsubstantial
grounds this assertion rests
A sectional candidate is one who
draws his support wholly or i'm great
proportion from single section Of the
country. Asectional party is one whose
adherents are to be found wholly or In
inordinate proportion in one section, as
the Republicans were in 1860.
Nearly 100000 votes were cast In
the recent election. OF these, in round
numbers, 100000 were cast by the
Northern States and 5000, 900 by the So
called Southern States.
Mr.. Cleveland received Of the whole
vote $1,000 more votes than Mr.. Blaine,
If we credit the Prohibition vote to the
Republicans and the Butler vote to the
Democrats, the Democracy will be in
majority of about $4,000 in the whole
Union on the popular vote.
Does this show the Democratic party
to be a sectional party?
The census of 1850 shows the total
population of the twenty-five so-called
Northern" States to have been in thai
year Be, 1854, ,0l6, and the population OF
the sixteen so-called Southern" States
18,5O7 ,324. ......
| Estimating the increase in four Year,
on the basis Of the increase in the same
period between 1870 and 1880, and we
have now a so-called Northern popula-
ton of SO, 400 422 and a so-called South
ern population of 20, ASS, ,2OS.
| In the so-called Northern States Mr..
Cleveland received in round NUMBER
3 100000 votes, and in the so-called
Southern States 1,750,000 votes.
| In the four Northern States of New
York, New Jersey, Connecticut and
Indiana Mr.. Cleveland's vote was o
| fraction under II per cent, of the present
estimated population and MIR. Blaine,s
vote Il fraction over 10 per cent.
In the Northern States exclusive OF
the four Cleveland States Mr.. Blaine
| received vote equal to per cent. Of
the population, while in the Southern
States he received vote equal only to
81 per cent. of the population.
Does this make Mr.. Cleveland a ser
| liOllul
Does a lawyer of clear head and cool
judgment like Mr. Evarts suppose that
after such vote by the people Of the
whole Union in Presidential election
the country can be dragged back into
the. quagmire of sectionalism? Does he
think that the bloody shirt can be made
again available US a political banner
after Blaine has come within 1000 votes
of carrying Florida, within 3,lO0 Of
carrying Virginia and within 1900 Os
carrying Delaware and.W Virginia;
and after it has been seen that change
of 200 votes would have given CIeye-
land Michigan, that l 200 would have
given him Illinois, that 1,250 votes
would have given him Wisconsin, thai
800 would have transferred to him Ne
vada, l,100 Oregon, and that 10000
votes would have revoluti0nized the
Republican Gibraltar Iowa?
Mr., Blaine and Mr.. Everts have
started on the Presidential race with
their backs to the winning-post. Four
years of Mr.. Cleveland's Administration
will make their detestable and unpat-
riotic disunion policy even more
unavailable than It is at the present
| time World.