Daily Republican., 1886-11-12
states Rights again

e~. A~-o-@. e%ees-
Governor Gordon, Of Georgia, who
Was inaugurAted on Tuesday, has dug
down into the debris OF the old South
ern Confederacy and resurrected not q
'bloody shirt" but the o d effete doc
trine Of States R,ghs. We might at
taoh less Importance TO the ranting Of
this or rebel General were 1t not that
States Rights were advocated with ed.
disionat ardor and assurance In our own
little State during the late cam psign by
DemocIadc speakers, most notably, the
two Ssulsburys, uncie and nephew v,
who spoke ct the Academy OF Nude
meeting. 1t 10 true there were sca-ely
. hundred persons present TO hear the
speakers, bat thAt made no difference,
State rights WAS an emphatic and lead.
ing part Of the address OF each. The
speeches were prepared to be spoken
before packed audience, and that the
audience did not come TO hear the
speakers made no difference 10 their
sentiments. All through the extreme
Southern States the skeleton Of States
rights havirg been dug up from the
grave In which the rebellion buried IL,
and wired together, 10 marched through
the country as leading Issue again.
General, nov Governor Gordon, no
doubt voices the dominant sentiment Of
the few people who rule In Georgia
when he revives this dead issue, and rs
Georgia speaks, 30 will South Carelius,
Alaoams, Florida, Mississippi Louisiana
and Texas speak. There are indications
that the States rights heresy will have
but litsle moral support outside Of the
States we have named, II We except the
voice OF the Saulsburys crying in the
wilderness Of little Delaware. Oaly In
the States vi ere popular elections are
made . farce, and where Bourbon fraud
and cruelty disfranchise the masses oil
the people, do We hear the voice raised
for States rights.
With West Virginia, North Carolina
and Kentucky about Stepping over into
the Republican party, and Virginia
already over, the demand for States
rights does not present the dangerous
front 1t did before the civil war COM
menced. The people will no doubt
conclude that that blasted doctrine has
already cost the country enough OF
blood and treasure. A million OF
human lives and countless millions OF
money were the price paid for Its ex.
tinction Has this sacrifice not been
enough Governor Gordon evidently
does not think 30, or he would desist
from his attempt 70 inject nsw life into
an almost dead issue. Here, twenty
one years after the Appomattox surren-
der, Rip Van Wrinkle like he wakes up
and says the States must have enlarged
powers; that Capitalization IL being
aimed ut by the opposition party, and
that Capitalization means "the destruc'
ton Of STATE Independence" These
are ominous words. Coming from the
ex-rebel Governor OF q 5tate where IN
blusaing frauds and outrages upon the
franchise have been CON mitted TO per
petua,e Bourbon unity, they contain 9
menace which the lcyil people Of ths
nation cannot pass over lightly. Re
publicans should neither re- sulkine
nor sleeping In their tents when suct
bold rebel sentiment s are proclaimed
This vampire OF secession should b.
met promptly now ny the force of pub
lie opinion and driven back to its dark
bloody chambers and chained for
thousand years.