The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1886-11-26
SURPRISING RESULT IN NoRTE
CAROLINA.

The election in North Carolina on No
vember 2d, struck the Democracy of
that State with something like cyclonic
force. An earthquake could hardly
have precipitated them into such u con-
dition of mental and political paralysis
us they now exhibit. A brief review of
the recent political history of that State,
as given by the Cleveland Leader, is
necessary to an understanding of the
present situation.
In 1869 the Republicans of North Caro-
lima elected 100 members of the legisla-
ture, and i'm the following year they
elected six out of seven congressman.
This was before the general introduction
of the shotgun. bulldozing, and tissue
ballots into Southern politics. In the
elections referred to the Republican
vote, white and black, was cast and
counted for the last time in sixteen years.
Immediately after the congressional
elections of 1870, the Democrats of the
South, including North Carolina, organ
lied system of murder, intimidation,
and other electoral outrages, having IN
view the suppression or notification of
the negro vote, which has made that
section infamous in the eyes of all hui
man and liberly-loving people. The
system thus adopted was successful from
the outset BY means thereof the Dem
ocrats elected l07 members of the legis-
lature in 1872 to 63 Republicans, and
have retained control of that body ever
since, their present majority thei elm be-
ing 10, "a i'm the House and 80 in the
Senate.
Having obtained control of the legis-
lature and election machinery, the North
Carolina Democrats proceeded to change
the liberal constitution of 1868. A new
constitution was submitted to the people
in 1873, and counted in, and amendments
were subsequently added, the purpose
being to forever prevent the Republic
ans from having any influential part in
the government of the State. The con-
stitutional changes gave the legislature
the appointment of all the magistrates
i'm the State. The county commission
ers, school trustees, superintendent OF
instruction, and all election officers are
appointed by the magistrates, so that
Democratic control of county govern
ments and the machinery of electinns.
even i'm counties overwhelmingly Re-
publican, has been absolute; and how
effectively it has been worked to destroy
local self-government and suppress the
Republican vote need not here be re-
peated.
When the campaign opened this year
the Republican State committee decided
to hold no convention and not TO nomi-
nate ticket. No better proof could be
afforded of the bopelessness of the out
look to some of the Republican leaders.
But this cowardly course was not APP
proved by the party IN the State, the
general feeling being that no matter
how badly they might be beaten, it was
better to keep their organization alive
and in working order. A meeting of
Republicans was called at Raleigh and Il
call for 4 convention issued in denance
of the State committee, and the conven-
ton met ut Raleigh on September 2l.
A full State ticket and judges for about
one-half the counties were nominated.
The regular committee denounced the
new committee appointed Oh that day
as usurpers, and worked against 1t all
through the campaign. The election re-
suited in surprising Republican victory.
The Republicans have an undOubted
majority i'm both branches of the legIs-
lature, elected nearly all their nominees
for county judges, captured two Con-
gressional districts, and would have won
in two others if they had made any
nominations therein. The extent of
the victory, and its effect upon the
Democratic leaders in the State, is
shown by the following article, copied
from the Newberne Daily Journal:
The Democratic losses are appalling. As re-
| turn after return came in there was an i'll
crease of alarm. There were in the last House
cratic majority of73 Tho Republicans claim
| they have overcome this majority, and many
Democrats are disposed to concede this claim.
All signs so far are i'm favor of the Republic
| ans, and il is sad to say. In the Senate there
were - Democrats and Republicans. 1t was
! necessary for the Republicans to overcome Il
majority OF 49,, This they are apparently
doing very rapidly. You cannot imagine the
| dismay these things cause here. 1t appears as
| though the Republicans have got the legisla-
turc, 1t is horrible, simply horrible. Ii Is be-
| lieved the State and judicial tickets are
beaten. People are apparently appalled,. A
week ago what an age IL seems-thngs were
so peaceful. so happy. Now all is dashed into
| the bitterness of despair. In speeches last
night the Republicans boldly and joyfully an
nounced that to Democrats they were In
debtcd for their victories. There is much talk
about these things, too. AID angry talk.
If the Republicans can hold what they
have fairly won, the schemes invented
| by the Southern Democrats to disfran-
chise Republicans in all parts of the
State will have come to naught, and will
| lllClI OWii IL
publicans are not cheated out of their
majority in the legislature, the consti-
| tutionaf changes adopted to suppress
their influence will bar out the Demo-
Gratis for years to come. There would
be little hope, perhaps, of the Republic
ans enjoying the fruits of their remark.
able victory were it not for the facts re-
ferred to i'm the last two sentences of the
above quotation from the Journal. The
Democrats of the State are divided on
the tariff question and the policy of the
administration and some of them con-
tributed to bring Republican success.
| This fact is to some extent an assurance
that what the Republicans have gained
| they will be permitted to hold. The ex-
tent to which the tariff question entered
| INTO the contest is shown by the follow
| ing extract from Washington dispatch
| TO the Cincinnati Commercial Gazette:
The rice industry of North Carolina is very
| important. If the tariff OF one and hall
cent on raw and two cents on cleaned rice
| were removed il would utterly ruin the bust
ness, and RangOOn rice would come in by way
Of the Pacific Coast, at price of ten To hfteen
| cents Il bushel, as against seventy to ninety
| cents paid for Carolina rice under the tariff
| The free labor of Carolina would be ruined 10y
pauper labor of Eastern Asia. The coal and
| iron interests of Western North Carolina arc
getting sensitive, too. and the people appear
| to be getting wisdom on the subject.
The situation i'm North Carolina is GER
tainly one which Republicans all over
the country may contemplate with salts
faction and hope. But it is not alone in
regard to North Carolina that such hope
may be entertained. There is feeling
against sectionalIsm growing in all the
Southern States-a feeling that the ma.
terial interests of these States suffer by
reason of their heretofore solid Bour-
bonism. This sentiment is well eX-
pressed in recent letter from Demo
crat i'm Georgia to the Democratic New
York Sun, as follows:
The people are weary OF the drum and fife
| i'm every Southern political canvass They are
| sick at heart when they see their section
stunned by capitalists and forsaken by ma
| tcrul prosperity, and the administration OF
Mr. Cleveland has shown them that they have
| followed myth ever since the war, and they
were quite as well of rs to Offices prOsperi-
| ty under their enemies as with their supposed
friends. IL is pitiful to see the disappointment
| thai DreyailS