Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-05-03
THE SOLID SOUTH.

The idea that the southern Democracy can at
once or even soon be divided is visionary.
Democracy Is in their bones They drink
Bourbon principles with their mothers' milk.
They hear Bourbon sentiments Ia childhood,
adopt them In youth and carry them out in
manhood by fair means or foul.
Why should southern Democrats vote the
Republican ticket? Ths very name Of that par
ty Is odious to them. And If the south were
d-vided" it would lose Its prepondera.ing in
nuence in the Democratic party.
There may be fewer Democrats in the south
in time to come, but not until this generation
passes away. The traditions, nkings and teach
ipgs Of 'he southern states ara Bourbon, and
the very soil seems saturated with Democratic
cas-.
Il is idle, therefore, TO assume, as SO many
mugwumps dc, that the southern Democracy
must be "conciliated" on the tariff and on
every other question OF politics. The southern
Democrats were "conciliated" thirty odd years
ago. and the " Cancellation" brought on civil
philadelphia News.
The News Is mistaken; the solid
south csn be split, but not by Repub-
Iicans nor IS long as Republican
ascendancy threatens to again dis
turb the peace and progress and dawn
ing prosperity Of the south. The south
had common interest in slavery, and
thus a5olitionism was enabled to solidify
this section in favor of secession. The
south had common interest in resis-
tance to the infsmies OF Radical recon-
struction, and thus this section was
solidifled by the Radical party. South
ern men ore in no way different from men
OF other sections-they will not submit
to local robbery and spoliation through
governmental agencies controlled by ig-
norance ana rspacitY combined, and they
are-Caucasisns. The election and
administration Of Cleveland have done
more to disintegrate the solid south
than all the years of Radical rule pre-
ceding 1884; and, with the reelection Of
Cleveland and the consequent recon-
struction or death of the Republican
party, the solid south will begin to go
to pieces. There is iron in Ala
bama, manufacturing in Georgia, coal
in West Virginia and other southern
states, tobacco in Kentucky and Virginia,
sugar in Louisiana, cotton in Texas and
Arkansas and Mississippi, and when the
pressure is removed that has kept the
south solid through common danger
and common interest In resistance,
southern men will divide into politically
hostile camps. The seeds of disinte-
grafton are planted in the south, and
1t depends upon the party OF
Foraker, ingalls,, Sherman and Halstead,
whether these seeds shall die in the
ground or spring up and thrive and
flourish.
Well may the Republican Philadelphia
News ask, "Why should southern Demo-
Gratis vote the Republican ticket? The
very name of that party is odious to
them" And it should be. Re,
crushed the south
and plighted it and robbed 1t in the name
OF loyalty. Southern state treasures
were bankrup.ed and southern people in-
poverished by the carnival of mIsgovern-
ment under Republican auspices and in the
name. As power has departed
from Republicsnism, the south has taken
on new life; its mines are being de-
veloped and its farms made to
bloom; it is the field
to which capital and. immigration are
turning, and the south Will never ex-
change Democracy and hope for Rspub-
licanisn and despair. AS long as Re-
publicsnisn is strong enough to menace
the south with wretched local govern
ment, so long, and only so long, will the
south be solid.