The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1888-02-07
Not in n Dilemma,

W Z iOic tlldO SOHlS Vi our republican 90,
temporaries are in state of glee. So IN
speak, over what they are pleased to term
''the democratic dilemma" They seem to
be impressed with the idea that the demo
cratic party can never reach any satisfac.
tory adjustment of the tariff and Internal
revenue questions, but that disscnsion in
its ranks is becoming more open day after
day
We beg leave to say to our esteemed con.
temporaries that they are rather too preyious
in so hastily arriving at the conclusion that
the democrats cannot arrive at a harmonious
settlement of these questions. They need
not congratulate themselves so early than
the democratic party has so far lost contro,
OF itself as to deliberately turn the govern
ment over to the republicans. 1t is trne
that all democrats do not agree as to wbaA
should be done with these questions. now
foremost before the public; but we are sat-
isfied that its leaders at Washington will
not so far forget themselves as to sacrifice
their party, and overthrow the first honest
administration which the government has
had in a number of years.
President Cleveland was elected by the
vote of the solid south, New York. indi
ana, New Jersey, and Connecticut. He
will most probably be renomnated, and the
platform on which he must 90 before the
people will be the work which his admins.
tration has accomplished. Ever since the
war the people of the southern states have
been intesely outraged at the iniquites Of
the internal revenue system. In North
Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia and
Georgia, has the infamy of this system
been more oppressive than in most Of the
states. Thousands of homes have been
raided, hundreds of murders have been
committed in the name of the law, innocent
men have been dragged before unsympa-
thetic tribunals, and have been cast off to
die in prisons away from home and family,
for crimes which they did not know they
were committing; and under the ubiquitous
autocracy OF these laws, crime after crime
has been committed in these states, which,
in brutality and barbarism are not surpassed
in the records of Russian tyranny.
1t was this, as much as anything. that
has made the south solid in its opposition
to administrations which fastened this yoke
upon it, and which, in reply to demand
for relief, answered by tightening the screws
Of oppression. In Georgia, three sue
cessiye legislatures importuned congress to
repeal these laws, and when the democrats
obtained control of the government,
by the vote of the solid south, there
was universal joy in the south at the
| prospect of repeal of the war meas.
! ures with which our people were burdened;
| but we md that though the democrats have
been inp power three years, these laws are
yet fixtures, and our people are yet groan-
ing under their iniquities. Not only this, but
! we find that men who before were lol,dest
in their denunciation of the infamous svs-
TEN, have now gone to its support, and are
! licking the hands that smote them. They
say that they have nursed the serpent into
silence, and that they will pass laws to pre-
! vent further trouble.
Beware! Beware!
| Kill, while the opportunity is at hand. and
redeem the pledge Of the party which has
! elected the chief magistrate of the nation;
! and which now has a majority in the lower
house of congress. The so-called sleeping
serpent may awake, and the venom Of its
iniquity may yet be felt by the very men
who would now nurture it.
Georgia demands the repeal of the rev.
enue laws. The democratic party has
! promised it, and it must redeem its pledge.
| Virginia demands the repeal of these laws,
West Virginia demands it, North Carolina
| demands it, and unless the immense to-
| bacco interests of the three latter states are
relieved by the removal of the war taxes.
which they arc now compelled to pay, the
| party in power can no longer count on the
| undivided support of these states. The
! whisky ring must be overthrown. and the
| democratic party should do it. Both Vir-
/ ginia and West Virginia have served mo-
tce of their demands and their wishes
must he considered
! Let the test be made in congress. and let
! those who are unwilling to relieve our UNI
/ justly taxed people be made to bear the
odium of the defeat of the pledge which ,he
/ democratic party has made. The pathway
is plain and simple. The democratic party
has but one thing to do: 1t must do away
with the internal revenue, bring about
reform in the tariff, (both of which can
be done and reduce the immense surplus in
the treasury, which now threatens the conn
mercal in terests of the whole country.
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EDITORIAL POSTSCRIPT.
IT LOOKS LIKE the spring has arrived gentle