Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1888-02-03
The CORE OF IT.

The CORE OF IT.
Whether he knew it or not, Senator
Stewart, one of the Republican Senators
from Nevada. in his letter to the editor of
the Fredericksburg "Free Lance,' about
his vote in favor of confirming Lamar for
the Supreme Court, pr0bed to the bottom
the feeling in the Southern States with re.
gard to the Republican party. Among
other things he said:
The Republican party must become nation
al or cease to exist. Tt can only become ma
tional by observing in good faith its pledges
in the South contained in the various acts Of
congress and the constitutional amendments,
wherein the United States granted amnesty
and oblivion for the past to those who would
accept the terms of reconstruction. The re-
lection of Lamar would have been a declara-
ton by the Senate that the Republican party
would not be bound by the obligations of the
reconstruction legislation. In other words,
the acts of congress granting full amnesty
were passed with mental reservation.
That is it; 1t is this mental reserya-
ton" that the South fears, and has cause
to fear. For there is not national cam
paign comes aloug-nor indeed State
campaign, for it is an issue that is made
into hash for use even in the election OF
State officers in the Northern States-that
the mental reservation is not used to
the fullest extent. The old sectional ami
IN xrbj no lorno1u dier rod
among the people, is revived by the kepub-
lican candidates to make sure of the old
Bourbon element in their party by present.
ing to it an issue upon which it never
falters. From the humblest crossroads
orator up to Bill Chandler, who has just in :
PRODUCED a bill for the Federal government
to take charge of the elections In Missis-
sippi, Florida, Louisiana, and South Caro-
lima, the advocates of the Republican
party throw to the winds the obligations of
the past, and foam with threats of what
a Republican national administration can,
and will do with the Southern States. if it
gets into power. Even when agreat econo-
mic question. the revenue, is before the
country as an issue, the most authorita-
tive Republican body Except National
conventlop) meets at Philadelphia. and
abandoning that issue which it has claim
ed to be its chief desire to force on the
National Democratic party, falls back on
the South.
The Sonth doesn't know what to make
of this rancor It doesn't know what to
make of a party that passes over the bal
lot IN Rhode Island and Massachusetts,
and attacks it in South Carolina and
Florida. 1t doesn't know what to make
OF NATIONAL party that finds its whole
political capital in assaults on section of
the country. 1t can't understand Re-
publican Senate that will confirm ex rebel
officers when they have turned Republic
cans, and yet refuse to confirm Demo-
crat on the ground that he is an ex-Con-
federate. And above all it can't appreci-
ate the National" quality of party
whose whole capital is invested in abuse
of section. 1t concludes, and we'll con-
cludes, that it has something to fear from
this party if it should ba retained to
power. 1t naturally concludes that if
there was also Republican President and
House of Representatives. the promises
to take Federal control of elections in
four Southern States; promises to reduce
the congressional representation of the
South in proportion to the number of
negroes who don't vote the Republican
ticket; promises to forbid all share in the
direction of the affairs of the Republic to
the South will be carried out to the let
let. And If that party is returned to
power, of which Chandler is now the
leader as to its methods, it auiu carry out
its promises. 1t has given all the evidence
that a political party can give that it is
an enemy of one section of its country.
1t regularly every year advertises itself as
such, and its orators glory in it as an
evidence of their own loyalty and as COM
mending them to the confidence of their
party. 1t holds fidelity to the reconstruc-
ton acts, to be disloyalJy to the Republic
can party. which to their CONSTRUCTED
view is the Republic, and it holds such
men as Stewart, Stanford and Riddleber-
ger, who in the spirit of those acts voted
for Lamar, to be traitors to the "great
principles" of the Republican party.
Such party cannot gain the support of
the South, nor can it long live as great
political organization, unless it widens its
scope, purge itself of sectionallsm and
ancient hatreds, and is politically born
again. Pending which new birth, the
National Democratic party will admins
ter the National government satisfactorily
to all sections aad with hatred to none.