New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-12-28
RING-RULED GEORGIA.
MODERATE DEMOCRATS HOPE FOR A NEW
ERA
CHANCE IN THE REPUBLICAN ADNINIsrnA
TON TO OVERTHROW THE INToLER.
ABLE BOURBON OLIGARcHY

DemOcfatc n
Georgia has not yet sufficiently recovered from the
daze into which 10 thrown By the result Of the
Presidential election form any definite or sensbls
estimate Of IT'S probable bearing the pariy's social
and political future. This much may be inferred
from the diverse opinions entertained and expressed
| by many prominent leaders In the party, well az
the conflicting tone Of the leading daily papers So
| unexpected was the result and so little is known
here of the PresIdentecc personally that for oncs
even plausible conjecture is at stand That his
past record so far as known invunerable and that
! he bore himself through the campaign with marked
| conservatism, points on which all are agreed:
but undercurent Of suspicion IS everywhere DIS
cernble that he may be found lacking I'm individually
and frmncss 10 withstand the pressure Of the ex-
tremiss In his party from which the Democrats here
fear nothing but disaster
Beyond doubt much Of this fear is due 10 the er-
acgeratcd outcry of the ring politicians and dema-
gogues who have been largely in the ascendant In
this State since the Republican hegIra in 1872. But
outside Of these there is large conservative element
| who were silent onookers of the scenes enacted
during the throes of the Reconstruction period, to
whom anything that forcsbadows, however dimly,
! return to era OF negro domination and carpetbaS
| supremacy brings an involuntary shuddcr, which no
| amount OF argument can altogether dlspeL
These fears, whether founded In reason not, havs
been the main strings on which tho rinE element In
| Georgia politics has most effectively played for
| nearly two decades past, aud with what success an
unprejudiced eye readily discern in the status
OF Georgia politics to-day. No State Of It's popuac
ton in the Union has given Of late years such over
| whelmlng Democratic maiorities In State elections
as Georgia. and yet a full vote IS seldom poed
| The Conservative class alluded TO, in the main
neither Office holders ofceseekers, have not been
disposed to view these large Democratic majorities
with the intense satisfaction the ,rngsters and tho
press Of the state would lead people at distance TO
suppose was universal by these the methods and
frauds that openly practised at every state and
county election are viewed with disgust and many
of them abstain from voting altogether. Having In
general no aspirations for Office, being unwilling
TO descend 10 the articles and rickery that can alone
insure success they stand aoof passive onloOkers Of
what they cannot prevent, and against which they
dare not openly protest. For practices that have
been long sanctioned by the powerful ring Of Georgia
oilce-seckers, and submitted by the masses, hays
acquired the force Of Imperative unwftten laws, con-
tumacy against which is punished by political and. in
some instances social Ostracism. Hence IL Is that
these large Democratic maiOrtes in State and county
elections, in the midst of confessedly large Repub
lican element, not engmas to those who have
watched tho progress OF an election hero in Georgia
A glance at the returns from National, as dis
tngIished from State county, electOn-the
former being to extent watched over by Fed
eral supervisOrsis sufficient to show the extent OF
the evil At the election held under the loose
superintendent Of supervisors appointed by the
United states DStrlct Judges, large hepuDncan
vote is invariably poed while in the State and county
elections IL IS rdicuously small and avals nothing
It IS a lame explanation or excuse for this state Of
Affairs to say that there seldom any Republican
car didates in the field The party may be said 10
be without an organization in Georgia, It is true, and
to this may be traced source Of the success OF
the ring Democracy in controlling elections through
out the State But the tactics and methods
that have heretofore dlsbeartened many honest DEM
ocrats, and kept them from attending the polls or
from casting anything more than mere perfunctoIy
vote have clectually throued Independent opposi-
ton candidates from entering the lists against those
Of the dominant ring Democracy. The few OF their
own party who have heretofore ventured to oppose
the regularly groomed and equipped nominees OF the
organized ring element have had abundant reason to
repent their temerity-it being cardinal point in
their creed to punish with political sostracIsm any
one showing disposition TO pursue Independents
course.
The extent to which this ring domination has been
carried in this State hardly be understood
appreciated by outsider. In State and county
elections its power may be called supreme Many
honest voters and well-meaning citizens who sub
mtted and seconded IT in every way at first, from
supposed necessity for keeping negroes and "carpet-
baggers' of Office have long been satisfied Of the
groundessness of this oucry regularly raised
at every by the political pessimsts and ring
element of their party, and they ardently long for
dellverance They feel that the chronic onice-hold-
ing and office seeking wing of their party played
too long upon mere phantasmal fears that have no
foundation In fact reason, and are ready TO well
any Change that promises relief IL IS here
that the entering wedge divide the solid South
Inserted by the Administration ANY aid and
enlargement given u this moderate, conservative
element In Georgia TO assist them I'm throwing OF his
party yoke and domination Will be welcome to \
intlence. VINO are thoroughly satisfied that under
a Democratic partisan Administration of state and
lua hon
II is germane to this subject to state that Georgia
IS the banner state the Union for cleo tons. 1he
Gubernaoral election, which includes thas for state
SSaI; ana mepeIS ,o Oh o ene Ts4ef
and in Presidential years for the electors waie
yet to come of in January held to iii the numer-
Gus county Offices Throughout the slate. In add
ton, these Inter elections. a. we'll a. those for MEM
bers of the General Assembly, generally, partic
uarly IA middle and southern Georgia, preceded by
primaries. These primaries have been generally TO-
scrred to of years rid candidates Of the domi-
nant Democratic party of the suspicion OF appearing
For as the election OF ring Democrat was in gen
eral foegOnc conclusion, It was natural there would
be scramble for the Offices which might threaten tle
dlsntegratOn of the party. When therefore the old
plan Of nominating their candidates by county cOnven-
tons fell into desuctnde 10y reason OF their suspicious
character and composition, this new method was de-
not to be tolerated. OF these primary elections Il
can only be said that more copous fountain OF all
the intrigue. fraud and corruption that can pervadc
popular election was never yet opened up Belng
held altogether outside OF the law neither the cand
dates anu their supporters, nor inc NOu's Az thchI
under any OF It's sanctions nor res trained by any
of its penalties And yet these mock elections are
the that invariably fix the candidates and decide
the contest. rhe regular elections which follow are
tame affairs compared with them , -,
Hence It is that those whom l have chosen to call
moderate conservative Democrats I'm Geoi ga, In op
POSITION the controlling ring element, not pre-
pared to fight shadows or 10 iOIeell political peStt-
ence In any policy measure that promises reform,
that may be devised and brought forward. within Con-
stitutional limits by Republican Admiaist atlon and
many OF them believe it can be successfully accom-
pllshed.
TIE LOVELY CREATURES REVENGE
From The Chicago Tribune
In of the largest dry goods stores In this city