Sacramento daily record-union., 1888-11-17
THE POLICY OF THE REPUBLICAN
PARTY TOWARD THE SOUTH,


From South Carolina comes the voice of
a Democrat supposed to echo the sentiments
of not few Others, that they tire of their
alliance with the Northern Democracy.
Owe have grown weary of being cats paws
for our brethren in the North" they ex-
claim. Possibly this is but a moan of
modification over recent defeat, but it
may be an expression Of sincerity and of
change of heart. The idea, however, that
the Southern had been seryitors to the
Northern Democrats is absurd. From
time immemoral the Southern wing of the
Democratic party has been dominant in
the organization. It has ruled in the
party with rod of steel, debating its
policy, sharing most Of It's patronage and
bearing least of its burdens. The smoke
of the rebellion had scarcely cleared away
before the Southern Democrats were
climbing into office upon the shoulders of
their Northern brethren, and at no time
since have they been second in the party
Or in the share of the spoils.
Nevertheless there are premonitions of
dissolution of the solidity of the South,
and Of loss of vigor in the crack of the
party whip. There are evidences that
that young giant, "The New South is
not content to live in state of repression;
that tits preparing to assert itself, and that
the elder leaders are wise in their day,
and propose to move with the procession
and abandon the preaching in which they
have INDUCED since 1854, that all politi-
cal organizations, save the Democratic,
are enemies of the South and her people
The new independence may not be
achieved this year, nor the next, but we
confidently look for it in 1892.
The same dispatch that intimates a
readiness in the South for new alignment
of political factors and a new adjustment
of political strength, recites that there is
condition attached TO the olive branch
held out to the Republican party; that is,
that the incoming Administration shall
leave the Southern people to manage in
their own way all their State affairs, and
that it shall give to the South decent
Federal officials These our brethren
have no reason to complain that they have
not been left to manage their own State
affairs for the last sixteen years. Ger
tainly the Republican party has mani
Tested no desire to unjustly interfere with
local self-government at the South. Its
demand has been, and the men of the
South may rest assured that 1t will con-
tinue to be, that the formal and cold
guarantee of republican form of govern
ment in all the States shall be realized in
warm, practical, everyday political life,
and that its privileges, benefits and i'm
munities shall be substantial and enjoyed
by all people invested with manhood suf-
frage.
We take it that the new Administration
will have no terms to make with the
South, since none are necessary on its
part. 1t will have no animosities to prose-
cute against it; it will know neither South
nor North, but only the laws Of and for all
the people, and equal rights and privileges
duties and obligations for and from all 1t
will have no concessions to make to the
South or any other section. All the peo-
pie Of the South or any other portion of
the Union have to do, Is to let the laws
take their course, and for the former to
cease tyrannizing over the freedman to the
suppression of his political rights.
For whatever political friction now ex-
lists at the South, the Republican party is
nowise blameworthy, and its utter re-
moval is wholly within the power of the
Southern people If they mean by being
left alone in the management of their
State affairs. non-interference morally or
legally, with the system that DEGREES the
banishment of citizens who aspire to offices
of trust in opposition to nominations
by the dominant party at the South,
they may be assured that no compact of
that kind will be made. If by manage
ment of their own affairs without interfer-
ence, they mean the perpetuation of
system that provides but one polling
for $4,000 registered voters in chief city
of the South, they need to be impressed
with the fact that the mission of the Re-
publican party includes the utter destruc-
tioD of such infamies. If by local self
government these Southern Democrats
mean, as the price of their political friend
ship, the continuance of the shameful prac-
tice of shifting the ballot-boxes, when the
.colored voter enters the booth; of block
ing the way to the polls, so as to exclude
one class of voters wholly; of the intimida-
ton and cowing of electors by various
devices; of sending up representatives
for an entire State upon vote inferior in
numbers to that of any single Congress
ional district in the sparsely settled West,
they should be disabused of the idea that
the Republican party, even to secure
foothold where now excluded and make
its perpetuation eternal, will barter away
human rights, or conspire for the political
reinstatement of the freedman.
We believe that the administration
of General Harrison will be wise and
lust toward all men and States. That
it will not only be non-sectional, but that
it will exert itself to obliterate sectional
ism Of every form. But the character of
the man recently elected President, his
tried patriotism and his expressed views
guarantee policy that will look to the
maintenance in every State in the Union
..,lI;oo,, eo,.,,, of e-orarn,nant in 70.