Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1888-05-23
FRAUDS NORTH AND SOUTH.
A Journal That Has the Courage to Tell
the North Some Wholesome Truths.

the North Some wholesome Truths.
america. the newly-started Chicago
weekly, "A Journal of To-Day" as it mod
esty calls itself, hits the nail of the South
ern situation squarely on the head in tho
following terse and truthful sentences
taken from its comments upon the recent
Louisiana election:
"That intimidation has existed and does
exist IN the South, no one will deny; but
the fraudulent balloting and election
bribery in the North, as evidenced by the
recent election in Rhode Island, are quite
as crying evils.
No one could defend the election abuses
in the South, but when evils exist in the
North, it would be far wiser for us to rem
edy them before preaching a false patriot
ism which calls for solid North to face a
solid South. Nothing could be more detri-
mental to the best interests of the Nation
than such doctrine as this. To ARRAY the
North against the South is but to continue
the struggle of the civil war, and arouse
factional hatred and strife Peaceful re-
form is what is needed, not seditious agita-
ton.
"The white voters of the South have been
arrayed against the black The Southern
ers have had to deal with the element of
ignorance; they have seen their institu-
tons threatened by the blind vote of the un-
enlightened emancipated slaves led by a
few unscrupulous white men; they have
adopted methods of which no one can ap-
prove; but are they more to blame than
Northerners who brazonly purchase votes
by the hundreds and make no attempt at
concealmentl With the white vote
of the South divided, the black vote will be
severed, and each side will see that their
black following is permitted to cast its bal
lots. Education OF the negro, and division
OF the white vote combined with a reform
of the election system, are the only means
that will ever bring about dissolution Of
the solid South.n
Commenting on the above the Louisville
CouTier-JourndL says: These clear, incisive
words embody the whole case in nut
shell, and its acceptance as stated, for a
basis of argument, will shorten the distance
between US as solution of the problem,
simplifying its forms and making the at
tainment of its conclusions half again as
easy.
The result so reached will be not only
humane and patriotic, but it will end a con-
troversy, which has hitherto conducted, has
dealt exclusively with ordinations and
denominations, with accusations that inflame
ana denials that do not deny, serving no
other purpose than those of a certain class
of incendiary politicians in both sections.
who live and flourish ON passion and tu-
mutt. Thinking people, North and South,
are slowly but surely coming to see the stu
alton as it IS, to study its features with un-
prejudiced minds, and to consider not so
much what Is best for this party or that in
the election Immediately at hand, but what
is best for the country at large; because
after we have exhausted ourselves In en-
bittered contention we must return at last
to some sure and practical settlement of the
question satisfactory to all parties. and sus-
tained by public opinion strong enough to
give 1t permanency and effect
Our Chicago contemporary will do a
good work by pressing its argument. The
question at issue is not one of sections.
or parties; but of civilization. 1t is en-
tirely beyond the ken of the little profess
sional demagogues, who rant and tear their
hair, or of the small-fry newspapers, which
get the cue from these. The South has
nothing to conceal from the North All that
1t asks, and this it has right to expect
from honest and intelligent Northern men,
IS that the same rule be applied to it as is
applied TO other members of the Union; the
rule OF common sense and fair play and not a
rule OF sectional hate and partisan interest,
with one standard for the North and another
for the South.