New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-03-06
wrrr ExPgDIENTss

4B0UT {" UNLAHFUb - -.
we learned long ago thai Oenerai harrison
eould put good deal into one sentence put
be rarely. If ever, succeeded peSeer enan wneh
he sald IN his Inaugural Address AN unlaw-
fnl arnadient cannot become permanent con-
ALTON NJ government This utterance goes 10
A. -ont ~ the whole Southern quesdon-for
.hsre Il a Southern question, in spite OF numer-
one I derials bv Democrats and their Synpa-
tbizers, and ii will go on being asked unni 10
gets itself answered. -,
A confederation of the facts OF the situation,
,oa,,,no Questions OF political morality entirely
ont Of view, will be sufficient 70 sno" tne ruin
and force Of President Harrison ren'afk' we
need not ask ourselves whether OF no' men VINO
claim to be good citizens in all the Ordinary re-
Iations of life are guilty OF a strange neon
s;stancy when they deliberately and openly re-
royt Ia fraud and violence to gain political
ro,,,or An that we need to do to demonstrate
tbe folly and futility Of such course Is to look
.o,na distanca ahead-which the Southern
loadar. seem never to do-and ask what the
nroct,cal result of &c will be. Has there ever
hean a violation of law without its sequence
and penalty? Putting questions OF conscience
aside Is e not { fact within the observation Of
avery man that the one follows the other with
rolent,n.a certainty II seems TO have been
the dream of the Southern leaders that this
law which Is as potent and infienble in pub
lio as in private morals, would somehow spare
thsu in its operation. They seem to believe
that they can look forward to an indefinite
license and Immunity, while they deprive
hundreds Of, thousands Of American citizens of
their votes. They have reared policy upon
foundations Of fraud, and actually expect IL to
stand. They forget that can unlawful ex-
pedient cannot become permanent condition
Of government" A republican form Of gov
eminent resting upon fraud as Its basis Is an
impossibility. Either the fraud or the govern
ment must come to an end.
They forget that they cannot systematically
and openly violate one set Of laws without
impairing the prestige and authority Of all
laws. To quote President Harison's trench
ant words, which were evidently meant for the
Southern leaders: "If the educated and In
auential classes In Q community either practfse
or oonnive at the systematic violation Of laws
that seem to them to cross their convenience,
what can they expect when the lesson that
convenience or o supposed class interest is q
sufficient cause for lawiessness has been well
learned BY the Ignorant olsssesp In other
words. isn't Il worth tho while Of theeouthern
whites to reflect that, II they 60 on year after
year publicly exhibiting their contempt for
some of the laws, the ignorant and lawiess ele-
ments Of their population may be slowly taught
that II Is NOT necessary TO obey all the laws,
but only such laws as they choose to obeyH Is
IL worth while. for the cake Of temporary po-
litical advantage, TO undermine the whole
social fabric?
They forget, too. that this condition of
things bears unfayorably not only upon the
disfranchised Glasses ut tho South, but upon
the voters Of the North. When one voter in
the South yields as great power In the gov
eminent Of the country rs Eve voters in the
North, an abuse exists which cannot hope 70
continue forever, simply because II Is In iss
nature intolerable. The black vote Of the
South Is counted when representation in Con-
gress Is appor1oned among the several States.
The black man votes when President - elect
| ed, but IL is only by proxy. The white man
| votes for himself and tbe black man too. In
this way the South secures degree Of power
In the election o. Congress and the choice Of q
| President, cut Of all proportion 10 the number
OF persons who are permitted the full exercise
| Of their political rights. You might as vel
expect Q castle to stand firm upon quick
sand az to expect this condition Of things to
endure. can unlawful expedient cannot be
come o permanent condition Of government
4