Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1889-05-17
THE SOLID SOUTH |


SOME SIGNIFICANT FACTS AMI
FIGURES FROM A HIGH INDE
PENDENT DEMOCRATIC SOURCE
The "solid south" may he a good
thing for the political barnacle'
who are maintaining il, but they
ought to see that while they lnjurC
the south they are losing deal Of
truck ont of the tail OF their cart
Maryland in 1880 gave 1871
Democratic majority; III 1884, H.
233, and in 1888, after four years
of Democratic federal admins
tration, only 6.lS2.
Virginia cast in 1880, 44,5GC
Democratic majority ; in 1884,
GAL, and in 1888 this dwindled
down to 1,54I.
North Carolina went Democratic
in 1884 by 1884 majority, but in
1888, after four years of Demo
cratic administration, the Demo
cratic majority fell to 1918.
West Virginia gave the Demo
Gratis a majority of II, 148 in 1880,
which fell to 4,222 in 1884 and S39
in 1888.
Kentucky in 1880 cast Demo,
cratic majority of 1852; in 1884
this fell to 33,779 and 1888 to 49,.
666, in spite of the efforts of Messrs.
Carlisle, Breckenridge and Waiter
son.
Missouri had in 1880 a Demo.
cratic majority of 55,042 in 1881
this fell to 33,0j9, and rose slight
ly in 1883 to 35,701.
Tennessee was Democratic in
1880 by 2O,514;n 1884 by only
$3.50. Which in 1888 rose to $4,000.
Little Delaware was Democratic
in 1884 by 1908, and in 1888 by
1864.
These are the so.called "border
states.D The "solid south con
sists of sixteen states, casting 1913
electoral votes. OF these Della.
ware, Maryland, Virginia and West
Virginia are now plainly uncertain
states. Governor Lee says the
Democrats carried Virginia, but
with so small a margin as 1,5ll
majority. He may see it 60 the
other way four years hence. West
Virginia is probably to be counted
in the Republican column in 1892.
Delaware has already a Republican
United States Senator, and as to
Maryland a change of a little over
three thousand votes will detach
her from the "soild south" also. If
President Harrison rules wisely
and in a conservative spirit the
1913 electoral votes of the "sOlid
south" may easily be lessened in
1892 by 90, leaving only 12f out of
a total for the whole country of
413, counting in the electoral votes
of the new states. q.
The politicians who, by their APP
peals to the southern people,
maintain the "sOlid south" have
heretofore counted on carrying
presidential elections with the help
of New York and Indiana-bOth
lost last November and both un-
certain states-Or with the help of
New York, Connecticut and New
Jersey-all except New Jersey,
doubtful states. The "sOlld SOUTH"
when it could cast 153 Democratic
electoral votes, was a tempting
object TO northern Democrats
Will il be as much so when it casts
but 1874? We assure southern
readers OF the Herald that this is
a question seriously asked in
northern Democratic circles. Mr..
Grady, of Georgia, spoke what
every DemOcra: in the north, in
considering the last election, has
felt to be absolutely true when he
SAID last year, ga solid south in
vites a solid north" But Mr.. Grady
addressed just as true and i'm
portant a warning to southern
men: "TO remain sOlid," he said,
sis therefore to incur the chances
of being placed IN perpetual
minority and practically shut out
from participation in the govern
ment.p
In 1884 Sir. Cleveland carried
four northern states-New York,
Connecticut, New Jersey and In.
diana, with sixty.six electoral votes.
The south remained "solid' during
the four years of his reign, con.
trary, we may tell southern men,
to very general and reasonable ex-
pectatiOn in the north. In 1888,
with all the great advantage to
the party of q Democratic federal
administration in power, he was
able to carry but two northern
states-New jersey, with nine
votes, and Connecticut
with six. The house Of represen-
tatives elected in 1882 had seven
ty.One Democratic majority that
chosen in 1884 had only forty-One;
in that 1886 the Democratic ma
jOrity dwindled to eleven, and in
the coming congress the Democrats |
are in the minority. Meantime in
all these years The south had re.
NAMED "solid.p The Democratic |
losses of states and of congress. !
sional seats have been in the north,
for the "solid south" has lost no
state and only six Democratic,
seats in all that time.
That the southern voters are not
all of one mind upon what Mr..
Lamar used to call "real questions"
numerous southern correspondents
Of the Herald have shown, and
every body knows. Their misfor-
tune is that they have placed
in the hands of a set
Of politicians, who for their selfish
infame the fears and
prejudics of the voters on what
hey call the "race question:" and
-hus push aside the consideration
Of other questions on which the
rest of the country divides. They
.hus iDAct upon tho southern PEG.
pie a great injury by putting them
nut of harmony and touch with the
country at large. But northern
Democrats see that the "soDid
'outh' excites constantly stronger
prejudice among northern voters,
md see, besides, that though 1t
'emalns solid it grows weaker by
he DETECTION of border states
They see that 1t bars the way to
uture Democratic success and to
he Democratic policies.
Southern Democrats ought to