New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-02-15
rpp SOUTHERN PROBLEM.


on Wednesday by Mr.. Eyarts IS pecu'i"iI
timely. Though it originated in report u
the Senate Committee on election ou.rd9C
in Texas more than two years ago. ana Uhou5n
the report dealt also with Garner events ~ -
rendered interesting by tragedy IN ArhanS"'
Of very recent date. the assassination ol 'oii
n CLAYTON. Whether the offences when the
Conota has 70 consider are OF distant or recent
date. they all result from Democratic efforts
70 overpower or suppress Republican votes.
Tho evidence that this assassination III Ar
kansas was for the sole purpose OF preventing
The disclosure Of previous CRIME, the steal
mo Of \ ballot-box. is so clear that Democratic
;o'7rrols oven in that state do not deny the
f,ct "Tbe Little Rock Gazette" Demo
cratic paper, says:
| The men who stole the balot-boX murdered John
! NJ CLAYTON TO prevent detection OF the CRIME OF
November some poor devil may have been hired TO
fire the fatal shot, but that is unlikely Inc authors
Of that deed are men who live in that community VINO
wear the badges Of responsibility, who still daily MIN
Gle with their fellow-citzens. Ihey arc
| there every man of them. Not one has left. Not
! one has departed from his daily pursuits. :
| No personal enemy killed Clayton He fell victim
/ TO the necessities OF who deemed II laudaDle
act to steal a ballobox in November and essential 10
! personal safety to commit murder in January They
are men who hold up their heads and rank with lhe
| best Of their class in that little community
But while a Democratic paper thus admits
the motive of the deed, and while reasonable
| Democrats likewise condemn previous Outrages
in Texas and elsewhere, there are Democratic
| Senators who oppose any discussion OF these
events, or of the many political crimes OF when
the assassination is but one Of the bloody re-
suits, on the plea that such discussion can only
excite sectional feeling. Is il admitted, then
that political murders Of this class are confined
to the section which is solidy Democratic?
The question before the Senate concerns not
merely this latest murder not merely other
murders or political crimes, but the entire sys-
tenn Of fraud and crime by which free elections
at the South have been prevented Murder
is but one Of the offences by which free gov
ernment is there imperlled; the aSSaSSin's rifle
! is but one Of the weapons 1t Is crime 10
take life, but it is not less a crime to steal a
ballot-bOX, or n seat in Congress, or single
vote. 1t is not less crime to make a faise
return, or to deprive by any other mode what
ever single legally qualified citizen in any
part of the United States Of his free suffrage
and his share in the Government. This is so
plain that in most Of the Northern States, and
in nearly all localities even in the worst of
them the vote-StealCr is not shielded by par
tisanship by public sentiment, or by the adj
miniStrati0n of the law, any more than the
ordinary assassin The radical difference be
tween the South and the North in this matter
is not that Northern political struggles rarely
result in bloodShed, or that crimes in that sec
ton are less frequent. Here and there indi-
1t, .lt- 10 m
tive which appears in Southern offences-the
success of party by fair means or foul. The
radical difference is that public opinion sus-
tanning and shielding such crimes hardly exists
in any locality at the North. But in large pOr-
tons of the South the crimes committed 1ol
the sake of party, whether they be bloody on
only knayish, are first instigated, then sus-
tanned, then rewarded and TO the end defend
ed by a solid public sentiment which sup
presses evidence which paralyzcS officers Of
law, and makes it penlous to tell the truth OF
seek the truth about fraud perpetrated fQl
The success of the Democratic party.
Southern members are not able to deny this
f unwholesOme state Of public opinion but eX
! cuse il on the preteXt that offences Of varOu:
sorts were found necessary" to the existence
of white government. 1t has been to the Whit
people, they say, a conflict Of races, and civil
ization could not have been maintained no
any respect for law, nor protection for the mos
sacred rights Of property or person. had no
white government been established and main
tanned But this eXtuse has not the merit o
tTuthlulneSS or Of application to the facts. Ih'
crimes in Texas, like the more recent crime il
Arkansas, We're not permitted in localtie
> where there is now or has been colored ma
jority. The fact established BY Overwhelming
, proof is that crime has been employed b.
Democrats, and for many years sustained AM
shielded by Democrats, long after all question
Of white supremacy has passed, and in portion
Of the South where there never was any fea
= Of negro government, but only Of Republican
maoritieS.
The Senate committee does not propose
remedy at this time. II recognizes the gravit
: of the situation by proposing that existing law
t should be carefully reviewed. in the light o
/. further investigation, with view TO provid
n for more complete protection Of the electiv
: franchise and for the punishment Of politica
J. crimes. The opposition TO this resolution aga
y shows clearly the inSincerity Of the Demo
: cratic excuse. If there were sincere desr
B, to have Self-gOyernment maintained, and tn
@ laws obeyed and enforced throughout the coun
G Try, not a Democratic voice would be raised {
oppose such a resolution, which good citizen
of every party ought TO approve and sustain.
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