The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1889-01-11
A NATIONAL POLICY.
A Prominent Southern Business Man Dis
cusses Interesting Political Questions.
Special to the indianapolis Journal.

Special to the indianapolis Journal
WASHINGTON, Jan. 10.-The following
letter, written to Representative William
ID. Kelley, of Pennsylvania, "the father of
the House," and the best known tariff leg
islator in the country, by the Hon. George
b. Cowlam, widely known land and rail-
road property-owner of Tennessee, will be
read with special interest by Journal
patrons, as it deals with questions dear to
them all:
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. Jan. G, 1850.
My Dear Judge-Many thanks for your kind
wOrus apout my paper In the January Forum
All that is needed to unite our country is better
knowledge by each section in regard to the peo-
PIE ana resources OF all other sections This will
make MANIFEST the fact that the wealth of each
portion OF the Hepublic supplements and com
pletes that of ell the Others and that our peOple
nave common interests I'm the Union and in the
highest development of all the sources of its
wealth wealth that the geographical sections are not
natural rivals, but natural allies. AS this
diScW 4 euge grows all causes of difference and
Since the close of the war; three-fourths Of nv
tlnie has been spent in the South. Ny business
ara interests have called me into every Southern
seate making me familiar with their resources
and bringing me into contact with all classes of
wealth and advantages proves TO NV mimi that
had these States never formed q part of our
Union, their resources are so essential to those
PEELED a union at an early date, and at any cost
The wealth of the Southern Appalachian region
Is Is great enough to enrich continent, and it
forms the most Immediately available founda-
ton upon which to build up the additional home
market winch alone can permit the steady
S,oW,n e,t a, OF inc west and the profitable employ
notice since General Harrison made his little
!. t talk 10 tne Grand Army boys that number of
tnat class OF our Southern Republicans who are
Republicans "for revenue only and whose sole
ampi,ion IS TO get federal Office, have taken up
s .ne ,oea en- tnaI the way to make themselves solid
Win the coming administration is to urge the
passage or q stringent national election law
Dasihg tnelr ideas On what General Harrison said
wrong track. General Harrison is a good Re-
pdDncan, patriotic American citizen, and
ha1ws i,"t thaI our safety must be based free
morning shadow of a great mountain whose
crest hghted and gorltied by the rising sun be-
b1na, can Do seen oy a but can only be reached
pracucal means to an end. Prejudices are al
h inoss as enduring as mountains and much
iisiaer TO get over, because misstep means
iong backward slide. Considering the gulf that
separated master from slave, the poor white from
a1e a siiaveowner, and remembering the unfortun
| ave circumstances which preceded and attended
tne beglnning OF negro suffrage, the South has
| made such phenomenal progress in liberal ideas,
Is every cause for hope and none for despOnd-
Sncy, III we can keep moving ON. Over preju-
dices early formed, over lines of difference so
.length without breadth" European nations
have changed their positions but little, often in
teeasing asIg tDe distance and intensfying the bit
terhess separating peoples and nations. Human
nature Is much the same everywhere. Why
nave they stood still while we have advanced!
| White we have progressed and prospered. Find
| spot wnere our forward movement is checked,
anu @ you ma discontent manifested by reaction
ary tendencies: The East and West are Just now
ION center" because of the sudden falling-off
In foreign market which they had already out
| grown, and we see anarchistic ideas spreading
4 elaSSeS growing
Inc southern people, in rapidly developing the
9nlnlted natura! wealth of their section, are to-
day as clearly fighting the battles for the East
ana west OF the future as those of us who, a
| IuarIer or century ago. marching through
tne south in the federal ranks, were then fight
Ing the battles of the South of to-day. An army
| Numbering many times the hosts ever command
| ed by General Grant is solving the problems of
I the SOuth-p0litical, social and materal-and
| helping TO solve the Northern problem as we'll.
| Ii General Harrison marches with this force the
success OF his administration will form the
| brightest page in our history. Washington. Lin
| coin and Grant had far greater difficulties to
| contend with and opportunities insignificant in
| comparison with those of to-day. That they
| worked for peace and unity, cooperating with
the best practical forces of progress in their day.
| Is all that causes their names to be cherished
| now. III General Harrison marches with and
| commands, as he can, the hosts which are win
| ming the moral and material victories of peace
| to-day, he will succeed. A hundred words in
his inaugural. in recognition of the fact that we
| are one people, moving forward to a common
destiny will do more to make his administration
nseful and successful than all the offices lie viii
| have TO give out.
1t is unreasonable to suppose, therefore, that
he. or Republican majority in Congress, OF
| both, will, under the advice of impractcable and
| impatient men, set out on a crusade which will
disturb the progressive forces of peace being
| armed with paper law. powerful for mischief
| but impotent for good, because no power exists
TO enforce IL. On that line our party would soon
go to pieces and its leaderswouldleave no record
worthy of remembrance unless some latter-day
1-Cervantes should for the warning and instruc
ton of later generations, write of their battles
which their heated imaginations had converted
into dreadful giants. Washington and Dor
| Quixote are both immortal. but even fame has
has differences which give value to choice. Yours
truly, GEO. b. COwLAM.
The Hon. William D. Kelley, House of Representa-
uves, Washington, ID. G.