Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1889-03-20
Why q Solid South.

s'~AS corresponding VI tu6 INcW OER
Herald asks that paper some very pertinent
questions concerning the race problem in
the South, which it utterly fails to answer
in a satisfactory or even plausible way. In
speaking Of s'solid South" and why the
Southern white people do not divide mp
more among parties in elections, the Herald
has the following:
"Why have they not tdropped into tbe re-
publican ranks p That is what neither
democratic nor republican voters in the
North can understand. WHY GEORGIA or
Tennessee or Alabama protectionists should
60 on voting the democratic ticket year Of.
Ter year, sending low tariff or free trade
congressman to Washington, trying to seat
free trade or low tariff President in the
White House-why the South, divided in
politics, divided in opinions as our CORES
pondent reports it to be, should yet remain
'soi'd'-that Is what no Northern voter can
understand, and it is this fact which creates
irritation in the North, and which since
1859 has gradually made the North almost
as solid as the Southn
ls 1t not astonishing that any intelligent
man at the North, much less the Herald,
should pretend to beignorant as to why the
South votes ''solid," or why the white peo-
pie do not vote republican The answer is
plain to any common sense mind If the
white people of the South do not stand to-
gether, what protection have they from
negro and carpet-bag rule where the ne
groes are unit against us? Shall the white
people disband and go over to the negro
side and thus destroy our civilization and
existence as people Why don't the
negroes divide and come over to Our side
Suppose there were at the north 5000, 900
Chinese pressing down on the peolpe of that
section, as there are that number of negroes
at the south, how would the white people
of that section act and vote 2 Would they
break ranks and vote promiscuously with
the Mongolians, or stand solidly together as
the southern people are compelled to do in
self-defence
There Can be but one answer to the ques-
ton. With only a few hundred Thousand
chinese scattered about in one or two States
al the north, the whole people of that sec
ton are up in arms against the intrusion,
and Congress has been compelled to legis-
late the race ont of the country BY public
sentiment. Are the white people of the
south TO DO overwhelmed by the rule of a
more inferior race and not stand "solia ?''
The Herald attempts to answer further
another question of its correspondent as fol-
lows
"What would you have the people of the
south do p our correspondent asks. We
would have them arrange themselves in two
parties, according to the political principles
and policies of their voters, as the people of
tho north do. If southern men are protec-
tionists, as our correspondent says, they be-
long in the republican party. We would
therefore have them organize republican
party in their STAGE, and if they have votes
enough send republican Congressman to
Washington to support their views. If
some southern States thereupon ''drop into
the republican ranks" that will break up
the solid south, and when the solid south
is broken up the solid north will no more
be heard Of"
If horde of Chinese were rushing over
the Alleghanies and swarming down on the
people of the North, would the Herald or
the northern white people ARRANGE them
selves in two parties" according to the
political principles and policies of their votes
as they wish us to do. or would they present
solid front and protect themselves against
the invasion, as the southern people are
compelled to do in this case Would they
''drop into the republican ranks or any
other ranks, and vote with the Chinese +?
Of course not and yet the Herald and
the republicans have the cold blooded and
unbiushing impudsuce to ask the great
mass of the white people Of the South to
abandon their raos aud all of their prin-
ciples, tradition and civilization, and vote
with the negro to pacify dominant party
and an angry North. The people of the
South will never submit to such degrade
ton, and if the issue shall ever be forced
upon them, they will 90 as they did before,
s'fall with their backs to the ground and
their feet to the foe," if fall they must
Lynchbsr9 AdUance.