Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-06-05
MIR. Randall.

To the Editor OF the DIspateh:


thank you for the article 10 your SUM-
day paper IN comment upon tile Charleston
News and Courier's attack upon MIR. Ran
Dali
The sentiments entertained and the posi-
ton held by that distinguished gentleman
made hun The best friend the south had at
the period YOU speak Of when for TWO days
and nights he never left the House OF Repre-
sentatlses, butfOught for our rights; and be
has done nothing since to forfeit the claim
10 our gratitude that ne then established, or
TO forfeit his claim to be Democrat accord
ing to the standard OF the party. And
/ who say this know what | am
taking about, 70, ! have been an active
southern Democrat for fiity.seyen years.
NV personal acquaintance with Nr. Randall
is very slight; ne would not know me II he
were 70 meet me, nor would l know biO.
Bot happened to meet him soon after he,
along with George ID. Wise, had given that
wise and ststesmanlike vote against the MOrri'
son b3ll, which elected Dir. Cleveland and
saved Virginia from negro domination. Ia
very brief conversation then had with him
! said to him Z" Mr.. Randall. ] Am revenues
tariff man when the time comes" Hereplied /:
when the time comes so am J."
But the time has not yet come, and South
Carolina ought to know it better than Dir.
Randall. For she has lived fOi years under
protective tariffs, and came very near dying
during the brief period IN which negroes
were the agents and tools OF carpet
baggers and scaawags and dominated
her people. That she does not know
Il, or is acting in disregard Of her know
ledge, | have feared ever since | saw
the apparent indifference with which she
tl,a nHipgfinp Iln Cnaaah ~
Mr.. breckenridge, OF Kentucky, made, or
rather TO have been made, at the annual
dinner OF the New England Society last
December, and furnished 70 and pub
lshed in the News and Courier a.
the request OF the then editor, the late
NJ. +. W. Dawson. 1t was IN the same
number Of the paper tina, Dir. Dawson pub.
llshed the editorial from which the follow
ing extracts are taken aud which regarded
NJ III least q suggestion that the solid
south could be broken by the bestowat
OF Office upon Democrats When some OF
lis saw how the South Was TO be compensated
bv the gain OF few States IN the North for
negro ascendancy III our own limits we
wondered how Virginia would have felt and
acted II such a policy had been avowed, even
as possibility, when South Carolina sent
the high-sOuled Preston 10 solicit our CO..
operation In $780,
But sm keeping your readers from the
extract, which, read III connection with the
attack on Mr.. Randall, is, think, sugges-
tive:
"Ihe belief OF the Ye,rs and Courier is that,
among the respectable white men OF tho South
who have hitherto voted the Democratic ticket and
are classified as Democrats, General Harrison can
fni "a many capable and honest ofnce-holdsrs
Is ne desires.
They probably will not run after the places,
but they will accept them II offered, and when
they have accepted them they VIII become pdssiUs
Democrats al least. some toou!d probably become
Republicans OUTRIGHT IL would not be possible
under such circumstances 70 insist that every
southern Republican was necessarily disrepu-
table character. IL Is not reasonable now We're
the proper men chosen they would scorn tempo
rHry criticism, and would soon live down auy
censure that might attend their acceptance OF
ONCE. Their success in retaining the good will
Of their fellow-cittzens would encourage other
persons now classified az Democrats 70 afhliste
with the Republican party. The division would
no longer o@ on the color line
"ltisnotlikely mat II % Republicans win obtain
all tnst they want and claim ia the South at the
election ~ 1892. bat II General II harrison pursues
tno policy which has tesh outlined tho Kepubli-
cans can reasonably expect 70 carry two or three
OF the southern States, and will increase largely
the number of Republicans la Congress- The
only reason for the solidity of .he South is the
fear Of bed local government Remove this dan
ger-snd it is largely removed Glready-and the
white people OF the south will be free 10 divide
on political and economical questions Divide
they will. And this division will not weaken the
national Democratic party, but rather will
strengthen s. 10 was the sectional feeling, To-
gether with the use OF money-and fully as much
sectionalism as bribery-which defeated Clevo-
land and Thurman at the last election. With
political freedom at the South and Justice 10
every one NE Democratic party viii gain more ia
the North and fest fhdH II ictN lose IN the South,
and then, and then only. will sectionalism be
buried forever"
In conclusion, will you allow me to say
that think Dir. Randall Is to-day q moro
popular man with the Democrats OF Virginia
than isiMr. Cleveland; aud the reason is very
plain: II Mr.. Randall had had his way he
would have saved US and would have elected
Mr.. Cleveland by polite legislation on the
tariff and internal revenue. But Mr.. Cleye-
land, oostinatey insisting upon bis way, de-
feated himself. and has retarded il not en-
dangered The civilization OF the South by
ignoring the platform on which he had been
elected, and forcing upon the country an
unnecessary issue at the wrong time.
where, DO 1t rememb bored, they have a small
majority now. ."