Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-03-31
A MERITED REBUKE.
COLONEL RurFrH or GENERAL ROGER
A rRYoH,s RECENT INTERVIEW.
Presumption, concsit, and Bsartlsss-
nsssu-" surrcndering Ais Principles TO
the En- emiss Of that State Which
Gave Kim Birth
fFor tho Dispatch

We s,l's a,g nress win say o; them that q.
n M p-ei ,.oeer A. Pryors criticisms on tIt
soush.-Ns,e York Herald Of AarcA lfih'
II may be laid down with some con
6dence that there are two classes OF
men whose opinions on the proper policy
of State which happens to be In criti-
cal condition are entitled to very little
weigbt-viz., those who have expatriated
Themselves from that State for long
period, and those who have lmmigrated
10 il.
To the first OF this class belongs Gen
eral Roger A. Pryor to the second the
late +. w. Dawson, editor OF the Charles
tom Ncws and Courier, both OF whom
have lately expressed opinions which
showed that they did not sympathlze
with, and therefore should not have pre-
scribed for the malady OF the South.
The one has abandoned his traditions
and naturalization could never have sup
piled their want in the other.
On the I'd of January last Mr.. Dawson
wrote two editorials for his newspaper,
advising. in order to break the solid
South. policy which ayowedly included
the surrender of certain southern States
TO Republican domination. And IN the
HeraId OF March 18th General Pryor
has lust done the same thing. Yet / do
not see how either of them could have
failed TO perceive that States thus de-
tacbed from the Solid South must be
sacrificed TO the rule OF white men hold
ing their power on condition OF sharing
it with negroes-that is TO say, with half
civilized savages rapidly and hopelessly
reverting to barbarism in spite OF all
that religion and education can ever do
to prevent 1t.
So well aware was General Pryor, IN
the thirty-seven years OF his life that he
lived in Virginia. of the danger that then
impended over the South, aud has since
been dismally realized, from this source,
that he devoted the most vigorous and
industrious OF those years-in TACT up to
the time when he exchanged the pen for
the sword-to the preparation OF his
countrymen for preventing or meeting
the shock. Guided, prompted, and but
tressed. by the best men OF the State,
Hunter, Mason, Harvie, Amber. the
Seddons, Floyd, Garnett, George Ran
dolph, Old. and a most besides, he
argued daily that the Free States meant
TO ruin us socially, politically. and hnan-
cially by giving the negroes two things
for which they could never become fitted,
freedom and the ballot. / do not say
that these arguments expressed his
fixed convictions, for he may be,
indeed it now appears that he
is, incapable OF maintaining bis
convictions against pressure. But as
suredly none argued the proposition OF
the hour as ably or forcibly as Roger e..
PRYOR. IL is true that good many OF
his friends-and he had some very
warm ones-thought his genius deficient
in force and steadiness OF purpose but
they knew him to be a brilliant man.
"divinely inspired" as his staunch
friend, Frederick Coleman, said OF him,
"divinely inspired to take suggestion.
And they all would have given him
credit for the memory to retain and the
pride (even If he lacked the iortltudel
TO repeat the lessons whose recital had
secured him no mean fame. But one
can never count on unstable men, and
General Pryor is no exception to the
rule. If he had been, his friends would
not now experience the modification OF
seeing him renounce his principles Just
when their soundness has been demon
strated.
The grounds of this remuneration, az
reported in the Herald. would appear TO
afford case in poiut to Archbishop
Whateley's remark that man may have
many reasons, but only one motive, Tor
particular action. For the reasons
given by General Pryor are all founded
on false assumptions.
For instance, he misrepresents the at
titude taken by the Democratic pnrty OF
Virginia in their platform ut the Roa-
noke Convention two years ago. as also
the refusal OF the last Legislature-he
might have added of the Norfolk Con-
vention of last May-to endorse Mr..
Cleveland's so-cslled tree-trade message.
The truth is large majority OF the peo-
pie of irginia favor tariff for revenue
and il anything could insure the defeat
OF the Democratic party 1t would DO a
platform committing 1t to direct pro
lection" The Roanoke platform was
simply an attempt to conform to the
declaration Of the Chicago COnven-
ton that nominated Mr.. Cleveland the
first time, and further to conclliate the
friends who favored Incidental protec-
ton and furthermore to hold that large
class of disaffected voters who were OPP
pressed by the acknowledgements laws aud
properly demanded their repeal as OPP
posed to JeAersonian Democracy. For
the same reasons the Legislature and the
Norfolk Convention refused to endorse
the suicidal policy which President
Cleveland, the representative OF New
York commercialism, and Speaker Car
Isle, representing the whiskey ring, ar
rogantly forced on the party and stupidity
permitted to be called Jree trdde. This
was all tho more necessary because MIR.
Cleveland's folly had thrown off many
people whom we needed-as by this
course we got them-to save the State OF
Virginia from Harrison and the negroes
The old Wing party knows as well as
OcuCIhl IyOI OOCo buab 4uis Oi"F III hAo
tariff policy never went beyond the doc
trine OF incidental protection to infant
manufactures, and that his final scheme
as developed in the Wing tariff of 1912
demanded duty of 26 per cent average,
or only about half of that with which
full-grown monopoly now oyerloads the
poor for the benefit of the rich. But
this bit OF history General Pryor omits
when he commends that part OF Presi-
dent Harrlson's inaugural which appeals
to the hearts and principles OF the Clay
Wings of the South to endorse direct
protection.
Quite as far from the truth is his fling
at the Democratic politicians who find
their account in maintaining the Solid
South, and to that end "are keeping up
the antagonism of the races" If that
were the true explanation of their course
then it would follow that Malone, Wise,
and all that crew are the true friends OF
the South, the Democratic party its
enemies. Committed to the idea of di-
viding the South. and yet compelled to
admit "the supreme necessity OF keep
inn tha aducafed white classes in oon-