The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-01-26
SUNDAY, JANUARY 20. 1890.
rurEFPrBIICAN PARTY FOLLY
AND BLINDNESS.

SUNDAY, JANUARY 70, lovV'
rnEEEPIBIICANF ARTN-iIS foh''
AID BLINDNESS
The most conspicuous quality OF 'he
Republican party is undoubtedly 's
unscrupulousness. It's audacity ana It's
total disregard Of the character OF the
means which 1t employs in the attain
ment Of ITS ends. very frequently sur
mss belief. so incredible does 1t seem
that great political organization
however reckless or partizau' can Tor q
moment allow itself to pursue such a
course Of action as il often does.
But there is another quality OF the
marty. and IT is correlative Of the FIRST
which appears equally astonishing ID
the degree to which it is displayed. we
refer 10 lis lack Of comnon-sense, more
especially in its relations to Southern
affairs. Who doubts but that II It had
pursued a couciliatofy policy towards
the Southern people Immediately after
the war, instead Of almost at once con-
ferring the suffrage upon the negroes
aud forming q close political alliance
with them. the sentiment OF gratitude
and the sense Of personal interest when
that policy would have excited in the
Southern people would have bound
tbem for an indefinite time to
the party which though 1t had
defeated them, had been the most
Instrumental afterwards in rais'
ing them upy This was the first
stupendous blunder Of the Republican
party. but it vas TO some extent ex-
cusable on account Of the binding pas
sions Of the period that Immediately
succeeded the war. But there was no
such palhation for their continued pur'
suit Of the same policy after those pas
sious had had time to cool. This was a
mere exhibition Of that gross folly
which is illustrated in the fable of The
wind seeking to make the man throw
aside his cloak by blowing at more
and more furious tate, but which only
caused him TO draw 1t more tightly
about him.
The whole relation Of the party tc
the negro question 10 the last few years
furnish still further proof of its lack
of the most ordinary foresight 1t has
been clearly recognized by every man
in the Union who has been in the least
Observant during the last decade that
as long as the Southern people con-
tinued TO have reason to fear the su-
p7emacy Of the negro through the IN
terventiou Of the Republican party, the
latter would be opposed by them with
equal bitterness and determination, and
without any cessation W hatever. There
is no evidence that the Republican
party has any appreciation Of this fact
In spite Of the light which the events
OF twenty years throw upon every phase
Of 10.
There has bscn something ludicrous,
in spite Of the inherent gravity of the
issue. in the eagerness with which II
has from time TO time caught at, and
foolishly magnifed every influence
which they thought likely to destroy
the solidarity Of the Southern States
What Southerner was there with any
Just notion of our political conditions
who did not but regard with mingled
amusement and derisiOn the Republi'
can anticipation that the protective issue
would be the wedge that would finally
divide the Southern whilesy
SO far as the extension of the pow el
Of the Republican party in the South is
concerned, it is well known to all bu
the Republicans themselves, that 1t IL
entirely dependent upon tho falling
away, either by natural or artificia
causes, of the negro population. Re
move that population or radically di
minish it numerically. and who doubts
but that the great economic cues
tons Of the present day tha
have divided the voters of thu
North. into two or more parties, would
also operate with like effect on thu
Southern peopley Instead of the Re
publican party, however, favoring any
measure that will permanently remove
the apprehension of the South abou
the negro, which Is the only condition
that will permit the Tarty organization
TO grow in strength IN this section. WE
find It, with a degree Of folly that II
astonishing from the standpoint Of ex
pediency alone, actively opposing the
very and the only means Of maintain
ing its existence even, in the Southern
States.
As long as il continues to show th'
same laundering instincts, the same
lack Of foresight. just so long will the
party in the South remain it SITS present
condition. and all the election lawsthat
can be devised by the most unscrupu
lous ingenuity can only affect il Will
the temporary animation shown by a
corpse placed under the transient inhu-
0nce Of galyanism.
JULES VERNE SURPASSED.