The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-12-15
sEcTIoNAL1sm, NORTH AND SOUTH.

| II Is certainly not an evidence OF
decline of sectionalism on the part of the
Southern Democracy, and the Northern
| Democracy in congress have always
treated the ex-Confederate with peculiar
tenderness as 'long lost brother" 1t is
true that Crisp is the first ex-Confederate
elected speaker but his election is due to
the fact that the Democratic brains are
| with the South today rather than with
the North. Randall and Carlisle were
elected to the speakership in days when
the brains of the Democratic debate were
not with the e1-Confederates, as is the
case today
| In 1885 when Cleveland became presi-
dent all the best foreign appointments
went to the South and when they did not
go to the South they were given to North
ern copperheads. The election of Crisp,
with Mills as his only competitor of con-
sequ ence. indicates no decline Of sectional
ism; it simply indicates that the EXON
| federates, by the death of Randall and the
| elevation of Carlisle TO the Senate, are
left with the best brains at the service of
the Democratic congress. When Hewitt,
| Cox, Wood, Randall, Morrison and Car
Isle were all in the House the weight of
parliamentary talents was easily with the
Northern Democracy, while today it is
with the South, and the South has carried
oil the prize that was fairly won by her
superior intellectual power on the floor of
the House.
There is neither more nor less Sec
tlonallsm than there was five years ago.
The North has never displayed as much
sectionalism as the South. There never
was an ex-Confederate who showed lean
ing to the Republican party who did not
get honors at its hands. Grant sent Orr,
of South Carolina, to St. Petersburg; ap-
pointed Alderman to his cabinet; gave
office to Colonel Mosby. Hayes called
Democratic Confederate brigadier, Key, to
his cabinet, and made him United States
judge. Key voted for Tildea in 1876
against Hayes. The United States Senate
elected Confederate, Canady, sergeant
alarms, and certainly the Repub-
hcan party made as much OF
Confederate Major General Malone as
they could. The Republican party has
not had many Confederate recruits, but it
has taken good care of them ALL The
Democratic party never had any preju-
dlces against the Confederates to over
come, and it is absurd to say that q party
that was not afraid to put Garland and
Lamar in Cleveland's cabinet and elevate
Lamar to the United States supreme court
has hitherto been deferred from electlng a
Southern man speaker lest his election
excite sectional prejudice against the
party. party that has been led since
the war by such Northern copperheads as
Seymour, Tilden, Hendricks, Thurman
and Cleveland would have added nothing
to its popular odium and political burden
by electing Confederate brigadier to the
speakership.
OF illegitimate sectionalism there has
been little at the North since 1876 Of the
bitter sectionalism that survives the war
the South stands for far more than the
North, as may be seen in the fact that
'the soldier in politics" has no longer any
dominant potentiality at the North, while
he still remains live figure at the South.
The soldier at the North stands no better
chance of political preferment than his
competitor who never set squadron in the
field. There is an annual spasm of per-
functory emotion on Memorial Dav. but
Democratic General Sickles deplored, in
one OF his addresses, that the South
treats its men who fought to destroy the
Union with praafar Eip1naco ,bo.,r.L
less able to care for them, does better by
Its crippled veterans than our states do by
their veterans. 1t is certain that the ex-
Confederate officers at the South represent
vastly more political power and conse-
quence among their fellow-citizens than
do our veterans, no matter how well
equipped they may be for public service.
Iwo-thirds at least of the South's repre-
sentation in congress were in the military
service of the Confederacy, and what is
true of congress is true of the Southern
state service.
When soldier has been taken at the
North for responsible civil office he is
quite as often as not one who like Banks or
Butler, was chiefly fluent demagogue. a
nominal soldier of small service or suffer
ing on the field, q soldier of no more scars
than are produced by the chalng that is
common to awkward and inexperienced
eQuestrians. No peril more deadly than
garrison and guard duty IN bomb proof
have been his; he is elected not because of
his stout soldiership. hut because of his
stump eloQuence or barroom affabilitv
Ii is not pretended that this has been thu
invariabIe rule. But out OF an army
of veterans vastly larger and more lntelli.
gent than that of the South, we select
very few genuine soldiers for public office
As a rule the soldier has been CURLY placed
on the retired list of public service. or else
some uniformed politician with cheaD
facility of frothy, boastful speech. steps TO
the front of peace with the same alacrity
with which he waltzed TO the rear in war.
Falstaf and his ancient Pistol. not Hot
spur or Prince Hal, stand for your average
Northern veteran who has managed to be
q conspicuous representative of the sol
der in politics" Corporal Tanner and
General Wreck" Black stand for the kind
of warrior that has managed 10 make the
most dust in Northern politics.
The brave and distinguished soldiers Of
the Sonth continue, however, TO lead in
politics as in war without a murmur Of
opposition from any body. The reason for
this IS that the North. an intensely COM
mercial. busy people, too busy to be
overpoweringly possessed by the senti-