The Durham recorder. [volume] (Durham, N.C.) 1879-19??, 1891-03-25
DRIVEN TO UNION.
THIS ISSUE Is Dy Us.
THE GisEAr PUBLIC IS s.
ROUSED.

arena in a tumult that is al
novel as it is important. Foi
nearly q quarter Of a century
the elections have been con
Itrolled by what we are pleased
| to call the issues of the lats
civil war and the personal praise
and abuse of candidates. Ir
these tho contestants have re
solved themselves into ii mere
struggle for power to be fount
| in the possession of the offices
| lNo measures founded on antag
lonistic principles Of admins
ltration have been suggested ol
discussed. The country, divid'
| ed into two hostile camps, has
rallied to one or the other side
on q mere difference of names,
The platforms solemnly promul-
gated by Republican and Dem.
ocratic conventions nominating
candidates for the Presidency
are so adroitly worded that to
the kneenest investigation they
afford no material difference.
The contests that follow are q
shame TO our manhood as q ma.
ton of civilized people.
This sort Of political life has
SO degraded US that the blind
following of party has degen-
Grated TO q stupid following OF
men. Each leader has his body
|of retainers, and is considered
valuable in proportion to the
number he can control. This
/ is called personal magnetism.
1t really means the struggle for
Office, and the fascinating hope
| of plumber through apossession
of the government.
The prospect OF success de-
pends upon the numberof votes,
and as opinions are apt to Of
fend, opinions are carefully sup
pressed. Each party pledges
itself, for example, not TO dis
|turb the business relations of
the country. Now, as these
business relations are based on
the interference Of the general
government in the private en-
terprises Of the citizens, the sue.
cessful party must hold itself to
the condition which it finds;
and the result of a change, to
one or the other, is merely the
putting out Of Office one set to
install another.
There is but one plane OF de.
graduation lower than this, and
that is the one that exists in
some OF the Central and South
American governments. There
the factions, made up Of per-
sonal following, appeal from
the brute force of such voting
TO the brute force Of arms. Fail
| ing TO vote in a man because he
is their man, the factionists
seize their muskets and inau-
gurate what they are pleased 10
call q revolution, and 90 out 10
kill and get killed. We are
edging closely ON such q condi-
ton, and really IL is about as
sensible as the one 70 which we
have come.
President Grover Cleveland,
| in his sturdy self-reliance, in
dependence, and clear-sighted
craftsmanship, recognizing this
condition Of the country, has
thrown himself and his political
fortune into the arena with an
appeal 10 reason that makes Of
his Message a startling platform
Of principle. The business re.
lations Of tho country are al
much disturbed, and its dealers
are as much stupefied and aston
ished, as were the money-chang
ers OF the Temple when oul
Saviour ordered them out.
1 How brave this act Of oui
| President was, the more obser
want and Thoughtful recognize
I'VE all know that he is Presi
dent not because he Is q Dem
locrat, but for that the sole
South voted him in. Now, th,
lSouth was and Is solid not from
any belief in or love for tn,
| DE. .nocracy. IL was driven int,
that condition by necessity
When Lee surrendered, and hi
brave followers laid down theii
arms and returned 20 the peace
full pursuits of civil life, the Re
publican party went into Oh,
business OF reconstruction In
stead Of appealing, as Lincoll
sought 10 do before he was 2,
cruelty murdered, 70 the gov
ering element of the South fount
in It's intelligence, Il appeale
/ 70 lis ignorance. This was
brutal assault not only on th
political structure, but the SO
cial as well. An attempt wa
made 10 put the power Of tn
state under the control Of th
plantation negroes, supplement
ed by carpet-baggerst TO instruc
and bayonets TO protect then
in their newly.found power