Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1892-08-04
Alabama Virginia.

The solid South will not this year be dis
solved by the Peoples party. nor by any
third party masquerading under de-
ceptive name. The people of the southern
States have too much at stake TO go wan
derine of after strange gods at time
when q new President and new House
Of Representatives are just about to be
elected. The results of Mondays elections
in Alabama settle that question. The
people OF that State spoke for the people
OF the whole South. They declared 1t to
be their fixed purpose TO stand by the
Democratic party so long as the South
was threatened with force bill. or with q
return to the methods OF reconstruction
days. or with any of the unbearsble evils
which would surely befal all OF the
southern people should the Republican
party again secure control Of the legisla-
ton Of this country.
The Republicans OF the whole country
will make a desperate struggle this fall.
IL they were TO secure one majority IN the
House Of Representatives they would soon
by turning out Democrats make the Re-
publican majority large enough to do
whatever Gar REED might demand at the
bands Of that majority. Mind. we do mot
concede by any means that the Republi-
cans will carry the next House Of Repre-
sentatives. They can hardly hope to do
30 by fair means. But they will not scru-
pie 10 use foul means il these be found
necessary 10 the success of their sectional
policy.
At the Republican ratifcstion-meeting
held in Washington city on Monday night
last all the speakers. we are told, clamored
for "a" force bill, and heaped the vllest
calumnies upon the southern people.
There is now IN force a congressional-elec-
tion law which might be used to annoy the
southern people in the fall elections. In
the absence of the proposed new force bill
this old law NAV be employed to the an
noyance of the white people OF the South.
We must bear this in mind, and when
the Republicans Of Virginia or any
other State call for the enforce
ment of the existing law we must employ
this fact as testimony to the further fact
that they are in favor of the infamous
force bill which a combination of Demo-
Gratis and Silver-State Republicans de-
fested in the last United States Senate. II
that infamous bill had then become a law,
the southern people would now have been
in more deplorable condition than they
were in during reconstruction days. What
folly, then, TO think of dissolviDg the solid
South at present This effort to accom-
plish by means of third or new party
what it could not hope to effect by its own
endeavors, is tacit confession that the Re-
publican party has really nothing to hope
for in the South. We are too we'll posted
20 listen 20 the stories of our old enemy
dressed up in new language.
Let us. then. regard the results of Mon
days elections in Alabama as proving be-
yond doubt that the South will still be
found standing like stone wall when
the smoke of battle clears up on the Sth of
November next. Letu not fear for Florida,
nor for South Carolina, nor for any other
State. And as to Virginia, let us see that
she shall cast her twelve electoral votes
for CLEVELAND and send 70 tho next
House Of Representatives delegation
unanimously Democratic. Ii is the "Old
Dominion that We stand for and repre-
sent and promise to carry for CLEVELAND
next November. 1t is the Mother of States
and statesmen that demands of us the most
untiring work in the cause of the people
OF the South-nay, of the people of the
whole Union; for this country cannot. so
Mr.. LINCOLN said. remain half slave and
half free; and If the southern people are
msnacled under the operation of force bills
and their votes are counted by the tools
of q satrap, the northern people will soon
find themselves in similar circumstances.
Power is ever stealing from the many to
the few. Let the Republicans take pos
session Of the South this year. and two
years hence they will take possession of
the whole Union; for whilst the force bill
now threatening US will be used only in
the South at first, it will in fact be thelaw
of the land everywhere. and viii be used
In the North whenever Gear REED and his
sccomplices shall issue their orders to that
effect.
But let us follow Alabama and oil will be |
well.