Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1892-06-09
The vital Issue.
=Chairnan Clarkson, Of the Re

puU41Ctku NdblOQd1cs sSO11AA4oGoSs
when asked recently in regard to
the platform to be adopted in Min
neapolis, went on to give an out
line Of the declaration which he
thought would be made by the
convention. A part of what he
said is extremely interesting to the
people of the south.
aI do not know" said he, Chat
the Lodge federal election bill will
be specifically endorsed, but ! do
know that a human rights
plank of unqusstioned yigor will
be presented to the convention"
Continuing Mr.. Clarkson says:
"Did it ever occur to you that
yonr child may livi to see as many
negroes in this country as there
are white people to-day2 Within
the next three-quarters of q CEN
tury I predict the colored popula-
ton of this country will be at least
e5,OOO,OOO. And does any one
mean to tell me that they shall be
denied the elective franchise guar
. = e
anteed by the constitution? That
is the next great issne to be fought
over, and We might as5well open
our eyes to its magnitude"
AS the negro is not deprived of
the aelectlve franchise guaranteed
BY the constitution" Mr.. Clark
cons interview, when reduced to
it's last analysis, means that the
great issue to be fought over is,
whether or not the federal govern
ment will consent to put the bay
onet at the ballot boxes of the
south, for the purpose of intim-
idating it's voters, and allow the
republican party to attempt to
accomplish by force and bloodshed
what cannot be accomplished with
a fair and free ballot.
The bayonet as a republican
promoter, is the real issue and MIR.
Clarkson goes to the gist OF the
whole business.
We may talk about tariff reform
and free silver and remark with
considerable emphasis that they
are great and growing issues, or we
may say that this one or that one
or that one is paramount. But 1t
all amounts to nothing. The real
issue between the two parties is
one Of sectlonalism. That is the
cat in the meal tub, or, to speak
more pertinently to the facts, it is
the niger in the woodpile. We
can't escape that particular issue;
it is paramount and itseems to be
permanent.
So far as the two parties are
concerned, there is no need for
any platforms or declamatory
resolutions. The voters know in
stinctively what each represents.
and they viii ally themselves with.
each regardless of the issues that
play about on the surface. The
democratic party as it exists to-
day is formed for the purpose of
resisting federal aggression and
opposing the spirit of sectionalism
which appeals to the prejudices of
the war and strives to turn the
south over to an ignorant and ir-
responsible race led by corrupt
white men.
The white people of the south
may as well get themselves in
readiness for renewal of the old
and oft-repeated contest. What
ever the platforms of the two
parties may say; whatever the
names of the candidates may be,
there will be but 3one issne-the
southern issue, the sectional issue.
Those of our friends who imagine
that the campaign is to be fought
out on the economic issues of the
hour may as well lay aside their
arguments and address themselves
to the central and vital questions
of the hour, namely: whether the
time has come to surrender the
south to the forces which stand
ready to despoil her states and
overthrow her social organization.
That is the issue and the whole
of it. There may be pleasing
display of rhetorical fireworks over
the tariff, the silver question and
the other issues that form the
burden of of-year discussions, but
it will amount to nothing. 1t will
sparkle and go out and we shall
find ourselves scrambling about
in tha embera of the war and