Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1892-08-24
To Beat the Democracy.


To Beat the Democracy.
1t seems to be the primary and chief
object of the leaders of the Third party
to defeat the Democratic party, and,
&C nsequently to elect the Republican
ticket, strange as it may seem. The
utterances of General Field and the
Beverlys, father and son, show that to
be the purpose in this State, and the
action of the leaders show that to be
the object in other Southern States
The Richmond Times of Aug. 18th says
that General Field spoke at Cullman,
Ala, Thursday, and that resolution
was adopted declaring it the purpose
and duty of the party to defeat the
regular Cleveland ticket in that State.
Here then we have it officially an
nounced that the chief mission of the
Third party is to defeat the Demo-
Gratis, and as matter of course carry
the South for the Republicans. This
is also corroborated by reports from
this State, which are that John M.
Langston, the notorious negro Repub-
liean of Petersburg, has announced
himself candidate for Congress and
is soliciting and counting upon recelv-
ing the votes of the Third party in the
Fourth district.
, Will not the sensible men of the
Third party in the South stop and con-
slider, before they help to defeat the
Democracy, what they will accomplish
thereby? The main idea, indeed the
foundation principle of the Republican
party is hatred of the South, and never
for one moment since the organization
of that party has it ever ceased to
strive to bring about our degradation
and humiliation, socially, politically
and financially. What then can posi-
bly, induce Southern white men to de-
liberately bow themselves in the dust
before their lifelong, bitter enemies,
and humbly kiss the hand which has
never been raised to them except to
smite The bare idea that there should
be found men in the South even re-
motley contemplating such an un-
natural and suicidal course surpasses
conception.
Those Southern men heretofore
Democrats, who are suffering from
grievances, real or imaginary, which
they deem intolerable, should remem-
Der that never since 1860 has the Demo-
cratic party been in power, and that,
therefore, all it has been able to do has
been to protect the South from Radical
hate and venom. This it has effectually
done, since but for its efforts, carpet
bag and negro rule would long since
have been restored in the South and
maintained by Federal bayonets, and
to-day instead of the wonderful pro-
gress she has made, she would be alb
solutely destitute and impoverished
and as prone in the dust before her
enemies. as she was in the days when
Virginia was military District No L."
and the Legislatures of the Southern
States were controlled by Federal
soldiers.
This is no fancy picture. Ben Butler
tried to bring about this condition OF
affairs in 1875 as soon as he heard the
Democrats had elected a majority of
the Lower House of Congress for the
first time since 1860 to that date, and
he was then defeated by the Demo
Gratis in the Senate. So again Hoar
and Lodge tried the same thing in 1889
when they found that, after fourteen
years, they had again secured control
of Congress. And thus it is seen that
at this day the Republicans are as bit
terly hostile to the South as they were
in 1860, and that the Democratic party
is all that stands between the South
and destruction.
Yet in face of these plain, indisputa
BILE facts we see party of Southern
men deliberately working to defeat
their friends and restore to power their
enemies. What can be their object
Are they blind, insane or what? What
ever it is, if the Southern people per
nit themselves to be influenced by
such leaders, they are binding upon
them selves chains from which they
will, in after years, in bitter regret and
despair, vainly seek to be liberated
And they will receive no sympathy,
because their deplefable condition will
be the result of their own voluntary
and deliberate folly, &C mmitted with
their eyes open and in spite of repeated
warming"