Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1892-08-10
GEN. JOHN B. GORDON.
HE DISCUSSES THE POLITICAL SITUA-
TION-DEMOCRATS MUST.


Under date OF Atlanta, ia, j uly, %,
United States Senator John b. Gordon
wrote letter to Captain Huger w.
tombstone, of Gordon county, in which
he says:
II am deeply concerned about the
political situation. 1t seems to me
that Georgia is in deeper danger than
at any time since 1868, for although
then we had not rescued the State
from the carpet-baggers clutch. yet
our people were so united and deter
mined that the day of deliverance could
not long be postponed. Now we are
divided into factions and the political
schismaticS are waging most unjust
and bitter warfare upon the party
which saved us-upon the party which
gave us peace and security through
well ordered and faithfully administer
ed State government. When these
false teachers can find followers among
honest, brave and true hearted South
erners it is time for apprehension. If
their ISLANDERS simply turned the ignor-
ant and thOughtless against individual
democrats it would be matter of com
paratively small moment, but when
they succeed in deceiving the people
and leading them into open hostility
to the only national party through
which we have the remotest chance for
financial relief, for safety from federal
marshals at the polls, it is time to re-
light the old signal fires on the hilltops
and to summon again the true men of
the State to their place in line. The
time has come for appealing to the
common sense of the people-to their
patriotism and pride of race-to their
faith in Southern honor and to their
instinct of self-preservation.
fThere are many honest men in this
third party movement. We must de-
monstrate as we can that they are be-
ing deludcd by false teachers into a
senseless hostility to the State govern
ment or their own special selection,
and against which not one word of just
criticism has been or can be uttered.
We must show them that they are be-
ing fed upon false promises and decep-
tive hopes which by no possibility can
be realized; that neither free coinage of
silver nor any other measure of relief
can ever be secured by third party in
this country, because that party has
not now nor will ever have any follow
ing OF consequence outside of the South
and a few unimportant Western States.
Free coinage and all other rightful
through the democratic party if we act
in concert, because with the honest
men of the peoples party united with
the democrats we have an immense
popular majority in the Union and can
surely defeat the republican party at
the polls. Then the friends of free
coinage and of financial reform would
constitute great majority of the demo
cratic party and would, Of course, con-
troll its policy at Washington.
ION the other hand the peoples par
ty is absolutely impotent as above
stated except for evil. 1t is strong to
pull down, but hopelessly weak to
build it up. 1t is herculean in power
to hurt the South, but utterly power
less to help us. Though it cannot des
troy the democratic prospects, it can
diminish them but it will, and does
give comfort and courage to republican
enemies. 1t is causing assertions from
the democratic battle ranks, which
assail with sectional hate in their hearts
and the force bill in their hands.
Every man of common sense must
see that the most probable results OF
the third party movement are the con.
tinued triumph of the republican par.
ty and the destruction of white supre
macy III the South.
| "Of course | do not pretend to agree
with everything done by the democrat
ic party, but | do assert that, taken all
| in all, it is by far the safest reliance of
the South-the truest, boldest, strong
est defender of the constitution and OF
popular rights. 1t is the most indies
tructible political organization that
ever appeared in history. 1t has seen
many other great parties organize and
flourish for time and pass away. 1t
has added more of territory to the
Union and of glory to it's flag than all
other parties combined. 1t has lived
through foreign and civil wars, and
throughs chisms in its own ranks, and
will OF necessity continue to live, wheth-
er victorious. OF defeated, as long as
free government lives 1t cannot die
until the republic dies, for it's principles
are essential to the republics life, 1t
stands today where it stood when JEFF
ferson formed 1.-THE uncomfortable
champion of constitutional Limitations
upon federal power, of independent
State governments, and of equal and
exact justice to all sections and citizens.
Its life is important to all. To the
South it is a necessity.
Suppose the democrats are not
agreed among themselves in all re-
spects. Can we afford on this or any
other account to divide while an ag-
gressive sectional fight is made on us?
Suppose one democrat does favor free
coinage OF silver at the ratio of Is to 1,
and another democrat prefers free coin
age at the ratio of 20 to 1, are such in
significant considerations to divide us.
while we are threatened with a legion
OF financial, social and political woes
through the infamous force bill?
ut is -distressingly true-that
our people are financially embarrassed
and depressed. This is due in part to
unnecessary tariff taxation and to class
legislation by the republican party. 1t
is due in part to an insufflciency of cur
rency in the country, but it is still
more largely due to the fact that we
have made more cotton than the world
wants and less provisions than we
want. There are, l believe, 1000, 900
more bales left over from the last crop
than were ever on hand at this season.
If we had made 10000 bales last year
instead of 8 000,0 900 bales, no combina-
ton on earth could have kept cotton
down under IL cents per pound. Stat
istics show beyond cavil that the price
OF cotton is put up or down far more by
the number of bales ON the market
than by the number of dollars in cir
culation. If we would halve our cot
ton crop and double our provision crop
it would not be five years until we
would have Wall street and the world
at our feet.
But, whatever be the cause of the
depression, we are not going to find re-
lief by breaking down the democratic
party and aiding the republican party
to retain control. The man is on the
verge of idiocy who thinks he can find
relief from present ills by indirectly
aiding the republican party to infiict
upon us through federal election laws
ten thousand times greater ills in the
of our labor, and in the
political turmoil and race conflicts
which such legislation will produce.
at is both distressing and amazing
to see the third party leaders in the
South attempting to ridicule the dan
gers from the force bill. Have they
our reconstruction expert
ence? Do they think that the white
m q N cnntrol of thaco Sfatac 10 nD LOVE-