Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-07-03
THE POLITICAL FOG.
An Open Letter from Major Bak or 10 Lee
of Hampton.

Of Hampton.
Politically. the fog thickens with each
succeeding day. And as we draw nearer
to the opening Of the canvass ior 'he
congressional elections in Virgihia anu
elsewhere in the South. we find below the
surface OF the water currents not ho'eu
In the charts. There Is, too. subtle
something in the air that makes men
pause In their politics, just as the lower
animals are sometimes instincuVeiy
moved 10 a qulckened sense OF DOUBT anu
OF danger by sudden surroundings that
are strange to them.
So confounding are the political mazes
Of the times that it is dihicult 10 as
crlm,nate parties either In men OF mea-
sures by individual votes, whether IN .he
Senate or in the House OF Representa-
tives AT Washington. Does THIS mean
that we are soon To- see new party aiiSh
ments all over the Union? Does IL Iiief'n
that North and South and East ana Wes'
the American people are about 10 uiNI.o
again upon public measures ana pattS
principles as they divided in the old un-
sectional days antedating the agitation "
the slavery question? Does II mean the
similar to that of Mr.. Monroe's haicyoh
epoch. or does II mean the reverse! IL
need not surprise us II 1t shall prove 10
mean such an elemental clashing anu
flashing I'm the political skies as may
cause superstitious people 10 rear thd.
"chaos and eternal night for our great
republic may be lying in wait not very
far IN the future. That will not De SO,
however. II may look as II the s.ais
are falling. but il will be an atmosphere
Illusion. Come what may, this Union anu
this free government will stand as long
as civilization stands.
That there is soon TO be seem now
ever. a lively Illustration OF the fanliliar
apothegm that politics makes strange
bed-fellows," f. clearly Indicated
think. But while men may change and
be consistent or inconsistent In their
changing. there are political principles
born when our government was BORN
that cannot change They were the
principles OF jefferson. They have al
WAYS been the principles OF the Demo-
cratic party. The Democratic party
must continue to uphold them, or IL
will not continue to be upheld by them
The South is as Indispensable to the
existence OF the Democratic party as
the principles OF Democracy are indis-
pensablc q the existence or civil ana
religious liberty The time has come Tor
the South to say what Democracy means,
az the Democracy Of the day Is me"-
sured by the vivid questions or the
day. Ii has been nearly thirty years
now since the southern people last
brought themselves face 10 face with me
economic questions In American politics.
altogether free from the influences OF
nd frnr IN H.
prehension arising from racial relations.
That was one of the dlrest results OF
our unfortunate fratricidal war. The
political and social bete-noir Of the
South ia at last, however exercised so
far as to BE- little more now .han spec
trail shadow lingering here and there on
the sOmbre canvas Of the past. Inc
mastering spirit of the indomitable An
clo-Saxon has asserted It's sovereignty
over the situation. And now 1t turns In
calmer mood. ID give gravcr ccns'dtra-
ton to thoughts and things that bear
directly upOr practical home affairs. The
abatement Of the fervor OF that passionate
partisanship which has for so many
years held the South solid" In mainten-
ance of Democratic ascendency Is fol-
lowed, as a logical consequence. by men
ace Of divisions that might result In ire
ty can be avoided but will IL be? Have
the southern leaders of the Democratic
marty the wisdom TO see the danger, the
INDEPENDENCE to utilize the opportunity,
the nerve 10 save the party and the coun-
try I'm this hour OF ominous confusion?
We shall see. and see soon. The Demo-
cratic desderatum in the South to-day
| is a party platform on which the people
may stand intelligently and confidently
without the aid OF explanatory politicians.
AS TO the tariff, that long-vexed question
looks to me as If 1t is nearer now to an
acceptable settlement than 1t has been
for many years. With five hundred mil
lions OF dollars necessary for the annual
expenses OF the government the theoretic
policy of free thrade is but an Arcadlah
ideal With the enormous territory or the
United States. embracing so many diner
ent climatic conditions and such variety
Of productive resources, II is an absolute
impossibility to harmonic, except by
compromise. the thousand local interests
| involved. With our grand governmental
structure resting upon the shoulders OF
| the masses of the people, It Is matter
| Of higher consideration than any question
| Of finance, whether individually or col
| lectively applied, that the wages OF free
| man under free government shaii De
| better than the wages OF worklng-mah
| under a government where the saiety
| OF 1.-The State does not depend as IL does
here. upon the intelligence Of the people,
| but quite the reverse.
| The Mckinley tariff is monopolistic,
| plutocratic tariff, and It Is repugnant TO
| the spirit OF our free institutions. The
| new tariff Qf we are TO have a new one)
| will not be the tariff promised by the
| Democratic party or expected by the
| people. But IL is obvious that under ex-
| listing Inevitable conditions In this stu
| pendous country, no closer approximation
| to the ideal Democratic tariff need be
| looked for, during this century at least
| And when the new tariff shall nave peen
| given 10 the country, observing and intel
| ugent men all over the country VIII re-
| quire no reasoning 10 convince them that'
| take IL for all in all, 1t will be better for
| the best interests OF the whole people
| for all tariff agitation to cease, in order
| that there may be no recurrence or the
| stagnation in trade inseparable from the
| uncertainties of the tariff as long as polit-
| ical parties are fighting over 1t. The peo-
| pie suffer while the politicians are play
| ing football with the tariff. and the
| people now know 1t.
The great engrossing question for ths
country now Is the restoration Of silver
as II was in the monetary system OF this
government from the foundation or the
republic to the day Tor the night l be-
lieve II was) when the white metal was
ruthlessly prescribed by a Congress that
thus put curse upon the country. That
| is the question that is causing all this
| troubled land to cry out with idle. empty
hands stretched forth in piteous appeal
| for work and wages; for more money,
| in order that there may be employment
for the unemployed; for more money,
| In order that the manhood, the muscle.
| the mental, and physical energies OF each
stalwart Atlas on whose shoulders full
proportion of responsibility for good gov
eminent rests, may have fair oppor-
tunity among his fellow-men. This
great movement for free coinage
and more money Is movement
| logically evolved from the pure prin-
cIples Of unadulterated Democracy. The
great issue 1t presents belongs legii-
mately to the Democratic party. 1t Is an
issue between the people and the pluto
Gratis. And the day IS at hand for the
great battle in the great field OF Ameri-
| can politics to be Joined upon It. This Is
| no time for southern Democrats TO be
blindly following any ''leader." no matter