The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1894-02-20
THE SOUTH NOT RESPONSIBLE.
Unredeemed Pledges Must Not Be Laid
ut Ita Door.

passed the chrysalis state, and he has
bossomed into a full grown candidate for
the republican presidential nomination, his
recent Philadelphia speech possesses
deeper significance than appears on the
surface. Indeed that speech was delivered
more in behalf of the Hon. Thomas
Bracket than of that distinguished re-
publican veteran. Hon. Galusha a. Grow,
the republican candidate for congressman
at large, in the interest of whom Mar. Reed
took the stump in Philadelphia.
The keynote of Mr.. Reeds address was
his attack the south. He has always
been south hater and his political career
has been characterized more tnan by any
thing else by the persistency Of his assaults
on southern interests. He is the prince or
the rapidly diminishing band of south hat
ers-the unconquered pirate who yet sails
under the Bloody Shirt, pursued by the
civilized and conservative sentiment or
generation which looks upon his sectional
buccaneering pretty much as it would
upon the temperance of Captain Kidd
upon the high seas.
But this savage enemy of the south-thls
sectional desperado-surpassed himself in
the hostility of his warfare on the south
in his Philadelphia speech, and his wonder
full ingenuity was never more clearly mani
Tested than in the adroit plan of his cam
paign as appears between the lines of that
address.
The following paragraph from the speech,
which can be taken as the text or the
whole address, is a lair sample or MS
revised plan of attack on the south:
Are the people no longer the rulers or
this country? How much longer are we TO
have over us a set CT irresponsible ty-
rants? Why is it that this country Is IN
the hands Of one-fourth of its citizens!
will not be accused of sectionallsm when
I say that the southern men are in control
of the democratic party. for am simply
saying the Lords truth"
This is misleading from beginning 10
end! It is the most unjust extreme 10
which even Mr.. Reed has yet resorted IN
the long series of his quiXotic attacks on
the south AS an humble but devoted SOUTH
erner I protest against it. and the Sentl-
ment of every southern state viii repudiats
the charge that southern influence IS re
sponsible for the policy which mas uom
mated the adminst ration since 1t came
into power year ago. 1t is quite ingenious
In Mr.. Reed to justify his long warfare
against the south by holding it responsible
before the country for the evils which have
resulted not from carrying out but from
regulating the most salient Obligations OIL
the democratic platform
1t IS true the south played q conspicuous
part in the making of the platform, but it
is equally true that it is not responsible
for the breaking of it. And yet it will be
hard to convince the country that the south
Is not responsible for the evils which have
visited US like the plaques of Egypt, for III
the hands of such aStute republican leaders
as Mr. Reed clrcumstantial evidence VIII
be used with powerful effect before the ma
tional jury.
Look at the cabinet" they Will say and
emphasizing the fact that three out OF eight
OF it's members are from the south. they
will ask if southern sentiment iS not large
~ responsible for shaping the policy which
is the outcome of cabinet deliberations, and
the voice of the dissatisfied and the discon-
tt nted throughout the north, unfamiliar
with the facts, may be inclined to affirlna-
tive response; for when the pinch comes
will those democratic representatives who
have repudiated democratic obligations and
by cooperation with the republican minori-
ty in congress have succeeded in outnunl-
bering the democrats who have stood LOT
party honesty, be brave enough and can
did enough to say to their constituents
that the south does not merit the RESPONSE
bility which partisan preJudice seeks TO
place upon it?
1t Is true that three Of the eight members
Of the cabinet are from the south, but there
is not one of the three who did not surren-
der lock, stock and barrel and burn the
incense of his convictions upon the altar
of cabinet promotion. Wha- better evil
dence can there be of the fact that Mr..
Cleveland was not looking for representa-
tives of southern sentiment in making up
his cabinet than his choice of three south
ernerS whose chief qualification was their
readiness to cooperate In the establishment
of the single gold standard, aotWithstand-
ing the fact that the states from which
they were appointed were practically unanl-
nous in their opposition to the conSumnna-
ton of the outrage!
Since the democrats came into power
nearly year ago, southern sentiment mas
been persistently ignored in shaping the
policy of the administration, and Mr.. Reed
knows it. In the successful campaign III
the establishment of The gold standard ana
the complete decentralization of silver, the
representatives. of the south We're helpless
against the combined forces OF republicans
and democratic regulators, led III the
house by Mr.. Reed himself. There was
never day in that long contest when the
democrats who were cooperating with MT.
Reed would have been willing to submit lhe
settlement of this vital question 20 party
caucus. Why not? Because the south stood
like q rock wall between them and
the contamination of the conspiracy
to reduce valuations to the goIu staHuILu
basis and hold the currency of the country
to the contracted limit Of the grasp Oh the
money power.
If, as Mr.. Reed charges, 'the people are no
longer the rulers of this country; II we
have US set OF Irresponsible ~
rants" il "the country Is IN the hands OK
one-fOurth of its citizens, IL has been
because this alarming condition has peen
brought about in spite of protests from the
south. Southern men are not IN cDntrUt OF
the democratic party. and MI. Reed does
not simply say the Lords truth when he
charges it. Southern men are not RESPONSE
BILE for the appointment of muBW0 amps l+no
repub leans to the highest Offices Wlthln
the gift of the administration. southern
men are not responsible for the indifference
which such appointments have created IN
the ranks of the organized democracy
throughout the country. II the country IS
dominated by set of irresponsible ty-
rants they are not from the south. II
MIR Reed tries to make sectional issue
out of this argumcnt he viii soon lind
himself IN deep water, for in the general
Complaint which has followed the repudia-
ton of the democratic obligations none is
more emphatic than that which comes
from the south.
Mr. Reeds revised plan of attack on the
south should have at least one good effect.
1t should put every democratic representa-
five from the south on notice that the south
is 10 be nyid responsible for whatever Is
Of is not done. They should, therefore, be
prepared to accept accountability. and the
only Way to do IS to stand to the demo-
cratic rack and carry out every pledge OF
the democratic platform with or without
the consent OF the element Which is being
nscd by the republicans as 4 catSpaW to do
thai which even the republicans when in
newer dared not do. Mr. Reed has sounded
. note OF warning to the southern repre-
sontatiyes in congress, and if they do not
take adyantaee OF it, it viii be their own
farIt ana the south VIII have to pay the
nanaity The situation is assuming q ser.
Gus stage now and the result depends en-
tirely upon the determinatiou Of the. demo