Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-09-05
THU RICHMOND Observation-Disclosures. SEPTEMBER o. 1894

lie RICHMOND DlSt
| States Rights-The Democratic PARTY.
Whatever else the Democratic party
stands for. Il Is certainly Identified in the
history OF the country win e'e'y
movement intended TO protect the rghs
! of the States as States. The resolutions
| Of I7oS were not more certainly Formulated
| nv Tho gercrsonian Republicans tas the
the Democrats OF that day were terineU
than the law repeating all Federal cleo
| ton laws was the work OF the Dei''ocr'',c
marty OF 1894. There were innuheraDie
differences OF opinion in Congress upon
the tariff. the silver question: ue
| annexation OF Hawaii. the extending
OF aid 10 the Nicarsguan-canal schehe'
tho Improvement OF rivers and harbors
and the thousand and one other proposed
measures which engaged The attention VI
that body at It's last session, but "heh
the bill intenaod to lift the Iron hand
Of the Federal Government from the
shoulders OF the people came up on its
passase Democrats from California Wed
with Democrats from Virgina'-and Dem
ocrats from every section We'd with one
anotber-in the good work Of expunsiny
tho Fe1oral election laws from the statute
books.
our attent on was recalled to this sub
iect by Republican paper-the Harrison
burg Spirit Of the Valley-in the following
short paragraph:
in speaking Of the underlying princ'-
ple Of the Democratic party, the fich-
nond Dispatch says That princpie was
and is the rights of the states. To Wnlch
we reply that one OF the great under
living principles of the iiepuplicah parry
is the rights OF the people
10 which we rejoin that II there ever
was a party N this country whose ac-
IONS proved that II held the doctrine
that the people had no rights which that
party was bound 10 respect the RepuOh-
cans were and are that party.
The peoples rights must be protected
IL al all through the states. Thcy can
not resist By force encroachmcnts upon
those rights. They could not have rid
themselves Of tie Feleral election lave
IL they had not had u sOOdiy number
cf Democratic States. as well rs pemoc-
crate constituencies. 10 stand az their
back When Mr.. Benton, SOLITARY ana
alone" introduced the eXpunging resolu-
ton into tho United States Senate, his
task did not appear 10 b. more IN
promising one than did the task OF The
States-rigats Democrats IN Congress
when they undertook 20 repeal all the
Federal election laws.
The Republican party the peoples par
ty, Was ever there q greater mistake
made than when the Spirit made this
statement? We need not so out Of Viz
glnla to fad tn facts which render this
assumption totally untenable. Congress
has no right 10 deprive the people OF Viz
gina OF their membership in tn Union.
or Of their representation In that body.
Yet the Republican party did. by hook or
by crook unrishteously turn Virginia out
Of the Union and in 1866 refuse To allow
the congressman elected from this State
70 take their seats in that body. For Re
publican purposes Virginia Was out Of the
Union when the Republicans desired her
TO be out, ana In the Union when they de-
sired her TO be in. The reconstruction acts
were as unconstitutional as the ordinance
Of secession OF Virginia.
If anybody wishes TO witness an Illus
tration Of the respect OF the Republican
party for the rights Of the people, let
him dance attendance for few days
upon an intcrnal-revenue officer too busy
TO wait upon him. Or let him read the
internal-revenue laws. Such laws were un-
heard Of up to 1860 All the shifts and
devices-all the spies and informers-all
the trampling upon the rights Of the peo-
ple--oVe their existence to the rule of
the Republican party.
Or look at the kuklux law and its abom-
nations. These furnish abundant proof as
to what sort of respect the Republicans
have for the rights Of the people. Or look
at the first force-bil which provided that
"insurrection or rebellion" might be de-
clared to be the condition of South Caro-
lima SAY whenever the Republican or
Federal officials in that State might for
any reason choose so TO declare.
Or look at the pretended respect for the
rights of the people as exempllfed in the
bogus ratification Of the 18th, nth, and
18th articles Of amendment TO the Fede-
raj Constitution. The people Of Vir-
GINA and the Legislature of Virginia were
forced to ratfy amendments which they
had the constitutional right TO reject; and
these proofs Of Republican respect for
the rights Of the people still stand before
the world as the work Of the people of the
Southern States and are accorded as much
respect as is accorded to the rest Of the
Federal Constitution as it came from the |
hands Of the fathers.
But we need not pursue the subject.
The people know the party which re-
spects their rights, and they will vote ac-
cdrdingly. 1t Is impossible that the south |
ern people should so soon have forgotten
the betrayers of the trust placed In their |
hands.