The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-11-08

single Southern state from support
ing anything but the Democratic tick
ct from the close of the war down to
the present day. No matter what the
people of that section might think on
| the tariff, the money question or any
other national issue, the dominating
| idea was the fear, for which successive
Republican platforms gave ample rea-
| son, that, should the South weaken
| in the slightest degree in its opposi-
ton to the Republican scheme, the car
| petbag regime would come again. For
the first time, as Mr.. Clark notes, the
situation was changed two years ago.
He says:
But one act to which Mr. Cleveland has set
MS signature will stand landmark in
our national history. That is the act to re-
| peal the federal election laws by which all
those statutes that gave the general govern
ment power to interfere with the elections
in the states were swept away This was
the final elimination of the Slavery issue
from our politics, and 1t ended an era in
American history. 1t was a step forward
IN our national progress which needed to be
taken, but which the Republican party could
not take, because the record of that party
required 1t to clam-however reluctantly
that 1t was a step backward.
This appeal was at last accepted and
| acquiesced in by the masses in the
Republican organization themselves.
Whereas, in 1892, there was a vigorous
and violent demand for a plank in the
Republican national platform calling
for another force bill, the platform of
1895 marked the new order of things
with a significant silence Not a con-
vention, observes Mr.. Clark, of the Re-
publican party in any part of the
country called for a renewal of the
policy of attempted control of federal
elections, while some Of them in the
South actually Endorsed the repeal and
elected their candidates as q conse-
quence. 1t Is a revolution in policy
that was accomplished, and Mr. Clark
predicts that it will be followed by the
breakup and disappearance of the Sec
ttonal line in national politics.
His words were written, probably,
weeks or months ago; and already,
when they reached the readers eye,
that prediction has been accomplished.
The solid South is dissolved. For the
first time since the war two Southern
states have been carried for the Re
publican nominee. Maryland and Ken
lucky. by their nearness to the great
centers of trade and lines of communi-
cation, by the completeness of their de-
velopment and the appreciation which
their people have Of the function of
capital and the value Of credit and con-
fidence. naturally found the right side
of the financial issue, to which the
states farther South are still insensible
But no one dreams for moment that
the 10000 majority that Maryland gave
for Mr.. Cleveland in 1892, or still less
the 10000 majority of Kentucky in that
year, could have been changed into a
majority for the opposition, or could
have been decreased at all, had not
the Democratic voters known that the
fear of the particular form of sectional
legislation embodied in force bills and
national election laws was forever re-
moved.
The solid North showed itself ready
to resolve into it's elements long ago.
Four years ago Mr.. Cleveland carried
not only New York. New Jersey and
Connecticut. but Indiana, Illinois and
will remain no more an inert mass in
politics. cohering by the desperate ne
cessity of defending local government
in it's states from interference and
abuse. THERE'S no more a solid South.
Delaware. Maryland and Kentucky
voted for Henry Clay in 1892 Della
ware, Maryland and Kentucky voted
for William Mckinley sixtyfour years
later. The coincidence is as significant
as 1t interesting. Mr.. Clark has writ
ten valuable and most instructive
chapter in the history Of politics. Four
years from now we may expect to
see once more the electoral votes of
the states disputed between the parties
without regard to geographical distri-
button. The reason for the old section
alism, a sufficient one in it's time, has
vanished The new sectionalism has
been rebuked and put down. May we
not hope that the time has come when
we can follow the advice Of Washing
ton and put away from us as a vicious
and hateful thing the mention Of Sec
tional lines or sectional interests in
discussing the interests Of our common
country.