New-York tribune., 1896-06-05
THE SOLID SOUTH BROKEN.
AGITATION FOR FREE SILVER BRINGS
ABOUT THE DISRUPTION.
THE RACE LINE ERADIcATED AND NEW ADJUST
MENTs FORMED BY CLASS FEELiNd-ihH
RESULT LIKELY TO BE RE-

RESULT LIKELY TO BE RE
PUBLICAN SOUTH.
To the Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir: After an existence OF nearly twenty years thc
"so,id South" has disappeared from pohucai co''ui-
tions and calculations and become only meNo'y
The indications that 1t Will never De res.oreu'
bu, n there is Solid sout aga!nit will probably De
n solid Republican South.
These statements are not based on the hepup-
,tcan victories two years ago in Kentucky. North
Carolina Maryland and other Southern states Inc
year 1894 was tidal wave year, and an OF year
and local and temporary causes might nave orousn.
many Of it, astonishing political results Ihe Solu
South was not broken when Malone carried VIZ
glnia and II there not other and deeper rea-
sons than are found the returns OF the last elec-
toa the destruction OF the most Formidable the
most dangerous and remarkable and the most ap-
parently impregnable. combination OF American po-
litca history might be yet regarded as only re-
mote possibility
THE BREAK COMES SUDDENLY.
As II ,s however. every observant man VINO
studies conditions In this part or the Union MUM,
gently and carefully must know that the oreAh
fac, II has come strangely and suddenly. lne
causes are Old but the effects are ne" ana u''.N
nec,ed Five wears ago nobody would have prenic'en
or imagined that It would be brought ABOUT as II
has been There have been no real parry "".o "
the South since the war. The lines nave O'
drawn be.veen the races White man "aS
democrat q negro was a Republican with tne eA-
ceptons on both sides unimportant II seefned .'a'
that division. wide as the difference between D'a."
and white founded deep.y In inherited inoorh preJ'
dices and Instincts could never be lost lors"''e" u
ignored The political position OF the hes'" a"u
the Republican at the South appeared 10 De H''"'''
The confidence OF the white man IN MS o"" po".'
Of cohesion and the consequent continuance VI "'
absolute supremacy. seemed TO be built on d GER
tanty. ,.,. .,,so.c,,nv
Yet the negro has been wise without su'ps
II and the Democratic party In the oouth mas 'o'.'-
m,tted suicide without knowing It. mas eiaoora'eS
and deliberately and with much pains ana ingenuity
s,s,,.mhered and stabbed and poisoned Itself. with
the deluslve idea that It's strength was oe'hs 'a'o
t,,,rc,ble and It's rule eternal Events are bringing
a beautiful illustration OF the operations OF 1--WE
In morals ard In politics paradoxes ye'u - mime
,ca, and satisfactory results wrongdoing develops
,,,,shmen, for the wrongdoer and compensation
,or tho wronged The negro has found his saFatoh
in his obliteratlon for the more his vote was
chorned down the more complete his DISAPPEARANCE
m. Aerc.r the quarres. the wider the DIVISIONS
among the whites became. As danger from without
lesscned the dlscord within Increased
THE RACE LINE RUBBED OFT
The whites themselves destroyed the race Hne
by crushing the negro out OF politics ana 'ne nes
aided in the work by permitting h'"se"
crushed The Democratic leaders smashed ther
o,r and favori,e spook-"ngger rule with "nich
,hev so long terrified the "unterrihed Democracy
and held It's ranks unbroken. SO the race me was
rubbed out and Immediately an oder sVons'''
aeener line has been drawn-between the ""'e
themselves this time II Is the line o' Class u
ce.,e q, social AID business differences The great
,oos,,,er movement in the South Is only the FORM
IN. NAM. OF f. The substance OF II, the realty OK
f. Is in the jealouslss the antagonisns' OF c'ass
7 have studied the conditions in several Southern
States very carefully during the last 'e" weeks
Nv opportunlttes have been ample ana my CONCUR
s,ons are deliberate have heard men and women
~ all shades OF opinion talk In varied surroundings
o,d circumstances Half the men who are shouting
for free silver DO not know what 1t means ana 40
no, care They shout FOR II because IL j. 0"e
shout OF their class the battle cry OF the poor anu
obscure moving 10 war against the rich men anu
tho "ars,ocracy." the pi,chfork with when the
,.uo- may prod and dlshgure and punish the
merchant lawyer and banker and all anil!atei and
associated interests and individuals
GROWTH OF CLASS FEELING.
r,. cla. feeling has long been latent in the South.
h,. Z, has been smothcred by many conditions, ana
there has been nobody 20 develop IL Men VINO 'oso
from the ranks Of the common people oy po"e.
Of intellect and energy were so ie" anu S0"''.'
tina, they were quickly and easily aosoroeu oS '''
,eu surroundings. and the ferociy OF any resent
,ro,,s they might hold against the upper classes
u,s soon melted 10 genial conservatism But II Is
different now Glass hatred has become pasSon'
its bitterness made more intense by long represSo"'
s expression and development luxuries because 'ney
are experiences
Tho South Is prosperous Nobody Is suffering and
comparativeiy few are in debt Taken man Tor man.
the pr,porton OF independence and prosperity IS
erca,er among the farmers than In the towns anu
cities The demand FOR frce-silver coinage !" '''s
section Ia no, the result OF deliberate desire 10
rcpuiin,e debts nor Is there apparent any generai
b.lef that II will make anybody. rch or improve me
he /
,,u toll Won he IS FOR I, because he longs FOR re
lief" but ne cannot viii not say what klnd or
relief II r. or from what he hopes TO be reheVed'
THE FREE SILVER MANS MOTIVE
/, Won Will study him carefully you Will nnd tha'
the cause Of his sweetest satisfaction. the result 10
which h looks most joyously. from the adoption OF
hls schedule Is the pulling OF somebody down. inc
humbrng OF some head which he considers TO he
held undu.y. ofrensively and Injuriously high lie
may h,ve little hope-llit,c real longing. even-to
20, from between the plough handles himself or 10
rescue HIS family from the hoe and the field but he
thinks he would enjoy seeing some men he knows
di.mounted from high horses forced from what ne
regards as easy and luxurious emp'oyments and re-
ouired to share with him the hest OF July suns and
the backaches acquired by picking out bumhlebee
cotton-a variety OF the plant so named because OF
the traditional sarcasm that the insect referred 10
can comfortably sit on the ground and suck sub
stance from the top blooms during October and
November. He thinks he would enjoy II. but prob
ably ne wouldn't for he is generally good fellow at
heart without real malice.
Bu, he has his prejudices. Physical perspiraton
and sunhirn are the only badges OF toler he is
willing TO accept genuinethe only symbols OF In
dustry really blown In the bottle white hands and
aundered linen are 10 him tokens and evidences of
oppression and tyranny. whether they are worn by
a clerk working fourteen hours day for SIS a month
n corporation president. who woos sudden death
and cutivate- insomnia for $4,000 year. Against
untanned compile xions and bleached shirtfronts he
has declared war. and against them he Is marching
under the banner OF the free and unlimited coinage
OF silver the ratio OF IS TO l. He Is being carefully