The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1900-12-06

Tor Crisp Tor speaker because he
Crisp was an ex-Con!ederate. aad
we find again, rs wefound four years
ago, our own columns (but broken)
arrayed against a solid north.
Is it not time for southern mar
hood to cut loose from the body OF
this death?
Southern democrats furnish the
votes, why rot furnish the candi-
dates?
Morgan oi Alabama, or Daniel OF
Virginia, or Turnerof Georgia, could
at least have carried thesouth. any
of the three could have reclaimed
Maryland, Delaware and West Yir-
gina and made Kentucky sure.
Hasn't tie tail been wagging the
dog long enough?
The days were when Toombs and
Cobb and Stevens and Yancey and
Benton and Jackson and Clay and
Calhoun and Jefferson and Washing
ton and n long list OF southern
statesmen stood a5 the very fore
front in the councils OF the natior,
not to say in the councils of their
own political parties. What are we
to-day? Our southern leaders are
CROPPING about in darkness. They
have been following blind leaders of
the blipd-trailing first after an
eastern democrat and then a western
populist. Lo here, 10 there, loin the
ditch.
Sometimes we very seriously doubt
whether we really have any southern
leaders worthy OF the name. Think
OF Toombs following an AltgeId, or
a Stevens playing second fiddle to
Croker; think OF a Yancey ora Cobb
drinking down the election forecasts
OF Jim Jones and learning politi-
cal wisdom at the feet OF "a Weayerl
but here is manhood in thesouth );
there is ability here. We do not
lack courage A thousand fields and
forums lave demonstrated these
facts. Surely the rich red blood OF
our sir, s has not paled and CONCEAL
Cd in / lie veins of their sons. From
a race Of giants We have not fallen
to !ace OF pignias.
Unless we get out OF the ru5 we
have iailon into, the south, which
has been an empire withia Itself, VIII
continue to wane until our natural
political power viii he sAuTei out,
Ibe stupendous blunder of 1896. fol-
lowed up by he almost deliberate
suicide in 1900, is more than likely
to cost us large percentage of our
representation incongress and in the
electoral college. Already the plans
are made for the forging OF our
bonds. 1t Is a part OF the scheme o.
the dominant party to reduce our
political power to the minimum, and
We expect to see it attempted in the
next congress. Who have we to
blame but ourselves?
Tie south has long held to the
idea that the south should go into
the electoral college indie pendent of
any party OF the north, at least un-
til they repeal the fifteenth amend
ment, and there make terms. We
are peculiar people. We have pc.
culiar environments. Our conduct
OF our political affairs should be o
bit peculiar. So long as the cloud
of black aliens is aboye aud about
us, put there by northern democrats
and republicans alike, it would BE-
the pa 1t OF wisdom and common
sense to stand apart, select Our
presidential electors apart, and then
60 into theelectoral college demand
ing terms.
1t is Just as easy as it is to suggest
it, for the south to resolve itself in
to an independent political force,
and in this way, and no other, can
it master the situation. BY this
method il can absolutely command
what it wants, because when we
secede frow Altgeld and Croker, in
stead of fearing the solid south and
soaring old women and children with
it, as with an old Bluebeard, loving
.r.,s, urilI In x.a or In on 70 dirocfirr md