Year: 1877

ing comments. by several Republican
newspapers:


"Why is the South solid2 Because
the South is hungry. But why Is 1t
solidly Democrstic2 Because it can rse
the Democratic party as its feed-trough.
Democratic victory means the feeding ei
fifteen very hungry States at the ex-
pense of the rest. The dull men are
those who fancy that the Southern claim
ants are not in dead earnest when they
ask for money. For they are poor. The
war took slaves and struck down industry.
Reconstruction was worse than war. The
one thing that no man can guess Is
how much the South really wants. II
wan IS canals; the North has them. IL
wsnth railroads; the government has
built many at the North. The United
States cannot borrow dollar, with q
southern policy as to treatment OF credi-
tors. A single bill, sustained oy nine-
tenths of the southern votes, has already
stopped the sale of bonds, though veto
is vet TO come These things mean bank
ruptcy. A Democratic South makes ab-
solutely necessary Republican North.
The blame OF sectionallsm rests with
those who insist upon solid South"


The manifest object of this kind OF
writing is, in the language OF the
Springfield Republican, (which, by
by The way, Is the ablest Republican
newspaper published In the intensely
Republican State of Massachusetts,
"a wicked purpose to arouse in the North
a distrust of the attitude of the South
toward the national credit, great alarm
lest rebel claims shall be put through
Congress to an amount sufficient to
swamp the national treasury, and in gen.
eral terror of the South as great COM
munistic peril to every property interest
in the country"


The Republican justly and with mod
Grafton denounces this as selfish and
false. 1t is selfish because it assumes TO
deny 10 the South, off-hand and a PriOTi,
such assistance in the opening OF the
Southern Pacific railroad and the Mis-
sissippi as has been rendered by the gov
ernment TO other sections of the country.
This Is question of internal improve
ments, and there is nothing criminal IN
the expectant attitude OF the South. Let
US not act the part of hog, but hear
what the South wants.


1t is false, because southern claims
have not as yet engrossed the attention
OF the southern people, or secured the
favor Of that branch of Congress IN
which the Democrats have msjorlty.
There has never yet been any effort IN
behalf of Rebel claims threatening such
q drain on the treasury IS was threatened
by the bill equalizing bounties which the
last Republican Congress passed, and
which President GRANT refused To sign.
The last Congress, the Congress of Rebel
brigsdiers, as it was called, reduced the
legitimate expenses of the governmental to
a point which no previous Congress had
dared to put them at, point at which
Secretary SHERMAN reports the govern
ment can continue to be administered
without crlppling any branch of the
public service"


Nothing has yet occurred in the coun
tenance OF schemes Of jObbery, OF rebel
claims, or of assaults on the national
credit so far distinguishing the South
from the West as to justify journal,
published at the commercial capital Oh
the country, and pretending to national
influence and sympathy, IN making these
crafty appeals to sectional suspicion and
hate against large portion of the
Urion.


The wickedness of these appeals al
this time we submit to the popular judg-
ment. They do not adopt the tone OF
remonstrsnce toward the South, lut OF
sggrsvation and insult. They can only
be compared with the efforts of Cassag-
nae to madden and infuriate the Repub.
licans of France by tsunting them with
the purposes OF Communists. They are
not, however, mere Indulgence o: pas
sion. They are intended to arouse the
passions of the North and bring them to
the assistance of the resctionary party of
Blame and Conkling. 'uttlng them
selves aloof from popular sympathy on
the question of civil service reform, the
opponents of the administration still
hone TO find warmth and support by