Year: 1878

EKNw tFeC campaign tWGNGe1-GEVRR B6EFzC8


Reform and the Southern Pollcy-The


Defeats which Followed This Line of


Campaign-FinaI and Complete sur


render Of the Adminlstrat tfon-A Re-


sort to the outrage NFilt and she Bloody


Shirt.


TSpecial Correspondence of the Democrat


WASHINGTON. October 30. 1878.


There are some facts connected with the clos
ing furry of this peculiar campaign which the
people of tho South would do we'll to paste in
their hats for future reference. And as this Is
undoubtedly tho last letter shall be able to lay
before the readers of the DEMOCRAT prior to the
election next Tuesday 1t seems to me proper to
thn nnnvnsa. with particular reference to
those aspects Of II which most directly concern
the Southern people, This campaign has been
ono Of peculiar interest and importance. Its
peculiar interest has arisen from the fact that it
is the first since 1860 in which


THE ARMED FORCES OF THE FEDERAL GOVERN


MENT


have not been used as aduncs to the Radical
machinery i'll any State: that Is to say. the first
political contest in eighteen years wagcd
wholly upon civic issues and under the ngis Of
civil power. Its peculiar Importance is due to
the fact that 1t involved the final test of popular
strength on the issue Of absolute control OF the
Legislative branch Of the national government
between the decayinE organization that has
welded unchecked power for fourteen years
and power with but feeble check for four more
lii other words 1t has been u fair test of the
question whether the people were the sover-
eigns Of this country or tho Radical party
ganization the master of the people; whether
party had become more powerful than country,
parisanship stronger than patriotism. If, hay
ing lost the Senate and holding the Executive
by a tenure " hose wretched origin made success
more fatal than honorable defeat would have.
the Radical party he'd mustered force and vital
ity enough to wrest the House of Representa-
tives from the hands of the Democrats that re-
sult must have been accepted as proofthat revo-
lutions do indeed sometimes go backward and
that henceforth tt @ words morality and con-
science must be eXpunged from the


LEXICON or AMERICAN POLITICS.


The canvass began carly. The Republican
managers found themselves at the outset in the
nnWonted predcnment OF being compelled to
depend upon the natural and legitimate re-
sources of a party organization under our form
Of goyernment. and 1t is avery mild expression
that they did not know what to make Of it. They
had been accustomed to easy lines and pleas
ant devices, When they wanted money to buy
votes with In close Northern districts all they
had to do Was to draw at sight upon the myriads
Of otflceholders, and upon The masses OF capital
II e canv Whon @nq e1 R9 wan
crush the freedom Of the ballot in any close
Southern district. all they had to do was to get





bagger to swear that he had been "intmidated"
and the resources Of the War Department were
With tho nsdo worknEs s'o Of TH pary 'o manage
ment can appreciate the value OF such aid and
comfort or how it made the rough places
doubtful districts"


The Radicals themselves, like mankind in
general under such. circu instances did not
they enjoyed. but looked upon 1t as matter Of
course. Ultimately they grew into the belief
and that the business end of q bayonet was
quite q mild en- ugh argu,ment ,1, to address to
their prerogaive Cherishing fond memories
of such halcyon days


THE RADICAL MANAGERS.


conveniently typened by Hale & Gorham at the
upon the campaign. At the outset they found
pi their co+ sight drafts on the office holders
of protest under tho operations of an institu-
ton called civil service reform. which, however
farcica! it has since turned out. afforded in the
beginning a most con, enient refuge for all
those Ofireholders who, calmly facing the pros
pect OF having to seok new employm MS in the
bs Of % cq%pe of or So R
had been in the habit OF cutting off from their
never too Iuxuriant salaries. However, the
cal Juggernaut had been lifted out of the old
ruts of sentimental or emotional politics. and
to be nnygaed heneeforth by the
the high road OF grent financial commercial
and industrial issues. You may remember that
while the canvass was still inchoate a question
arose touching the policy of the admin istration
In the matter of ''protecting the wards Of the
nation" under the fifteenth amendment, and
the decision was q decided slap in the face tn
that school OF Radical managers who regarded
the South as a convenient Poland for the Rus
Sian political soldiery fthe North to flesh their
sabres in by way Of practice in time of peace
What has passed into current nomenclature as


THE SOUTHERN POLICY OF Mr.. HAYES,
had been clinchod anl rveted by Proctor
Knotts little bill prohibiting the use of the
regular army as y posse comitatns and thus
the remaining half of the ro erves of Radical
ism vent to join the first half done to death by
has boon for several weary years tho factOtum
Of the Radical party at committee Headquarters
How in HI can we run the machine" he in
qulred when Hayes iI sh ana his Cabinet keep lock
disheartened at the shortening Of his supplies
would be putting 1t very mildly. He was red
hot. rip snoring mad, and cavorted about in a
manner to Indicate that. MS between the success
of the Radical party upon the line and the
visers, and the success of the Democratic party
as 1t stood, Mr., Gorham would prefer the latter
result. He had been schooled in the plain and
simple partisan text books. whose alpha and
omega were formulated as follows:


First-The North hates the South.


,Second,The North is numerically stronger
Third-Therefore the Radical party must lie
to the North and keep tho hate warm on which
1t lives.


There was nothing intricate or complex about
this . litcal philosophy. 1t didn't require
much breadth OF mind or much depth of reason
t6 6HfREehend II and henee 1t was


SCHOOL OF POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY
In which men like Gorham could easily aspire
to the highest degrees. 10 be sure it was
school whose teachings inspired thinking mon
with feelings all the way from repugnunce to
disgust and Contempt. but the Gorhlm tribe
had long since discovered that thinking mon
were an impediment and a nuisance in all poll
teal organizations The rule was, give us
otfice-hoders who won't make any fuss and
voters who wort ask any questions, and you
may take all your d-n philosophy while we
will look after the spOils.''


Under these circumstances Mr. Gorham did
not have his heart in the work as they say at
Methodist revivals-in the early part of the
campaign, There was too much reform and too
little money in circula' ion: too much high
politics" and not enough skullduggery to meet
his views of sngacty or inspire his hu,iasm.
Accordingly he snlked IKE Achillns in his tenn.