Year: 1876

Managing politicians of both parties, incud-
ing many of those who fancy that they are
leaders and possible Presidents, are anxious
TO dodge living issues. Hence they make
great fuss about questions of minor Importance,
or no importance, and pretend that lheSe are
above all others the questions which the peo-
pie should decide by their votes. 1t ls the
favorite dodge of the dcmagoguc, Ill order to
evade action or commitment OH questions
really in dispute to keep pounding away at
some matter about which the people
have finally decided and which. in the
opinion of intelligent voters, has been
put away forever to sleep with the
other dead things of the dead past. when
Hosea Biglow's typical demagogue was queS-
toned about slavery, he responded with ire
mcndous heat, "Yes, Sir! | ar asin' Bank
We do not need to travel far to find dcma-
gogucs of the same sort If they are Kcpubh-
cans they tell MS about slavery. the war ana
its incidents, or, like Mr. Morton, make some
misconduct in one Southern State the excuse
for tremendous three-days speech on recon


qGtiqT Sopg nGIH Of they adf adfgf g 54' ay m"Ss be
diverted from questions of finance. taxation,
and administrative reform.


This is merely an insult to the people II
implies that voters are fools, and do not know
what questions have been settled, or what the
country now needs. Mr. Morton knows that
the question of the treatment Of the recon
structcd States has been settled forever; that
it is entirely beyond his power to get any new
legislation on the subject, or even to obtain
respectful consideration, in Congress or before
IL. al g.,
ing evils at tho South by further Federal IN
reference He knows that the shameful mis-
conduct and msgovcrnmcnt Of Southern Rcpnh-
lcans have caused the Northern people to regard
with entire satisfaction the return to power in
Southern States of white Democrats, although
they were formerly rebels and have still
a great deal too much of tho old temper. The
Northern people have definitely concluded TO
let the South take care OF itself; to let the
llnavcs who have been r0bbing under the name
of Republicanism go to the bottom; to trust
to time and the constant pressure of self
interest and commercial and industrial ncccs-
sity, rather than to harsh enactments or naked
bayonots, for the removal of unavoidable evils
IN Southern society. Knowing that this qucs-
ton has been settled, that Congress will not
reopen it, and that any political party attempt
ing to reopen it would be beaten as badly as
the Republicans were in 1874 Mr.. Morton
only insults the people when he prctends that
it is still the one urgent and all-impOrtant
question of the day.


We might give other illustrations. Mr. Nor
ton is not the only politician who tries to
dodge the real and vital issues of the time by
making a fuss about matters that are dead
and buried. Other Republican would-be cam
didates, and nearly all the Democratic aspi
rants, are doing just the same thing. The
attempt of many Democrats to dodge vital
issues is decidedly the more shameful because
they have gained power only hy protesting
exceeding devotion to certain reforms, and by
most solemn pledges to uso all power intrustcd
to them for tho promotion of such reforms.
Mr. Morton, if he insults the people now, may
at least claim that no has been consistent in
doing so, and was man enough to go down
with his ship in 1873 and 1874 with the
"bloody shirt still waving as his ensign.
But tho Democrats sailed under the flag of
reformers and independents until they had
won the power, and now toss the banner of
reform contemptuousy away.


The politicians are mistaken. The people
are not altogether fools, and see through the
devices used to cheat them They know that
the Democrats who refuse to begin the reforms
they promised are neither better nor worse
than followers OF Grantism over whom they
prevailed. They know that Mr. Morton has
not really the least idea OF attempting new
legislation concerning the South, aud is merely
trying to persuade the colored men and car
pet -baggers that their votes should be cast for
him in the nominating Convention. Thoy
know that Mr.. Blaine does not consider the
exclusion of jefferson Davis from amnesty a
bit more important now, when he spends a
week in fighting about it, than he did last
year, when he said not word, and allowed
the Amnesty bill to pass without excep-
ton. There are some Democrats, as there
are some Republicans, whose PARTISAN
ship IL so intense that they will vote for any
candidate nominated. But there are also q
great many voters who have become thor
oughly disglsted with the persistent paradlng