The Democratic party under the leadership of former Confederates began its regime of strict economy, race fairness, and inelastic Jeffersonianism.

There was a political rest which almost amounted to stagnation and which the leaders were unwilling to disturb by progressive measures lest a developing democracy make trouble with the settlement of 1877.
The undoing of reconstruction was not entirely completed with the understanding of 1877.

There remained a large but somewhat shattered Republican party in the South, with control over county and local government in many Negro districts.

Little by little the Democrats rooted out these last vestiges of Negro control, using all the old radical methods and some improvements,* such as tissue ballots, the shuffling of ballot boxes, bribery, force, and redistricting, while some regions were placed entirely under executive control and were ruled by appointed commissions.

With the good government which followed these changes a deadlocked Congress showed no great desire to interfere.