Wyoming democrat. [volume] (Tunkhannock, Wyoming Co., Pa.) 1867-1940, 1868-04-08
Arkansas Election. Recon-
struction Act.

struction Act.
The RAIDS, have everything their own
way, in spite Of Presidential vetoes, still
make sad progress in hampering the whites
of the South sufficiently strong to bring
them into the Union as the interiors of the
blacks. Three times already have they
amended the original bill, in order to Sc
cure this result, and now, finding them
selves headed off by the results of the eIec-
tions of Alabama and Arkansas, they ac-
knowledge themselves completely stuck in
the mud.
Whether the native whites of the South
are loyal or disloyal, they have shown
themselves more than a match for the Rad
icals in political stategy, and certainly not
the men to be governed by horde Of un-
educated, degraded, semi barbarous ne
groes. At first, the Radicals thought that
10y disfranchiscmcnt, they had secured
large negro majority in the ten excluded
States, hence, to manifest spirit Of fair
ness, they enacted to call Convention
and adopt a constitution, and that ma
iority of registered voters should vote on
the question. Under this rule, to the great
delight of the negro worShippers, Alabama
called Convention Of darkies and theil
white worshippers, and submitted what
they were pleased to call constitution, to
the test of the ballot box when, to the
horror of Stevens, Wade, Sumner, and
others Of that ilk, there were not enough
votes cast TO adopt the constitution and
| reconstruct a State clothed in the sable ha-
bilaments of negro supremacy. Stevens at
once, (probably induced to do so by his
own wench) introduced bill for the re-
admission of Alabama, with her negro rep
resentatiyes and negro constitution, votes
or no votes, giving as an excuse for such
course, that the election was held during a
! very wet season, and that the negroes did
MT venture out in the storm for fear of get
ting their pretty little feet wet and taking
cold. II will bd remembered that of the
| l7O. 900 votes registered in the State, but
10000 were cast thus, according to the
law under which the election was held,
there was clear 10000 majority against
the constitution and the re-admissi9D to
Congress.
But the more cautious saw at once that
such an act would be too bare-faced, SO
they tackled on their third amendment,
providing that majority of votes cast
should decide the question-that is, if but
three negroes should venture ont in the
rain TO vote (negroes are not ducks, mark
you) and two vote for aud one against the
constitution, if there are no more votes
cast, this majority vote shall drag the
South back to some place in the Union.
This law was enacted in time to take ef
feet in the late Arkansas election, and 10 !
horror of horrors, the people turn out and
vote the Constitution down, So there can
be no negro Senators from either Alabama
or Arkansas to vote in the High Conrt Of
Impeachment for the removal of President
johnson.
We forgot to mention above that the
RAIDS gave one other excuse for the slim
vote in Alabama, which was that the
whites intimilaled the blacks from voting
This excuse is all moonshine. Does not
every reading man know that the Freed
mems Bureau and the u. 5. troops, voted
for by northern Radicals and paid for by
taxing northern labor, fully protected the
negro with their smiling bayonets in their
right to vote. No, it was nothing but the
wet weather that caused the slim vote.
Bot what is to be done next to drag in
The ten States We are not in the coun-
els OF the RAIDS, but it bas been limited
that as soon as they can hurry through the
trial of the President and depose him,they
will call new elections in these two States,
and provide that, hereafter. at every cleo
ton, white soldier from the North, where
they are not afraid of little dew, shall ,on
demand, accompany a negro to the polls to
carry an umbrella over said darkie voter,
to keep him dry in wet weather, or to act
as sun shade in fair weather, to keep our
"felIow-citizens of African de-sCENT" from
tanning their tair skins !