Norfolk day book. [volume] (Norfolk and Portsmouth Va.) 1868-1880, 1869-06-18
LOOK AT SOME FIGURES.

Our readers must recollect that the
popularity of our political condition
must be taken into consideration when
We press SO earnestly upon our people
the necessity of registering and voting.
It is essential to the part we have to
bear in carrying the Legislature that
powerful effort should be made to carry
Norfolk city and Princess Anne county.
1t 1867 the registration shows that
the white vote of our city was 1910;
black vote, 2,O49; which shows a black
majority CT 1879. But hundreds of our
white citizens did not register, and
hundreds Oh those who did failed to vote;
and these are the reasons why Bowden
and Bayne were sent to the Convention.
This demonstrates, also, that we have it
in our power, by the concurrence of our
people in doing all they can to prevent
our being misrepresented, to send to the
Legislature our Senator and two Dele
gates who will reflect the popular will ,
| aud administer the Constitution for the
interests OF the State OF Virginia
1t 1t also Necessary that we should
carry Princess Anne, to make sure of
the Senator. In this county the white
vote, according to registration, was $40;
the black vote 931; giving the blacks a
majority of 63. In like manner in this
county great many did not register
more than enough, it is safe to say, to
overcome the negro majority and defeat
the black party at the polls. =
We present these figures to show the
Importance attached by our friends in
the State to the weight they expect us
to have in aiding them to carry the
I1Aegl stature. They enforce the argu-
ments we use, and bring home more
particularly to each one of us the abso-
lutte necessity of the individual per-
torrance of our duty. But our self-
respect, as well as our interest, is large
ly concerned in the representation we
shall have. In the event of the adop-
ton OF the constitution, which causes
well known now make nearly inevita-
BILE, who, can bear the thought of thi,
Senatorial district being represented by
a negro-Old Specs Hodges? We con
tess we never could see the fun or the
sense of allowing negroes to be elected
to spite the Northern people Very
little they care about our local elections
and yes some are foolish enough to
think it would be glorious thing to
send Bayne to Congress from this dis
trlct, as if that would vex Congress or
the Northern people, although it would
undeniably disgrace us, if We had pow
er to prevent it and did not. No; our
seif>respect forbids any such trihing,
when the best interests of the State are
involved, and so much depends upon
the action of the Legislature.
The subject is too grave for flippancy
or trifling. The time has gone by for
refusing to register and vote, when so
much is expected of us by our brethren
III other portions of the State. The
figures we have given, aud the known
facts in regard to our ability to swell
the registration and the vote give hope
to them that We will do our duty and
redeem this city which has been Joined
to the county. We shall be much to
blame II those expectations are disap-
pointed by our default, and if wa fail to
elect good and true men;do our full ii are
OF the work which all the Virginians of
the State are striving to accomplish
very heavy must be the responsibility
should we suffer negro Senator to
the district, or carpet
baggers and scalawags to answer for = y.
in the House of Delegates.