Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1869-09-04
H NEGRO.
Result of His Admission TO the
Body Polite.


Editors Appeal: The demoraliz-
ing influence of negro suffrage
is so alarming that it seems
to deserve the special consideration of
all our citizens. As Mr.. Etheridge
says, in substance, the Radicals be-
slowed the privilege of voting on
the negroes that they might use them
to keep themselves in power. This
is a truism. They uniformly have
been, and ever will be, used a. tools
for party purposes. In past elections
about ninety-nine in every hun
dred have voted for Radicals; and
when there have been two opposing
Radical candidates, they have inva-
riably voted for the most indecent and
unreliable man. The universal suf-
frage and civil equality man will say
this is all true, but Radicalism is now
dead in Tennessee, and they must
vote hereafter for Conservatives, or,
rather, Liberals. Very well. But
| will there not always be demagOgues
and trimmers, who, in addition to
a small support from the whites, will
appeal to the blacks, associate with
them, cOuntenance all their dishonest
practices and beastly prOpensities, and
rely on them to secure their election?
No matter how pure and patriotic
any party may be, it will contain some
| nominal members, who, for the sake
of Office, will cOndeScend TO evade
through moral degradatiOns which
shock the sensibilities of honest hui
manity.
If this great mass of voters is
thrown on the body polite, their votes
will be offered tor sale, and they Will
command a price. This price may
be money or what money can
procure. Then the successful candi-
date must make his office profitable
enough to refund him the money thus
expended. No man can tell the num-
Der of "schOol funds" that would be
needed for such purposes. Or, the
price of the votes might be in prom
ises to carry some great measure fol-
the special benefit of the whole col
ored population: for instance, raising
by taxation on property, money tO
build in every neighborhoOd a fine
school house, a church, and an aSy-
Ium Tor those too feeble OF indispOsed
to work; or, which amounts to the
same thing, a division of the surplus
lands in the country, so that each son
of Africa may have, in good faith, his
forty acres, his mule, and 4 bureau to
boot.
Just think of fifty thousand venal
votes in the State of Tennessee! How
wrecked in morals, and reckless OF
fortune, must any man be to become q
candidate! But yet "civil equality
candidates would be found, admiring,
if not the rich brOgue," the rich per
fume.
1t is said that history sometimes re-
peats itself. In the decline and cor
rupt days of the Roman Empire,
Marcus CassiQs said that no MAJ
ought to aspire TO be a leader in the
Government unless his estate was
sufficiently ample to support an army
with its revenues. When this saying
of Cassius was true in reference to the
Roman Empire, its destruction was
inevitable. How long before it may
be truthfully said in Tennessee, that
whoever aspires to a high Office must
be able to purchase fifty thousand
votes.
But for the want of a single ar
gument to rebut all this, Mr.,
Civil Equality will say there
are many white men who are
no better qualified to vote than
the negroes. For the sake of argu-
hlent let this be granted. Then, be-
cause we have many white voters
who are used as mere tools by design
ing men, shall we add fifty thousand
more of a worse quality to their num-
bers.
1t Is very true that there are some
few negroes who would be safe voters,
possibly one i'm a hundred. But snail
we enfranchiso the whole mass on ae-
count of this very small proportion?
1t would be like buying a gallon Of
milk and water to get one spoonful oi
milk.
For several weeks before each of the
several elections during the past
year, hundreds of negroes might
be seen during all hours of the
day collected near the intersection
of Main and Second streets, and
other places, and white candidates
plentifully mingled with them, taking
them by the arms and sagely discus
sing great political questions, and
humbly soliciting their votes with the
most approved subserviency. Oh
course the negroes felt that they We're
of very great importance to the eOun-
try, and especially to the candidates,
and entirely too much elevated to
condescend to manual labor. Is it not
evident that this communicating influ-
ence of negroes voting will soon ex-
tend throughout the country so that
laboring on plantations will be worth
less, if not entirely abandoned?
Imagine what kind of Legislators
and judges we would have under such
q system, and what security we would
have in property, life, liberty and the
pursuit of happiness. CATO.