The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1870-10-13
The Folly of Negro Suffrage.

Wherever, in the recent elections
Radical gains have occurred, they are
mainly, if not entirely, attributable to
the negro vote. Disbelieving in the fit
ness OF the great mass Of the negroes to
exercise the elective franchise and take
an equal part with white men in the
government Of the nation, the Demo
Gratis have opposed negro suffrage as a
matter OF principle. When the ne
groes were invested with the power TO
vote, against the protest Of the Demo
cratic party, the Democrats everywhere
left to the Radicals the manipulation OF
the herd which, in the recent elections,
has been brought to the polls to vote
without any conception Of what it was
voting for or what principles Of public
policy or political economy were repre-
scented by the men whose names were
printed on the tickets. Sensible men OF
all parties know this to be true
Upon the other hand, whenever gains
have been recorded for the Democratic
nominees, land they have been neither
slight nor insignificant, have been liz
spired mainly by the disgust which SEN
sible men of all parties must feel at the
degradation of the suffrage in the hands
of negroes 1t is bitter dose for any
intelligent and educated white man to
swallow. We have taken pride in our
form of government, believing it to be
founded in reason and good sense and
theoretically at least based upon the
intelligent consent OF the governed. But
knowing, as large majority of the
white men of this city and State, and in
fact of the whole nation, do, how utterly
the vast preponderance Of the negroes
are to cast an intelligent vote upon any
question whatever, it is not at all sur
prising that the votes Of Disguised white
men not only equaled but far outnum.
bered the negro votes in many localities
where elections were held on last Tues
day
There is scarcely a Republican in
the country who has any confidence in
the ability Of the negroes to vote intelli-
gently. There are very few indeed who
would have a word to say in favor of
negro suffrage if they expected any
considerable portion Of the negroes to
vote the Democratic ticket. All their
talk about justice to the negro; equal
rights before the law, &c, &c, is based
upon the belief that they can control the
negro vote, and the fact that that vote
is thus capable of control is the very
reason why it should not exist,
These facts are having their influence
upon candid and sensible white men
everywhere and the result lie that, as
demonstrated in many places by the
recent elections, the Radicals'have lost
nearly, if not quite, as many votes Of
white men as they have gained BY
bringing the negroes to the polls.
How will it be in West Virginia?
Are the white men Of the State willing
to say that they believe the negroes
among Us fitted for the intelligent exer-
else of the ballot? Is any white man
who reads these words willing to admit
that every negro in his neighborhood is
as fit TO vote intelligently as he is, and
knows as well as he what course Of
public policy should be pursued TO give
prosperity to the State, and by what
precepts the government should be con-
Quoted so as to secure the greatest good
to all We don't believe there is a
single one who will make this admis-
sion. Then why not act and vote with
the white men who in this and other
States are maintaining the supremacy
of their race. and believe that the gov
eminent should be administered by
white men alone?