Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1870-10-20

THE ELEcTIoN-How NEARLY BLOODY RIOT WAS
EscApED-THE RETURN JUDGES MEETING AND
THE DIsoRACEFUL SCENES THERE-THE POLICE
FoRcE-ELEcTIoN RESULTS.
Special Correspondence Of the Commercial
PHILADELPHIA, October IA.
Election day has come and gone with us once
more, and has brought yet again with it a re-
stating of our old social troubles We get
through the periodical struggles and upheayals
Of election time somehow, but the fight seems
every year more fierce and the effort required to
regain our equanimity grows yearly more deter
mined. The thought will arise-what Of the
time when the rallyins power will be found in
sufficient, or at least not sufficiently prompt ?
Some people are such good republicans that they
cannot face such question, but others believe
that it must be faced, and soon, if the purity Of
our elections is to be preserved.
Philadelphia has had her fair share, and per-
haps more than her share of the disturbances
attendant Qn some degree perhaps at the best
of times) upon popular elections. tits doubtful,
however, if any more disgraceful scenes were
ever enacted in her streets than those of Tues
day morning last.
by this do not mean that the city was more
disorderly then that it has been at other excep-
tional times,-for it was not. OF rioting, proper
ly speaking, there was only little. The seed was
sown bnt by the blessing of Providence it was
not allowed to reach maturity. But disgrace
oftener than riot, attaches to Intention, and affirm
that Philadelphia was dsgraced in attempting to
deprive the colored man of his hardly earned
and richly won right to the ballot
If there is any one who thinks this harsh
Judgment let him consider the facts; The col
ored man is citizen of the United Ststes as
fully as the proudest Caucasian among us. "The
Court awards it and the Law doth give it," With
the other rights of citizenship is included that
dearest of privileges-the suffrage. This right
to vote the black man has exercised in various
parts of the land since the passage of the 18th
Amendment, as in your own elections in Dela
ware. He had never voted in Philadelphia, how
ever, until last Tuesday. 1t is needless to say
with what pride and hope he looked forward to
that day. It was to make a new man of him.
the law had declared him citizen,-but his own
act, the casting of a ballot by his own hands
would confirm it, better than could the passage
of twenty laws.
What was the part of every man who loved
free play and free institutions' Manifestly to
support the colored man in his new position =
to strengthen his hands by encouragement not
weaken them by insult and abuse. And because
Philadelphians did strike to weaken and beat
down the black mans hands, as he was endeavor.
ing to raise himself in the estimation of freemen
do call their action upon this past election day
disgraceful.
Nor was the action of the white people at the
polls all. That might, after all. have beer
received with some allowance. The wretched
character of many of the white denizens of the
Fifth Ward iB well known to your readers They
in some cases, know just enough to go through
the form Of voting, but of what that ceremon,
really means, of the principles involved, they
very often know absolutely nothing. That sucl
an element should blindly oppose the negro
vote, as an innovation, il nothing else, can be
outa raafily undaratOod
But the hard, ugly fact remains that the cits
| g0rernmeRt opposed the black man. 1t did no
| in 30 many words forbid him to vote, but il
environed the ceremony with so many difficulties
and insults that the colored person who succeed
ed in getting in his ballot richly deserved tt
have his pluck and perseverance SO rewarded
| The law is plain enough, but good authorit,
| tells us there are none so deaf as those wht
won't hear. And it did not suit a Democratic
| Mayor and police force to hear the law of thl
| land on this occasion. The wretched mob wal
allowed to do the rough work of maltreating TIN
| negroes and driving them from the polls, ant
| the police performed the negative but highl
| important duty of doing nothing. If by chanc,
happened to be that of a colored man,-neve
/ one of their own color and politics.
| The barefacedness, no less than the enormity
| of the acts committed in the Fifth Ward ar,
almost enough to take away ones breath. Wha
| does free government amount to, when under
| such things are possible? 1t is question tina
may fairly be asked.i ], was conversing las
evening with an English gentleman, but recent
| arrived in this country, and who in Philadelphia
\ had first seen the workings of an America
upon Republicanism, but the sights and sound
and agitation generally, of Tuesday, rathe
staggered him. And no wonder.
1t is upon record that the police did all the
could, at every point, to aid the down town rui
fans in driving colored men from the polls Tha
much is certain. What recourse ,oas there, bu
to call upon the marine guard Order mus
some way be preserved. It would have suite
the cut throats of the Bloody Fifth very we
no doubt to have had the whole city laid open {
outrage, but they could not in reason be accom-
modated. This being granted, what were we t
do? The civil force failed us,-manifestly on
only help was in the military. Of course
storm of reproach broke at once from til
here have been equally bitter and unreasonable
and observe that the cry has been taken up b
journals in other places, uniting in abuse {
Republicans, giving Of course, good part {
their attention to the "nigger."
Calling upon the military is dangerous thint
everybody understands that but some of i
understand, too that unbridled lawlessness ma
be even worse thing. And it may be well fl
critical people abroad to know that nothing b'
that little squad from the Navy Yard save
Philadelphia, on Tuesday, from the bloodie
riot she has ever known.
What scene was that, too, yesterday in IL
Return Judges Room lis our repnblicanisr
indeed, nothing but a farce' In what COUNT
under heaven, except ours, and Dahomey and
few others, would such outrageous violations
law, order and justice be permitted? Primar
ly the fault in this case was not that of the p
lice, but mainly it ,cds, inasmuch as suifcie
force was not detailed to protect the election o
tcers from the rioting which was almost certa
to occur. A police lieutenant, with more ass
rance than reverence in his disposition, toe
upon himself in the Court hearing to tell JUDI
Allison that our police force was equal to any
, the world. The Judge was not of that opinio
: and moreover told the talkatiye lieutenant til
! ! he was not called upon at that time to EXPIRE
his opinions in 30 pointed manner. Does IL
this little incident show better than even great
ones the condition of the force? No subordin
tion, no discipline, no effectiveness The Fore
indeed tho Weakness would come nearer to
The result Of the election was surprising
some respects. The election of Mr. Greedy,
any such fashion as transpred, was absolute
!, unexpected. But, as told yon some time ae
the feeling against o'Neill was widespread a
+ deep in his district. Still very few people COT
: have suspected the total revolution that to-
q place there. Creely, however, is claimed by t
= Republicans. He had what we may call fl
8 NAL reading in last night He received a sci
. made from the Republican Committee, and '
l. rious gentlemen welcomed him, and pledg
:. themselves for him, and by him, &C. He is 81
I to be a strong and sincere Protectionist.
= Myers is reelected by largely increased maj
Y ity,--a fact l also 'predcted," although
4 4 should all Except Revenue Collector Evans,p p
:, sbly) have preferred the nomination of stroi
! er man. Judge Kelley's endorsement by
g people is hearty and reassuring. He gains ne
!, iy 1000 votes since his last election. If he col
q get old heair at all Thomas to oppose him aga
u there is no telling where his vote might run
y INDEX
Bill NIcNIullin Meets His Match.
[From the Philadelphia Evening Telegraph, Oct.
10 1t was bad enough that the negro should
n disenthralled, but when he was made coeq