The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1872-05-03
A Negro Councilman in Bloomsburg.

In several OF our exchanges we oh
serve sensational article, copied from
the DdhURle IateNigencer, concerning
the alleged election of colored man
asone ofthe six councilmen chosen at th,
late election in Bloomsbury and charg
ing the result upon the plan of reformed
voting in force here, with sundry OBJ.
servations thereon somewhat more flip
pant than wise.
And thereupon it may be well tC
mention:
/. That no negro councilman was,
in point of fact, elected.
2. That if the colored candidate who
was run by few vicious radicals had
been chosen, he would have been a per
fectly Representative of the men who
supported him.
3. That this town election exhibited
in clear light one ofthe advantages oi
reformed voting at popular elections
over the old plan of minority disfran-
chisement. And on this point we rise
to an explanation which every one
Will understand when it is made.
Be it known that in our town, prior
to 1870, the local administration was
inefficient, improvident and abusive.
We had heavy taxes and very little of
Improvement. Public spirit was dis
couraged aud kept down because we
were in the hands of fossils and job
bers who dominated the local elections
and controlled the whole local admin
ittratiOn. Elections were political,
mostly, and a small number of persons,
with personal objects, held the balance
OF power and forced themselves into
nominations and filed large part of
the Offices. They gave US swinging
taxes and accumulated debts which are
not yet lully discharged while we saw
but little of result from the heavy eX-
panditure. X change came with the
organization of the town under q good
charter in the spring Of 1870, the adj
va@tHges of which are evident on every
hand. Streets have been repaired and
graded, new ones opened, n town map
made founded on thorough surveys
and approved by the court, u lock up
erected, and energy ana improvement
generally infused into the administra.
ticti OF the town. Many men have held
and some now hold offices who would
not have been chosen under the old sys-
tenn, nor permitted their names to be
used under that system for nomination.
Meantime. taxes have been reduced for
current outlays and much the greater
part paid the last year was upon the old
debt
The principal feature in the town
charter, under which these results have
occurred, is that of the free vote, by
which The people of the town are for
the first time fully and fairly represent.
ed and all power of controlling elections
by cliques and jObbers is taken away.
But of course few men-insignifcant
in number and infiuence-arcn nggrieved
by their loss of control in local affairs.
They no longer hold q balance of poWer
between parties, and cannot force them.
selves into nominations or get for them.
selves and their friends the patronage
of the town. This is one Of the capital
results of reformed voting of which on
ly fossils and sharks can complain, but
which the great body of the people
heartily approve aud applaud.
These persons ran q negro for council.
man at the town election, manifesting
thereby their spite, folly and impotence.
They had not votes enough to elect
him and were too stupid even 10 cast
what few votes they had correctly. The
only success they had was to get their
man returned through palpable error
of the election officers (which will be
by our court, which sits next
week. and thus furnish an opportunity
for temporary Misrepresentation abroad
Under the old plan of voting little
squad of radicals and negroes holding
the balance of power in town can elect
an entire council ticket, even though
they have not votes enough to elect
single member under reformed voting.
So they might possibly have carried Il
ticket of five Republicans aud one ne
gro at the late election under the old
system. Their power for mischief and
influence at an election is therefore
greatly reduced from what it formerly
was. When they are sufficiently nu-
merous they can represent themselves
by their own votes to the extent Of ore
member in six, but they can no longer
turn the scale between parties and de-
eide the whole result of an election aud
thus disfranchise nearly one.haJf Of the
electors of the town.