Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1872-10-14
. THE GEORGIA ELECTION.

Were it not for the abominable out
rage which the Greeleyites have perpe-
trated upon the colored citizens of Geor-
gla at the election recently held in that
State, the election itself might be called
a farce. As it is, the result is utterly
without significance as an expression of
the popular sentiment of the state, and
the ex-rebels might as well claim hun
dred thousand majority as the forty or
fifty thousand of which the Greeley or
gans make so much parade. The state
has universally been conceded to be
Democratic by decided majority, and
there was no expectation in any quarter
that with a fair vote it would 60 other
wise in the recent election. It was,
however; determined by the Greeley
wire pullers, at their headquarters in
New York city, that something must be
done in that state to swell up the ma
jority to as large proportions as possible
order to give their partisans some
thing to exult over, in ascribing that
great majority to the popularity and
strength of Mr.. Greeley in the South.
1t was also necessary in the opinion of
those INSCRIPTIONS political managers
for Georgia, to set an example to the
other Southern states, by running up
great Greeley majority, even at the ex-
pense of outrage and violense.
Accordingly a systematic plan was de-
vised and carried out to cut down the
Republican vote all over the state. by
preventing the colored citizens from vot-
ing, and thus magnifying the relative
Democratic majority. This precious
scheme of villainy was carried out in
some cases by refusing the votes of col
ored people unless all arrearages of tax
es were paid, instead IF allowing their
votes, as the law permits; in all cases
where the latest assessed tax has been
paid. An illegal demand was also made
upon the blacks to exhibit their tax-bills
as a preliminary to voting, no such re-
quirements being made upon the Demo-
cratic voters. But the chief reliance to
suppress the votes of colored citizens
was personal intimidation and violence.
In the cities and large towns the 'roughs,
plug uglies, and public brawlers of the
ku-Klux party were organized into tenn
porary bands, and commissioned by the
sheriffs as special deputies, so as to give
them authority to bear arms, it being a
penal offence For private citizens to APP.
pear at the polls armed. In addition tc
this, the roads were picketed by armed
men for the purpose of lettering the ne
groes from going to the polls and turn
ing them back. BY these means a
least two thousand Republican voter,
were kept from the polls in the city o
Savannah alone by armed rufians il
Macon ferocious attack was made up
on the unarmed negroes, and they wer,
driven from the voting precincts, TIVE
being killed by pistol shots and severa
dangerously wounded /; and at Atlant;
and other places the same process of OBJ
struction and intimidation of coloreC
voters was resorted to. The evidence i
strong that in all parts Of the state
r concerted plan of violence was carried
out, and the Republican State COMMITTEE
are now collecting further information
upon the subject.
If the ex-rebel element of Georgi
shows itself thus rampant in mere con
test for political power under the hypo
, critical cry of reconciliation and peace
what would he its conduct toward tn
blacks with Greeley administration a
= Washington to sustain 1T, and no neces
sity for further disguise? Reconcilia
| ton forsooth! The country has prett
| specimen of it in these Georgia outrage:
i. and can here see just what ''shakin
l hands across the bloody chasm'' means
n The worst predictions of Republica
| journals as to what will be the fate {
. the freedom at the South if the Creole
q party prevails in the nation, are full
: justified by these accounts of what ha
S been perpetrated against the colore
k voters of Georgia by the supporters {
: the Ku-Klux- Tammany candidate. BIZ
s they have shown the cloven foot too sool
= and the people will scott at their falls
r professions, and spurn their canting cal
: didate. Boston Globe.