New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-06-06
ne exclusive right to poll illlterate vote

| Au0 eAC1uS1Vo IASut W pun AiAtcIdte Notos
was not We believe. ever patented.
There is manifest difference, however,
between the sentiment of the present and
past government of the South. The
Democracy, as a party, never advocated
popular education. They never founded
public school system, as measure Of
party action. There were reasons, per.
haps, against educating the poor whites,
or colored people either. Any way, South.
err Democracy took no public measures
to educate the white masses, since there
was no material relative diminution Of il
literate white numbers between 1850 and
1860
The right Of suffrage was avowedly
given the colored people by Congress as
the only defensive weapon which could
be placed in their hands. That this
weapon has occasionally been used for
harm as well as good was inevitable. We
have seen instances of people drowned by
an unskillful use of life preserver, but
an invention so useful is not to be dis
| carded on that exceptional account. The
spirit Of the Republican regime is, how
ever, to educate the iNiterate uoter up to his
great mission. While, therefore, the voter
may defend his liberties with this weapon,
he will be rapidly qualified to use it for
that exclusive purpose. But he can not
lay it doua. f
Education itself is weapon precisely
like the ballot. If directed by an honest
purpose it is invaluable If perverted to
fraud no one can compute its evil. We
will cite one example. Our Democratic
friends, suffering the pangs Of the politi-
cally damned, under the salary famine
which has for some years past stricken
them, slipped their attenuated forms into
the domino and mask OF Fusion. They
then employed professional experts at the
manipulation of the ballot-box and poll
books. They allege that they encoun-
tered opponents to whom this astute game
was not absolutely unknown, and like
Truthful James, they protested to be as
tonished at the appearance in one hand of
the identical bower actually and inten-
tionally dealt to another. Upon this COM
petitive skill Of these educated graduates
both parties argued their question before
Congress. This body, in its bewilderment
at the perfection to which the art of politi-
cal attack add defense may be elevated by
devices of highly educated Individuals de-
clined to undertake decision. Fearing,
perhaps, further conflict of wits between
these champions, Congress refused to
allow them further opportunity to test
their rival skill. This is an example Of
what people who can read and write not
only their own names, but unhappily the
names of other people, can achieve.
Fooled and enraged, the Fusionists came
home, and Of all the remedies in the
world they propose-what? Not further
restrictions upon registers, clerks or COM
missioners, but to disfranchise the only
constituency who can not possibly forge
anybody's name. We have heard of a
loafer who came home and beat his wife
because he had been denied credit at the
doggery, but in no other case have we
known the impudence and '.inconse-
quence" of Fusion equaled There may
be something to generous or grateful
mind in our consideration, but we do not
address it to party politicians.
These poor, illiterate blacks have just
done their part to authorize a general
amnesty of property and rights to many
of their fellow-cititens. The right of
suffrage has been, since the war, restored
to thousands. The disqualification Of
having borne arms against the national
government has been abolished. Did
this act prove these illiterate voters IN
worthy of suffrage? None of those whites
by their act. and aid will
say so. Is it, then, exactly just in edu-
Gated intelligence to practice such an
astute trick upon illiterate integrity? Can
the power given by aid Of the illiterate
colored people be honorably employed to
deprive them of the very right they have
bestowed upon those who would now use
this very power to disfranchise their bene-
factors2
Any way, the Picnysne and its COM
peers seem impressed with the impor-
lance Of moral and intelligent suffrage,
and we hope their cooperation in all |
which may best promote it. Chief among
these issues will be found the universal |
education of the people. Will the new
converts help us?