Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1874-10-15
Life in Alabama.
Correspondent Cincinnati Commercial, (Rep)

MONTGOMERY, Sept. %, IA.
It is not worth while to de-
ny that the Republicans made
wretehed work in. the affairs of
government in such portions of
Alabama as they control. We
can not wonder that the Demo-
Gratis are making frantic efforts
to defeat them. In the heavy
negro counties the style of men
elected to Office is enough to
stagger ones faith in the ca
| pacity of the negroes ever to ex-
tricate themselves from .the
clutches Of theirpolitical task
masters.
Take, Dallas County, for in
stance. %If the styleof govern
ment there is a fair sample of
what the Republican party can
do in sections Of the South
where it has everything its own
way, then we can not blame
the property-holders Of Ahba-i
ma for iarraying themselves sal-l
most to a man against that par.
ty. The population Of Dallas
county is 32,152 blacks, and
1852 whites. The white, vote
is 1884, and the black 1906
Yon canssee, therefore, Of what
a hopeless minority the whites
are the victims. Although,
they own eleven-twelfths5 of 4
the property, they have hardly
a voice in governmental affairs.
Indeed, they might be disfran-
chised from all the power they
have in .shapeningithe Sends Of
government, They are under a
black cloud otaignerarice and
have not strength to penetrate
the surrounding darkness.
I Before the war the yearly
/ county Expenses were about
ten thousand dollars. Now
they exceed forty fthousand.-
+ Yet while county expenses have
increased more than four-fold, |
the value of property has de- |
creased more than FIVE hundred
percent. In other words, when
the property of the county was
worth five times as much as
now, w,gthe expenses of the coun-
try were less than one-fourth |
of what they are at present.l
Is this not discouraging ex-
hibit for, the property-holders |
of Dallas?1 5asb so2 gias
Butthis is not the worst feature |
if, the case, The officers elected |
bv fheanegroes are incompetent
or Ir,ast;.als, !, or both, and there is
DO possible means of relief for
the whites. The present Tax
Collector is ,nader Indictment
for perjury and embezzlee1m1.enntt$1l
of county funds. The ir1dict-
ments we're, found by Jlry OF
whom majority were q Rel sup-
licans. Yet this man, staggel'-i !
ing under the load of these in
dictments, is renominated for.
the office for another term by ]
the negroes and will be electedsI
sofar as can be discefned now.
For Judge of thels Criminal
Court IAN important Office, sure
ly9 the negroes have nominal
tedsa negro who haslHever pr;ac-
ticcd law, and has never had E.
ven a case, and is,g withal, un4
per indictment forlarceny! Yet
the whites are utterly powerless
to defeat these men, The ne
groes vote in a vast herd, and
never fail to support ::'de nemi-
nee" 20 @','s ''' !
The present County Solici-1
torof that county has been COM
victed of bribery and colTup-
ton in office, and awaits a new
trial. The. nominee for Core /
neovo. was convicted. not
long ago, of larceny by the Re-
publican Mayor of Selma, the
y 'is 80. ,,t' ,.- : ,'.oi,. ..,l
What a picture Is this, Yet
it is the same Q or Verse, or near
Iy as Bad IN every locality where
the negroes are in a large ma
iority.@ They seem utterly in-
capable Of selecting honest and
officers. p, They are
the victims Of the artifices of
designing men, while the whites {
are ethe victims sofgtergible@ miss
rule. It is bad all around,
The negroes are dragooned
into the support of the ''regu-
ar ticket" By the consuming
fear that if. they do not vote for
sde nominee they will be re-
turned to slavery or lose some
of their newly acquired rights. {
These fears, it may be said, is {
not the business of the carpets ,