The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-08-02

The COlOred Vote and How
1t Is MiSuSed.
INTIMIDATION BY NEGROES.

RALEIGH. N. c., July IS, 1878.
North Carolina has but few COMMITTEES perhaps
oozen IN al-in which the negro vote largely pre-
dominates IN most OF these there has been more
or less serious misgovernment and corruption. 1t
ID Freely acknowledged by the democrats that the
negroes are In the main quiet peaceable and q
useful laborlng force; but they add tnat where
they have the majority OF votes In a city or
county they are almost invariably the tools OF de-
signing and INSCRIPTIONS white men, VINO mass
the negro vote and rale by its means; ana the
truth Of this is undeniaDle. or course this is a
serious matter. IL is not 10 be expected thar the
property owners IN a city or county Will sit con-
tentedly down and suffer themselves TO be heavily
taxed and run in debt by white or black
rogu0s in spite OF their votes and protests, and
by the help OF non-taxpaying voters II you re-
member that these landless voters were ten
years ago. the slaves or those whom they now tax
at the bidding OF INSCRIPTIONS politicians you
WILL perhaps, realize that the provocaton to re-
sistance Is the greater, and give the white men
VINO submit TO robbery more credit for patience
than they often get Nor is a property owner
made more content by the knowledge that those
counties where the whites rule are / believe,
without exception, economically managed. There
mas been no general or widespread demoraliza-
ton and corruption IN North Carolina. The local
finances except in most OF the negro counties,
are IN q healthy condition.
HOW THE NEGRO VOTE Is MIsUsED.
In the black counties, as they are called, 1t
struck me as ODD that the sherifrs and clerks OF
courts are commonly white, while the justices OF
The peace and the members OF the Legislature are
usually black men. But the explanation Is easy.
The sneritfs and clerks offices are highly lucra-
tive. Hence the corrupt whites take these and
give the less profitable places to the negroes The
County Commissioners are often black, too, and
are then easily misused by the white rogues.
Thus the Sherin OF Wake county was until last
year white republican, an Irishman IRON Bos-
ton, i believe. he Is aefaulter for $50 900,
and he ruled by the help or the
colored vote. Fifteen thousand dollars Of the
sixty was school iund and the loss OF TINS Is felt
kecnly by the negroes, who liked TO send their
children to school, Another white republican
was sheriff of New Hanover, also a black county,
and has gone Off "short" between $4O,O 900 and
$4,000 Meantime New Hanover regularly SENDS
three negroes to the Legislature, which Is demo-
cratic, and they have little influence and no
picktngs.
INTIMIDATION by NEGROES.
You will see that the negroes used by the
white leaders, and put Off with the poorest places.
This is done in part by frightening them about the
less of their rights" the democratic bugaboo
being always brought forward about election
time; partly by whiskey and share of the plum
der divided among the negro leaders, and partly
by humiliation More than one colored man
spoke to me OF the difficulty OF opposing the cor
rupt leaders, because these denounce, threaten
and make innammable speeches. In Will
mington. less than year ago, a young
colored lawyer. who had called public
meeting OF his people to protest against corrup-
ton, was mobbed by drunken blacks brought in
for that purpose from the country, and had
narrow escape OF his lie. he did not get hear
ing. White republicans told me that 1t was not
sale in some places Tor black man to vote the
democratic ticket, and the democrats gave me
several instances where democratic negroes had
been attacked. "Osracism," SO called, Is
rldgidly practised among the negroes, and
colored man, q republican, admitted to
me that opposition to the party 'caucus'' had
greater terrors than he liked to face. because 1t
involved at the least the loss OF friends and as
sociates; ''the women abuse you, they turn you
out of church and you lose all your friends,n he
said.
must not forget to add that the white rascas
who thus mass and control the negro vote are
mostly natives OF the State. There are but few
men from other States in North Carolina politics,
and the ''carpet-baggers," by which Is understood
here Norehern men who use politics corrupty, are
very lew IN number. Also the greater part OF the
men, respected in the communities IN which they
1--we; and some OF them the descendants OF the
best families in the State.
GOOD AND BAD MANAGEMENT.
To show you the difference between good and
bad management cite here two counties, both
OF which are ''black," and have heavy negro ma
jorlties-Warren and New Hanover. Warren
county is one OF the wealtniest IN the State. Be-
fore the war it had the densest slave population
in the State; and 1t has now a negro
majority OF 2,0O0 Fortunately when the
vote was given to the colored men they
had for their leader a colored man named Lyman,
who had been save in the county. man OF
quick parts. good address and good sense. Act
ing under the advice or sensible white men he
persuaded his people TO elect some OF the best OF
the ola citizens, democrats TO be Sheriff. County
Clerk and majority OF the County Commission
ers C0lored men were sent to the Legislature,
and the magistrates are Of both colors. No white
republican has ever come into the county to dis
pute the supremacy with lyman. and by his In
nuence this system has been faithfully adhered
TO since 1868 The result has been very happy.
The county finances are In good order, and there
is no debt; the negroes are happy and have no
complaints OF injustice; the whites are so well
satisfied that they cast in this county over one
hundred white votes in 1874 for lyman for Con-
Hyman's nominees for the Legislature, three
colored men. There are only four or I'VE
white republicans in the county, and
these believe take no interest IN
politics. Now mark-a quarrel among the
white republicans in the Congressional district
caused the nomination OF Lyman for Congress.
The district is strongly republican, but II egro
leader organized an opposition to Lyman and
maze canvass against him, carrying OF 1000
negro votes In the election. The white dem
ocrSts in Warren county helped by their votes to
defeat this opposition. OF course they would have
preferred to send man OF their own party to
Congress, but not being able to do this they
showed their regard Tor the good sense and good
conduct OF Lyman, who IL now a member OF the
next Congress-
A CONTRAST.
Take now the city or Wilmington. Tws place
has about 1900 voters. OF whom MOO Mhlta