The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-06-14

yers In the state, General PetteTs; ne mad SIX
black witnesses; his opponent, who was whlte
produced SIX white Witnesses; the jury was all
white; out the colored man gained his case; tho
jury gave verdict for him. Il produced great
enect upon the negroes, who saw that justice was
done regardless of color, aud this after demo-
cratic political victory.
NEGROES DISGUISED WITH REPUBLICAN MIsMANAGE
hEHT
think IL probable that tine negro vete IN the
next election Will fall of heavily, and this not
through intimidation, but partly because the
baser white men who have lived OF the negro vote
are discouraged, and viii not take so much pains
to "organzen tine black voters end stimulate
them BY innammatory addresses ana the exhioi-
tion OF United States troops; partly because In
many counties the blacks nave been Tor some
time disguised with their republican leaders, who
have promised many tnings-such as the famous
"iorty acres ana mule, y which have not come TO
pass ana partly also because the new law
which requires voter to vote In the precinct IN
which he lives, ana no longer allows MIN TO vote
everywhere In the county, makes the election day
a comparatively tame AFFAIR. Formerly all the
negroes OF the county used to march into The
county town to vote, where they saw each other
ana made q grand holiday. No doubt, TOO, the
democrats will do their best to persuade those
negroes who would vote the republican ticket TO
abstain from the polls. and there are legitimate
ways to do this. In Louisiana colored aborers on
the railroads. who lose DAYS pay II they 60 OF 70
vote, oltenest IN 1874 aid NOT vote at all
The check which all This VIII set TO the negroes
ambition to hold ONCE will be an undoubted
advantage to him and to the community. In the
last Legislature there were three colored MEM
bers who could neither read nor write. In some
counties the majority OF the supervisors are ilhs-
crate blacks. Matters not nearly so bad In
In IN lasin INT nf
course, . lawmaker or tax levyer who is ilit-
crate ls not lit Tor his responsibilities Some OF
the republicans conn lained TO me OF a law adopted
BY the last Legislature obliging once holders to
procure the proper Dondsmen in the counties in
which they serve and IL was said that IN Dallas
county for instance, there are not more than
dozen republicans who own property and can
become bondsmen. Bu: 1t seems 10 me that he
rule is a sound one, and can inconvenience mainly
only class OF men who ought not TO hold I'M
porlant offices. At any rate, 1t Is Of no perman-
ent Importance, because when the color line Is
broken, property holders viii be found in both
parties.
do not think that / have anywhere louad the
negro vote more wickedly or thoroughly manipu-
lated taan IL was In Alabama. 1t was systematic
ally compacEed. A ''boltern was not merely de-
nounced, but held to be no better than criminal.
In the black counties there were colored dema-
cogues who had clientage OF voters whom they
controlled and more than one republican told me
that such fellows would go about IN the beginning
OF canvass ana ''coax a man 10 run for once,
in order that they might sell hin the vote they
could carryn Such fellows were hired to make
the canvass OF q county. republican politician
said to me, II have sent a negro on hired
horse, paying him days wages, over she
county 10 advocate measure, aud when election
day came every colored vote was cast lor it.u
Perrin, republican manager, defeated Sheats for
Congress by simply telling the blacks that ne vas
mot itn Negroes testified that they would have
voted the democratic ticket II Perrin had told
them 10.
Alabama was not in the old times famous for
schools, but it is now better provided than Mis-
sisslppl or even Arkansas. In Mobile, Selma ana
some other places an admirable school system Is
found for both ceors. In Selma ten per cent oil the
city revenues are set apart, By democratic coun-
eli, Tor school purposes, and divided among both
col0rs. Mobile Montgomery, Selma, Birming-
ham and Huntsville all have graded
schools for bota colors and at Huntsville
there is 4 colored normal school. The State
school iund yields 81 1875 per head for all the CHI
dren IN the state and besides this, the poll tax Is
given to the school fund IN eaca county. Unior-
tunatey the pol tax has not been fully collected.
Il
poli tax was collected last year; and the TAX Co.
lsctor, being candidate FOR reelection, urged as
a Ioint In ms favor that me had not troubled
them about the poll tax" The state superin-
tendent TOLD me that iewer black than white chill
dren attend scaool, in proportion 70 the popua-
ton.
EpUsTRY-HoPEFCL FUTURE.
IL il the universal testimony OF men OF both
parties that the coored people are working better
before since the war and also that on the whole
they are requiring smaller advances, which means
that they have corn let over rom last year. II
may be said that the people generally white As
wei as black, In all paris OF the state are more
steadily labOrlng than In previous years. Alabama
mas had three successive poor crops and the
planters anu farmers are generally poor. Tnis
year 50 far, promises well, and good crop would
put botn parties IA good humor.
The state mas lost q considerable part Of It's
coloTed population by emigration to Mississippi.
Arkansas ana Texas. Now that it, political anairs
are setted-as / believe they are--it is possible
that the tide may turn. IT. immensely rich min
era resources IN coal and iron are as yet almost
untouched; but It j. a singular fact that iron IS
already sent, not only 20 oRio, Missouri, Kentucky
ana other western states, but even 20 England,
wnere the tenacious, SOFT iron Of Alabama be rms
10 ne used in the manufacture OF car wheels.
n high protective duties mad not caused the
Establishment Of too great number Of iron
works and an over-supply OF iron, the Alabama
iron region would be rapidly developed. II the
tarln on PIC iron should be considerably lowered
10 the next few years, furnaces would be set up In
great numbers IN this state; Tor here IRON or the
nnest quanty can be prod uced At 50 cheap price
taat IL requires no duty 10 protect IL against
foreign competition.
As IN the other states have visited, cotton and
corn are usually planted on shares, the planter
receiving moderate share Of the crop As rental
on mis- land. This nlan l. satisfactory to ths
coored people but they a. YET lay ny but little Of
their earnings and show very slight disposition
10 buy land.
In conclusion, as Alabama has been greatly mis-
represented tank IL right 70 AID that the wnite
people universally and IN good faltn accept the
constitut ional amendments, the political and
CIVIL but not the social, equality Of the biacEs-ln