The New York herald., 1875-08-23
THE NEGRO INSURRECYION.
Cause of the Trouble in the
Black Belt.
GOVERNOR BULLOCK'S LEGACY.
Unpaid Poll Tax and No
Ballots.

southwest OF that OF Richmond in which this city is
situated and it is in these that the remarkable negro
outbreak has taken place, OF the particulars of which
the telegraph has kept your readers informed To un-
dersand the origin of the trouble necessary 10 re-
cur for TO points in the political his
tory OF the State its reconstruction especially as
the still operative and promise lead to
further race difficulties The constitution OF Georgia.
framed in 1s67-6s provides that emo poll tax shall
be levied except for educational purposes and such
shall exceed 81 annually each poll and also
that all tho poll tax collected throughout the State
shall be sacred to tho educational or common school
fund Tho constitution makes IL one OF the quail
incatons Of elector that he 'sha have
paid all taxes which may have been required OF him.
and which he may have had opportunity OF paying
agreeaby law for the year preceding the cleo
ton;" and II results from this that If ccctor has
paid his his may be successfully challenged
This by the way, has been the law in Georgia for nearly
hundred years. or ever since it State and had
constitution but up TO the days of reconstruction
virtually dead letter, IL being regarded mira dig
challenge mans vote account of delinquent taxes
AS the republican party, however into
power with Governor Bullock, the democrats,
servatives, applied the rule with telling effect The
! darky has great aversion his old master
| TO taxes OF any kind, even TO poll tax of
| 81, and while the white manages to
|
| gro is desperately inclined to hold to his
dollar especially election day a year
ahead is exceedingly remote and shadowy benefit as
compared to present grecnback. The negroes then,
the reconstructed State government got under
way, failed by wholesale to pay poll tax and
tho Reconstruction of 1870 the whites
havoc with the colored vote by challenging under the
rule above stated In the heaviest negro counties the
cutting down of the republican vote proportion
|
strategy the radical Legislature of 1870 passed
act which declared that the poll tax common
school tax, and there were common Schools there
could be poll tax, and consequently that the unpaid
poll taxes Of 1865 1869 and 1870 illegal and
sttutiona and that the collectors should them
out OF their books. In the next year. Gov
ernor Bullock having fed and the Legislature
being democratic this act repealed and
the taxes in arrear ordered to be vigorously
collected. As this virtually made the poll tax for 1871
81 So and 81 for the year. the
grocs four times less willing than pay. and
as a consequence the whites had the elections their
way. While the races in Georgia nearly equal
point OF voting strength the Legislatures
whclmhgly democratic in Maryland Kentucky
and for the reason stated The counties with white
jorcs of course, send democrats, and in the negro
counties the policy Of challenging for the poll tax which
keeps increasing every year. being for 1875 IS and
interest enables the white minority TO attain like
suit In addition to the act of 1871 bringing about this
of things by reimposing the remttcd poll taxes
passed 1873 requires the justices Of the peace
throughout the State give in 10 the collectors lists of
the taxpayers in their respective districts and these
lists operate registration books facilitating the chal
lenge of axpaying voters wherever they used
| BOX.
Under all this legislation the blacks are largely de-
| barrc nc he los Nb
they heavy numerical majority great dssatis-
faction results and this dissatisfaction will be shown
| further on is powerful moving Of the turbu-
lcnce and i'll feeling which prevail in Burke Washing
and the other counties named Another grievance
arises of still another passed year and re-
quiring the various tax collectors 'to make return
the Comptroller General OF the character and
all returned and paid by coorcd taxpayers this
State" and directing that officer to make full exhibit
thereof in his annual report For 1874 the exhibit has
been made and shows that out of total State of
| 81, 365, ,4G6 the coored population pays but
| s30 7Ss 90 a great deal less than one.forticth
! part Of the entire tax, and only about
onetcnth OF the school tax of which the young Cuiccs
| absorb nearly much the white children. This
showing has led to strong feeling among tho whites
| against keeping up the common school system under
such an enormous dead weight and this in turn has
| generated i'll feeling and apprehension among tho
blacks Still another element Of discord is found in
the military companies black and white which are as
thick as hops throughout Georgia There are dandy
negro corps the cities in the country districts
ambitious field hands pant for the gorics Of cpaules
and plume The fling and drumming and drilling, which
may be done at odd times and without any seri-
Gus interruption OF work in the towns takes time in
country and proves great Of annoyance and
loss the planters by dcmorazing their labor and
| often depriving them OF it altogether at critical
! periods Of the crop. Naturally they object, and
| the negroes, who tho white companies paradng
about without rcmonstrancc, become surly the dis
elimination, and regard it another blow at their
rights Another negro grievance the exclusion OF those
that from jurics except There
law this effect but the constitution requires
| "uprent and intelligent persons this is construed,
! In current practice, to exclude the blacks.
From this sketch of the grievances real or fancied
of the coored population in Georgia, it can be seen
that there is ample material for dcmagoguery with that
race, and Jo Morris, who styles himself general
| messenger" Of whom what not stated and arrays
| himself in uniform Of white flannel faced with green,
has been harping on ali four strings in the
| counties Of tho black belt nearest this city
| for some months past At the Spring Term
Of Burke Court he made an incipcnt attempt to mob
the Judge account of his failure have negroes
the jurlcs and at that time bloodshcd narrowly
avcrted. HIS next move to have printed, in this
city, few days since the following pronunciamcnto:-
| NOTICE OF A CONVENTION
There will be convention of delegates representing
counties OF the First Congressional district WayncSoro
Burke county Ga ~ ten o'clock A. NJ saturday, October
~ ls1 tor the purpose Of some proper and fl
TO be commissioned by the Hon. James Smith Governor
| Of Georgia.
Acga delegation five representatives from every county
in the Congressional district invited with proper
credentials from their the statutcs
that free people Of this may obtain
searching the laws and whereby pay
than ~ poll and public schools established
| the elevation Of our aud children.
The constitution o Georgia provides by legal
that all children from six To sixteen Of shall be
schooled by n ctizcns paying the VI 81, except
towns and villages that shall exceed the of al
keep ny the streets and corporations wherefore he "
Resolved That we, the citizens Of turke county, Georgia.
who have been overburdcned with ncng this state
doth by said Convention and delegation bnck
tntion and call for the receipt Of every taxpayer Of
TOf2 and TO make final investigation what
has gone win the rights OF laborng class for the
last ten years that be recognized all
| of this government Very respectfully
. JOSEPH NORRIS, General Messenger.
| BY the Executive Committee
! NAYNtsnoHo, Burke county, Ga, August 10, 1873