Wilmington daily commercial., 1875-12-22
MODEL GOVERNMENT ACCORDING TO THE
SOUTHERN IDEA,

The methods of government popular amongst
that class In the South which, from 1861 to 1865.
made what has been denominated an "onpleas
antness," bscome. just now, matter of ex-
trems interest," because the approach Of the
Presidential election finds that class once more
dominating the Democratic party, and certain,
in case Of Democratic success, next year, to
again dominate the country. We have therefore
looked with some care over a statement of cir
cumstsnoes existing in the county of Chatham,
Georgia. As given in petition recently present
ed to the Grand Jury Of that county-the
prayer OF which, we may at once state, was re-
fused.
The main facts in the case are that in Chat
ham county, which includes the city Of Savan-
nah, there WAS population, by the census of
1870, Of Al, ,279, and there is, now, an estimated
voting population of 10,500 and that, in this
county there is but a single uoting place, this be
ing At the courthouse in Savannah The cit-
Eens Of the whole county are required to come
to this one polling place to vote, though the
county is 4 large one, the pretence being that
the whole Of the ton thousand i've hundred votes
can be received at the court house, in the four
ballot boxes there provided, within the eleven
hours during which each election continues. We
need not, Of course, diate upon this palpable
and scandalous arrangement, but the further
facts, explaining it, must be stated These
are, simply, that the county, since 1872 has been
in control Of the Demscrats, and that they have
steadily refused to increase the number of yot-
ing-paces. Their purpose in this is perfectly well
known it is, simply, to prevent the coored men
from voting at all. Apart from the long dis
tance] which they must travel to reach the city
from all parts of the county, aud the certainty
that very many Of them will not make the jour
nsy, there is the obvious certainty, also that if
they did come, the whole vote could not be re-
ceived within the time that the polls remain
open. The result therefore follows that while
the white Democrats get in their ballots, great
part of the Republicans and especially the colored
mon, do not. We find that the vote OF Chatham
county, at the last election, instead of being ton
thousand i've hundred, or any number approa ,ll-
ing that, was less than five thousand, and even
this WAS large number to receive at four win
dove, in one polling-place, within an election
day.
All efforts to secure an increased number OF
polls have, as already stated, failed Petitions
70 make seven, and even four voting precincts
in different parts Of the country have been re-
fused, and the system and purpose remain of
keeping the arrangement just as it is, with no
other object under the sun than that OF secur-
ing partisan advantage. The Georgia laws foI
assessment and registration, we may add, are even
worse than in Delaware, which our readers will
believe with difficulty, though it is true. They
require that the voter shall make his return
for tax, (assessment) eigIaeea months prtrioa,
10 the election that he shall pay his tax hrric,
months precious to he election and then, in ad
dition, that he shall register-on production o
his tax receipt-sir months precious TO he eiec
ton all this being, as any one may see, will
the purpose Of disfranchising the poorer clssse
including the coored voters, by making it OK
tremely difficult or practically impossible fol
them to become qualified to vote.
We wish we could help the outraged Republi
cans Of Chatham county, but unfortunately "
cannot. This, however, we dove point to sue
methods and systems as this rs samples OF thos
which are employed by the Southern Estate,
men, and which the country is desired to az
mire and accept by those who hope for the eet
ton Of Democratic President. This is South
ern purity OF government This is specime
of the system which Senator Gordon emineI
amongst his class-having set up in his ow
State, would present with JUNCTION to the cour
try. One voting place in county of forty-or
thousand people