The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1875-09-03

abolished the State Penitentiary, maxi
ing the county prisons such institutions
at law. With striking refinement of
ingenious malice, it has declared that
conviction for penitentiary offence
shall work permanent disfraDchisement.
The Chain is complete; the admins
tration of justice being in hands that
desire nothing so much as s'to control
labor,s the negro who takes melon
from planters patch, or chicken
from its roost. can now be tried. as for
grand larceny and sent, on conviction,
to penitentiary. Already, one thou
sand convictions have occurred. This
is an easy way of destroying the party
of your opponent:
Tennessee has been for a long time
under the influence OF Democratic re-
construction. Its school system is but
just recovering from staggering blow
delivered thereat, in the abolition OF the
State Superintendency, and the allow
ing counties to vote or not, as they
pleased, any taxes for the support CT
schools therein. In 1874 thirty-nine
counties levied no poll tax, three do not
report, Que levied 10 per cent, three 25
cents, twelve collected SO cents, one 55
cents, and 81 counties required 81. In
the whole, 81 counties levied 10 school
tax for 1874, three made no report and
60 levied some tax of an equal charac-
ter. And this is the result of the five
years test OF the present Constitution.
In Texas we already have foretaste
of what is sure to follow the framing OF
State Constitution by q Democratic
convention. The schools lave been
largely reduced in number; no report
| has been made by the State Superin-
tendent; the teachers have not been
| paid; schools maintained have been kept
open only four months in the year, and
in general the system is treated with
contumely. Laws calculated to degrade
the colored people have been adopted
If they can be charged with being pau.
pers, they are hired out. All who are
not engaged by and for certain period
are regarded as vagrant or pauper poor
and their labor is sold. The labor c
penitentiary inmates is contracted for
and colored convicts are leased out TO
field work.
| In Alabama the school funds hav
been systematically decreased, and th
appropriation needed for taking de
cennial census is diverted TO pay for tn
Convention. In the discussion now i
progress, it is the present school provi'
ions that are most assailed- Thes
things indicate the character of Demo
cratic reconstruction. They show wha
may be expected. Granting, then, fc
arguments sake, that some of th
charges OF corruption made agains
Southern Republicans were true, may
not be honestly claimed that, with a
faults, their records will staid highe
than those of these deliberate destroyer
of public intelligence, CIVIC privilege
and political rights? Unworthy Re
publicans have, at least, had, in orde
to gain opportunities for plunder to il
augurate and support measures and il
!, stitutions, the certain if comparativel
slow. effects of which must be to trail
, the citizens living under them, into a.
intelligence and virtue that will no
permit the continuance of public wrong
doing.
What, on the other hand, will be tn
! effect of Democratic reconstruction
J j Degradation and ignorance, social seri
dom and civic ostracism. llliterac.
and yiciousness must be the darkenin!
shadows that creep over the path, am
the body polite will be at the best,
, willing mob, led by shrewdly danger
ous and ambitious leaders, who are con
tent esto control labor" and despise tn
laborer.