The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1875-10-13

Political Condition of
the State.
THE REPUBLICAN PARTY MORIBUND.
Democratic Party Leaders and
Policy.

n. Y. Herald.l
ALPINE, n. j., Sept Is, 1875.
To the Editor Of the Herald:
1 conclude my account of Georgia with
few remarks about the political condi-
ton of the State.
In the first place there is no Republi-
can party worthy of the name in the
State. There is but one Republican
newspaper, and that is a weekly. One
of the most Jealous Republicans in the
State said to me, ''the Republican party,
SO far as its white members are concern
ed, consists mainly of federal Office
holders and me seeking office-mostly
natives of the State" He added, s'there
are not more than hundred active
white Republicans in Georgia who are
honest and out of Office" Another zeal
Gus Republican said to me, ''the white
Republicans of Georgia are made up
almost entirely of federal office-holders
whose aim is to keep their places, and Of
men who are trying to get these places.
There is substantially nobody else, white,
in the party" Another said, "white
men put themselves forward for Congress
on the Republican ticket, knowing they
rushing to Washington as soon as the
election is over, to set up claim for a
federal office on the ground of their de-
feat" ''The civil rights bill killed the
Republican party in this State" said a
federal officer to nett put US back to
1867" Less than 5000 whites voted
the Republican ticket at the election of
1874. In 1872, a Republican told me
at least 10, 900 blacks voted the Greeley
| ticket, and "more and more negroes
vote Democratic all the time" I notice
that among the grievances of the blacks
mentioned in discussions of the so-called
instruction is one that they are disfran-
chised if they do not pay their poll and
road taxes. This is perfectly true, and,
1 think, perfectly just. Poll and road
tax is all that the greater part of them
pay toward the support of the govern
ment, and if they evade this they do not
deserve to vote. The same law applies
to the whites. x x x !: !
They told me positively that lawyers
the least, were always ready to defend
a negro in court of justice if called on.
The conduct of the recent conspiracy
trials show this to be true.
The difficulty in Georgia is that black
and white Republicans and Democratic
demagogues unite in maintaining the
color line in politics. The bad Demo
crat does not object, for it enables him
to control the State The bad Republi-
can likes it, for it makes him martyr
and gives him what he longs fora fed.
eral office--or at least the excuse for do
handing one. Governor Smith spoke
wisely when he said to me that only
when the color line was broken could the
politics of the State be settled, and this
would bring absolute security to the ne
gro. There is no doubt, too, that the
civil rights bill and the force bill and all
the other efforts made to maintain in the
South spurious Republican party, such
as giving many of the federal offices tc
men who have no real hold or influence
in their State-all these things have only
tended to band the white voters together
in more and more infexible opposition
to the federal administration and to band
the ignorant blacks together and subject
them to the rule of demagogues. leaving
the moderate men of both sides without
their Just voice or influence.
CHARLES NoRDHoFF.