Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1875-03-26
The Elective Franchise in the South.

The Elective Franchise In the South.
We have maintained that it is the pur-
pose of the Democracy of the South not
only to disfranchise negroes but to re-
duce them again to virtual slavery. We
have supported the proposition by cita-
tions of numerous acts of the Democratic
party in States under its control show
ing such purpose. We now lay before
our readers one fact which no fair
minded man can fail to regard as conclu-
siye of the soundness of our position.
The Democratic Legislature of North
Carolina recently enacted one of the
most infamous laws ever placed on the
statute books of any State of the Union.
1t is in the form of an amendment to the
charter of the city of Wilmington. Its
object is to to disfranchise the colored
vote of that municipality. The following
is its substance: The territory of the
city is apportioned into three political
divisions or wards. The First Ward con-
tains twenty-six "blocks," whose as
sessed valuation is 1902, ,250. 1t num-
bers eighty coloTed and 220 white
voters, total of 300 voters. Tie
Second Ward contains twenty-five
blocks whose assessed valuation is
$1,179, 100. 1t numbers sixty colored
and 100 white voters, total of $50 votes.
The Third Ward comprises the remainder
of the city territory, and contains 566
blocks" whose assessed value is 81
093, ,405l 1t numbers $3.50 colored and
$50 white voters, total of 5000 voters.
1t is provided in the act that each of
these wards shall choose three Alder
men, constituting a Common Council of
nine members. From these figures it
appears that in the city there are 1890
colored votes and 1 100 white votes-two
black to one white. The only legitimate
way in which the white voters of Will
mington can exercise more than q mi.
nority influence in the government of
the city is to conduct themselves so as
to induce colored voters to unite with
their white party organization; provided
such an organization exists. The colored
voters, if they choose to vote uniedly,
are entitled to shape the policy and con-
troll the affairs of the city. They are
men and citizens possessing, under the
Constitution of the United States,
all the rights enjoyed by white
men and citizens. Now how does
the act of the North Carolina Legislature
affect the colored voters of Wilmington?
1t completely nullifies their political in
fiuence, as absolutely, indeed, as if it de-
prived them of the right to vote. 1t
gives to !, 1,160 white voters six Aldermen
and prohibits 1890 colored voters from
choosing more than three Aldermenl In
other words, it gives to every white voter
an influence equal to that OF four colored
votersl A more monstrous political
iniquity was never perpetrated in the
name and under the sanction of free
government! The act is no more just
from property point of view. The
property of the Third Ward, which con-
taIns more than ten times as much terri
tory as the First and Second Wards com
bined, is assessed at $2,093, ,405, while the
aggregate assessed value of property in
the First and Second Wards is only 81
0S1, $50. Thus the property in the First
and Second Wards has twice the alder
men, representation of that in the Third
Disregarding the color line, and con-
sidering only the question of the fran
chise, we find that the act of gerryman-
der gives to little over one-sixlh, double
the representation accorded to the
other five-sixths of the voters. If the
monstrous enormity is sustained by the
courts and permitted to go unchallenged
by the public opinion of the country,
every colored voter in the South may
and will be disfranchised to all intents
and purposes as completely as if the race
still remained in slavery But this is
not all of the act. 1t defeats the will of
the people in the choice of q Mayor as
etfectually as in the election of Council
men. 1t takes the election of Mayor out
of the hands of the people and confides
it to a council chosen by one.sixth of the
people. Sec. provides that
tho Arsf ofo oooI, ODD o,-o-,, ~ rd
OF Aldermen elected under the provision of
this act, they shall proceed to select one Of
their own number to discharge the duties
now prescribed by law for the Mayor Of said
city during the term of office OF said Board of
Aldermen.
Sec. s names Registrars to perfect
a registry of voters and Sec. IL re-
quires that every voter proposing to reg
lister shall be required to prOUe to the sat
isfactiOn Of the Registrar the fact Of his
being Of ldpfuI age to cote, the fact of his
residence for twelve months in the State
and for ninety days next preceding the
election in the lot, in the block and in
the ward in which he claims to reside"
Thus it will be seen that the right of ev-
cry legal voter in the city of Wilmington
rests solely in the discretion of the sew
eral Registrars named in the act. Sec
10 names the Inspectors of Election
and Sec II provides that there
after both Registrars and Inspectors
shall be appointed by the Board of Alder
men. 1t will be seen that, by an
act of the Democratic Legislature of
North Carolina, the supreme control of
the government of the city of Whining
ton is placed in the hands of one-sixth of
its legal voters; and by the same act it is
so contTived that no power can wrest ii
from such control so long as the Demo
cratic party dominates the State.
We insist that the whole course
of events at the South points to the con-
clusion that Southern Democrats propose
to nullify the amended Constitution; that
the National Democratic party is secretly
pledged TO support the treacherous pur-
poses of its Southern wing, and that to
surrender the control of tie General
Government to the hands of the Demo
cratic party is to abandon TO the care of
traitors the Union which was preserved
only at the cost of oceans of blood and
sTV.o Nf Aann IaFa.