Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1875-12-23
WILMINGTON, DKL.
rhWFsAny, lIoceisabcr II. 1873.
MODEL GOVERNMENT ACCORDING TO THE
SOUTHERN IDEA.

. lnO I0otllNlo VI buSelhlMollb pOYulAT AlLuliSSbi
hat class in tho South which, from 1861 to 1865
made what has becn denominated an onpleas-
become, just now, 4 matter Of OK
rome interest, because the approach OF the
Presidential election finds that class once moro
dominating tho Democratic party, and certain,
in case OF Democratic success, next year. to |
again dominate the country. We have therefore |
looked with some care over statement of cir
cnmstances existing in the county of Chatham,
Georgia. ~ given in petition recently present |
cd to tho 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
nam county, which Includes the city OF Savan-
nah, there was = population, by the census Of
1870, of Al. 279, and there is, now, All estimated
voting population OF 10,500 and that, in this
county Q,ere is but single ooin9 place, this be-
ing ut the courthouse in Savannah The cti-
zens Of tho whole county are required to come
To silis nolnng place to vote, though the
county is large ono, tho protence being that
tho whole OF the ton thousand five hundred votes
can be received at tho court house, in tho four
ballot boxes there provided, within tue eleven
need not, of course, dilate upon this palpable
and scandalous arrangement, but the further
facts, explaining it, must be stated. These
are, simply that the county, since 1877, has been
in control Of the Democrats, and that they have
steadily refused to increase the number Of vot-
ing-places Their purpose in this is perfectly well
known it is, simply, to prevent the colored mon
from voting at all. Apart from the long dis
tancej which they must travel to reach the city
from all parts of the county, and the certainty
that very many Of them will not make the Jour-
ney, there is the obvious certainty, also, that if
they did come, the whole vote could not be re-
ceived within the time that tho polls remain
open. The result therefore follows that while
the white Democrats get i'll their ballots, great
part of tho Republicans and especially the colored
men, do not. We find that the vote of Chatham
county, at the last election instead OF being ten
Thousand i've hundred, or any number approa 81
ing that, WAS less than five thousand, and even
this WAS large number to receive at four win
dows, in one polling-place, within an election
day.
All efforts to secure ali increased number Of
polls, have, as already stated, failed Petitions
to make seven, and oven 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 it, with no
other object under the sun than that OF secur-
ing PARTISAN advantage. The Georgia laws for
assessment and registration We may add, are oven
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,) eighteen months precious
10 Tie election that he shall pay his tax t,oelve
months precious &c the election and then, in ad-
ditlon, that he shall register-on production of
ms tax receipt-Sir months precious 10 the cleo
non all this being, as any ono may see, with
Tho purpose of DISTINGUISHING the poorer classes
including the colored voters, by making it ex-
tremoly difficult or practically impossible for
them to become qualified to vote.
VIC wish We could help the outraged Republic
cans OF Chatham county, but UNFORTUNATELY we
cannot. This, however, We dove point to such
methods and systems as tlIis as samples of those
which are employed by the Southern 'statee.
men, and which the country is desired to adj
mire and accept by those who hope for the olec-
ton OF Democratic President THIS is South
ern purity of government This is specimen
OF tho system which Senator Gordon eminent
amongst HIS class-haying set up in his own
State, would present with JUNCTION to the coun-
try. One 7oting-place in county of forty-one
Thousand people
1t did seem rather much to expect that the re-
cent visit of the Washington officials to Phila
do'phia could be truthfully and fairly represent
60 by all classes OF newspapers, and the New
N.uI.H