The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1875-07-24

crs IN all part. OF the state were inclined to
act with the Democratic party. This, on The
other hand, stood already on the verge OF a
division which no efforts OF the Democratic
leaders can prevent, and 1t is probable that
! already in 1876, the voters OF Arkansas will
divide INTO two parties, regardless OF the col
or line. In Alabama the same change is go
inc on-all over the state In the local cleo.
tions, independent candidates spring up; IN
Montgomery, Opclika and other towns u
body of negroes have vote! the Democratic
ticket, and 1t is certain that il the Democratic
governor firmly and impartially executes the
laws and sees that equal protection Is given
Ito all, the Democrats will secure tor 1876 a
largr part OF the colored vote,
u .. Nothing can prevent his wholesome and
necessary reconstruction Of parties, except
the interference of the federal power. At the
time of their enactment | was very much
opposed TO the Enforcement acts; not only be-
cause | thought them, as | still believe, un-
constitutional, but because imagined ther
to be incXpedient | see down here however,
that some interference was necessary; but
believe Just as decidedly that il is to-day, and
has been for two years past, evil, ana only
evil A great change has taken place in the
spirit of the Southern whites since these laws
were passed. The results of the war are now
universally accepted. The labor problem is
settled The white man has become accus'
toned to see the black man free, citizen, in
the enjoyment of all the citizens rights. Po.
itCal crime has ceased, except in few very
rare and sporadic cases in obscure and wild
regions, where the population has always
been lawless. The enforcement acts now only
relieve the state governments OF the RESPONSE
bilIty which belongs to them of maintaining
peace, and they are the single resource OF
demagogues and political swindlers with
which they maintain their power. Every
citizen anxious for a successful and perma-
nent settlement of political society in the
south ought to labor with all his might for
the repeal 81 these laws, for they are the only
element of trouble or danger in the southern
question Lest the standpoint from which 1
assert this should be misunderstood, | will
add that | am so strong lover Of peace and
hater of injustice that rather than see the
colored people in the south abused or denied
their full rights as citizens, would advocate
law ten times as summary and severe as the
enforcement acts.
NEGRO SUFFRAGE NECESSARY.
8. No Thoughtful man can examine the his
tory Of the last ten years in the south, as he
may hear ii on the spot and from all sides,
without being convinced that it was absolute.
" necessary to the security of the blacks and
the permanent peace Of the southern COmmu-
mites to give the negro, ignorant poor and
helpless as he was, every political right and
privilege which any other citizen enjoys.
that he should vote and that he should be ca
pablc OF holding office was necessary, and
am persuaded, to make him personally secure,
and, what Is OF more importance, to convert
him from freedman into free man. That
/ ,nl Ia,
the exercise of his political rights Is perfectly
and lamentably true, but this is less his fault
than tnat Of the bad white men who introduc-
ed him to political life. But, on the other
haad, the vote has given HIM what nothing
less could give-a substantive existence. 1t
has made him part of the state; wherever,
as in Arkansas, the political settlement nears
completion, and the color line is broken, his
political equality will help-slowly but Ger.
taInly-to make him a respectable person.
will add that in this view many southern
Democrats concur. If the north had not
given the negroes suffrage il would have had
to hold an exclusive military government for
ten years" said such a man to me-
now NEGRO SUFFRAGE Is DANGEROUS.
). General manhood suffrage is undoubted-
ly danger to a community where, as in these
SlultS, luC CutIIC VI iIOl ailSC duu pow
erty has been massGd by adrolt politicians
upon one side. The attempt to continue for
even four years loAger such state Of things
as General Grant has, by federal force, main.
tanned in Louisiana, would either cause
necessary and entirely justitia5le revolt or
totally destroy society. There are scores of
parishes and counties where the Colored vot-
tiers are to the white as tour, six, eight and
even ten to one, where, therefore, ignorant
men, without property, and no selfrestraint
or sense OF honor in pecuniary trusts, would
continue to rule absolutely; to levy taxes
which others must pay; to elect judges and
fiduciary officers cut of their own number, to
be the tools Of the least scrupulous and the
most greedy wretches in the community
There are today scores of parishes an coun.
ties in Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi
where the voice of the people is not the voice
of God, but the voice of the worst thief in the
community.
But the moment the color line is broken
the conditions of the problem are essentially
changed. Brains and honesty have once
more a chance to come to the top. The me-
gro, whose vote will be important to both
parties, will find security In that fact. No
politician will be so silly as to encroach upon
his rights, and the black man appears to me
to have sense of responsibility which will
prevent hin, unencouraged by demagogues,
from trying to force himself INTO positions for
which he is unfit. He will have his fair
chance, and he has no right to more