The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1876-12-28
Republican Testimony,

]&1s A)nAsOhoeoAA 10 OhC Vi buC uIob Clel-
zens of Massachusetts,, and went to Flori-
da at the request of Republicans, to be
present at the counting of the votes of
that State for President. His picture of
State under the rule of sham Repub-
licanism is a sad one for an American to
contemplate. Florida is republican in
form, but not so in spirit OF substance.
He says of its Government:
The Constitution and laws of Florida
have been adroitly framed, with view of
perpetuating the power Of its present op-
pressors. The Governor and Lieutenant
Governor are chosen for four years. No
State officers are chosen except Constables.
The Governor has the appointment of his
Cabinet, as it is called there, consisting OF
the officers around him ; the State Treasurer,
Controller, Secretary of State, and Attorney
General. He has the appointment Of
the Judges of all the Courts; he has
the appointment of Sheriffs, Clerks OF
the Courts, County Commissioners, JUS
tices of the Peace, and all the officers in
the State, from the highest to the lowest
at the last election numbering 796, exclusive
OF constables. You see it gives him a COM
rlete control of the State. 1t is one-man
power. He can do as he pleases. He has
through his County Commissioners (for they
are his) the appointment of Inspectors of
Election Precincts. These precincts are SO
carefully arranged that in some Democratic
districts there are no precincts at all.
They have to travel forty-five or fifty
miles through the wilderness of Florida,
where there is no rail and sometimes no
road at all to get to a precinct to vote.
In Republican districts, which are negro
Districts, where there are few white people,
and where the few white people live in
terror of their lives, they have precincts,
sometimes two of them in the same build
ing for the purpose of properly manipulate
ing the votes and rendering returns to suit
their own purposes. Now, then, the three
Inspectors of the precincts are appointed
by the County Commissioners. l was
assured by several gentlemen who came
from remote parts of Florida that in their
District they were obliged to travel forty
five miles to vote, and that it took them
three days to go and deposit their votes.
That is the kind of Government sham
Republicanism is trying, through Zach
Chandler, Morton & Co., to fasten in
definitely upon the people of Florida.
Zach Chandler telegraphed November
9Th to Governor Stearns: "Florida must
be made Republican. Troops and money
will be furnished" Troops and money
were furnished to continue Florida as it
has been for years, the disgrace of mod
ern Republicanism. Whether this scoun-
drelism will succeed remains to be seen.
As to the effect of such a Government
on the industrial and material interests
of the State, Mr.. Saltonstall says:
The distress and poverty of the white
race in Florida exceeds belief. / have heard
of carpet.bag Government and have read of
it, but never until going to Florida did
conceive the length and breadth of the
infamy Of such Government. No words can
describe the depression, the poverty, The
suffering of our own race in Florida. The
negroes themselves, as consequence, are
poor. The stock has about disappeared
from the farms. There are no oxen, no COWS,
nor sheep, no horses, nor swine to be seen in q
greater portion of the agricultural districts
of Florida. What mules there are are
poor, miserable skeletons. The fences are
destroyed; the buildings are tumbling to
pieces and going to decay; the beautiful
residences in and aboutthe cities are dilapi
dated and uninhabited in many instances
In Leon County, the county of Tallahassee
where the last census but one recorded
$4,000 swine, the last census gives but 8, 800
and from the appearances of those in the
| street and about the residences they are moi
fat enough to fry themselves. And all this
| in country that is so rich that it only needs
to be scratched with a hoe to make it pro
duce such crops as we have never dreamed
of in Massachusetts. 1t is enough to make
the heart sick to drive through the country
He closes his statement by contrasting
Georgia, State relieved of the rule O
carpet-bag adventures and negro ruff
fans, with Florida still under the contro
of the plundering adventures, who ar;
sustained by Grants bayonets:
The difference of condition between the
people in Florida and Georgia is most re
marSable. In Georgia, where the people
have their own government, 1 am in
formed that the negroes, since the Stat,
| got rid Of carpetbagism have laid up from
| five to six million dollars. l remember
when going through Georgia, 1 was de
lighted to see the condition of things there
The people looked happy, the negroes sans
cheerfully as they were going along anC
cracking their jokes, and everything indi
Gated prosperity and thrift. In Floridt
every man looked as il he had Just attended
the funeral of all he had loved and ever,
thing that was dear to him.
If it is enough to make the heart sicl
to drive through the country districts o
Florida, it should make every American
who is capable of emotion blush to lear
that such scoundrelly Government a
that of Florida exists, and his indigns
ton should rise to white heat at the al
tempt made to perpetuate such an in
| fo,,,,