Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1876-12-22
A Southern Election.

interesting letter to his relatives at
Sioux City, which is published in
the Journal, and from which We cx-
tract the following description of the
manner in which the election was
conducted in one Of the counties of
Florida where the negroes prepondcr.
ate:
| l tancied l would like to witness a
Presidential election in Il Southern
town where the colored voters out
numbered the whites, as they do in
Gainesville. So after seeing the bal.
ance of the patty off, followed a
young black, who could ask more
questions to the minute than any
Yankee that ever existed, up to Il no
tel and got dinner. Not liking the
appearance of things at this house,
paid my bill and went to another,
and wished had stald at the first
one. | had went to bed early, as is
my custom, and between the bed
bugs within and the mosquitoes with
out, | didn't pass aparticularly pleas
ant night. A company of soldiers
was stationed here to preserve peace
on the eventful day, and the bugle
of the musician awokc me early.
After breakfast went to the public
square, in the center of which stands
the courthouse, where the voting
would take place. Already the
grounds had begun to assume holt
day appearance, for the blacks were
coming in by hundreds, all rugged
out in their best. The colorcd wo-
men were also there in great num-
bers, and all over the square were
little stands for the sale Of catables
and drinkables, over which they (the
women presided. Every business
house in the place was closed the
same as if it were Sunday, and severe
penalties were provided for any one
who would sell or give away intoxi-
eating liquors.
In this town and county (Alachua)
the colored people are largely IN the
majority, and every precaution was
taken to guard against any disturb
ance, and, owing principally to the
absence of liquor, the day passed
without single ro~ occurring. The
whites were impclled to this course
by feeling of self.preseivation, for,
being in the minority, they realized
that if a drunken white Democrat
should seek quarrel with an mtoxi-
Gated black Republican, it would be
apt to swell into 4 general melee, and
as God is said to be on the side of
the strongest battalions Irrespective
OF color, | presume), there would be
little doubt as to the result. | can
not help thinking that If equal pre-
cautions were taken by the whites to
AVOID collision where they are the
strongest, we would hear less about
the conflict of races. The negros of
Gainesville showed no disposition to
intimidate their white brethren-they
only seemed to ask the privilege of
voting as they pleased, leaving the
''sooperior" race free to do the same.
And | could not help asking myself
if it would be thus if the whites
were the strongest. This election
was new and interesting experience
to me, and l did not grow weary in
watching its cbb and flow.
Hardly without exception the ne
groes vote the Republican ticket and
| was keenly interested in hearing
arguments between them and the
white Democrats. Some of the
blacks could talk first rate, and give
abundant reason for the faith that
was in them, while others would
simply say, in effect, that the Repub-
lican party gave them their freedom,
gave them the right to vote-in
short, made men Of thcm-and hav-
ing by its works proved to be their
friend, they proposed to stand by,it
first, last and all the time. Another
thing was noticeable, the sober, even
solemn manner in which each color
ed man went through the form of
voting-each elector being apparent
ly impressed with the idea that he
was discharging an important duty
which admitted of no levity. To
him the ballot was no idle piece Of
paper, to be cast as the whimi Of the
moment might determine, but on the
contrary, it went into the box freight.
ed with the fears and hopes which
alternately depress and cheer his
race IN their as yet scarcely well es-
tabllshed rights and privileges of
citizenship. If the white voters of
the Union generally would vote as hon
est as do these poor blacks, | surmise
that there would be little cause for
such persistent shouting of the word
"Reform."
AS | before remarked, the colorcd
people hardly without exception, vote
the Republican ticket, but there was
one exception to the general rule in
Gainesville on the day in question,
and it caused no little excitement
and Indignation among the coIored
people. y venerable darkey whom
they called Uncle Henry, was some
how or other seduced into Voting the
Democratic ticket, and it becoming
known, the way L. II. was went tor
was very exasperating to the old man.
No personal violence was offered
him, but the tongue-lashings he got
were terrific. | overheard two old
chaps talking the matter over, when
one said, go thiuk that Unclc
Henry should done gone and vote
the Democratic ticket, and he Il dca.
con in the church, too" The other
replied that if Uncle Henry was not
turned out of the church, he would
withdraw himself. Evidently in the
opinion of these two old colored
men Uncle Henry, in voting the
Democratic ticket, had sinned against
his God as well as against his conn
try and his race.
a PROMINENT Democratic Senator
III Washington makes the PROPOSE