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 i'll one of the counties of
Florida where the negroes preponder-
ate:
tancied | would like to witness 4
Presidential election in a Southern
town where the colorcd voters out
numbered the whites, as they do in
Gainesville. So after seeing the bal
ance of the party off, l followed a
young black, who could ask more
questions to the minute than any
Yankee that ever existed, up to ho-
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 a particularly pleas
ant night. a company of soldiers
was stationed here to preserve peace
on the eventtul day, and the bugle
of the musician awoke me early.
After breakfast l went to the public
square, i'll 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-
bcrs, and all over the square were
little stands for the sale of eatables
and turntables, over which they (the
womeD 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 row occurring. The
whites were impelled to this course
by feeling of selfprcselvation, tor,
being in the minority, they realized
that if Il drunken white Democrat
should seek quarrel with an lntoxi-
Gated black Republican, it would be
apt to swell into general melee, and
as God is said to be on the side of
the strongest battalions Irrespective
of color, | presumed, 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 1t would be thus if the whites
were the strongest. This election
was new and interesting experience
to me, and | did not grow weary in
watching its ebb 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 Repuh-
lean party gave them their freedom,
gave them the right to vote-in
short, made men Of them-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
cd 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 lcvity. TO
him the ballot was no idle piece Of
paper, to he cast as the whinl 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 we'll cs-
tablished 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 colored
people hardly without exception, vote
the Republican ticket, but there was
one exception to the general rule in
Gainesville on the day in question,
th" IL AauSCu iIO llttlC tAcl(cmpn(
and Indignation among the coIored
people. \ venerable darkey whom
they called lie Henry, was some
how Or other seduced into otng the
Democratic ticket, and it becoming
known, the way L. II. was went for
was very cXaspcrating 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: "To thiuk that Uncle
Henry should done gone and vote
the Democratic ticket, and he dea-
con in the church, too" The other
replied that if Uncle Henry was not
tarpea 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.