The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1876-12-28


that by the registry Of voters in 1876 the
colored majority was over 22.OOO
1t is admitted that the colorcd voter
is inclined to be Republican Indeed.
one Of the grievances Of the white citizen
is that while the former slave will do al.
most anything else for his old master, ne
will not elect him to oflice-will not
trust him with political power unless he
runs as a Republican, and even then the
freedman is dubious. As confidence be.
tween the races returns, as IL ultimately
must. political sympathy will be the last
link in the chain OF union. The colOred
! voter is not only Republican, but be Is
the most Jealous member of the party
he is a radical. ianatic-and he looks
upon every colored man who faltcrs as a
traitor to his race I,heard OF instances
where colored women assailed cOlored
men suspected Of scratching the ticket
The colored people carry politics into re
ligion. / was told of cases showing that.
in their opinion, to desert the patty is to
abandon ell hope OF heaven.
When free from every form OF coercion,
the cOlored voters OF Louisiana are al
most uns 1imously Republican.
The white Republicans Of the State
number tTo,l 5000 TO 10000. This gives
a Republican majority of about 10000.
1t mist be admitted, however, taat the
party was not perfectly united on the
State ticket which ran behind. and 1t
seems that some colorcd votes were pro-
cured for the Democratic party by meth
ods, which though not commendable. are
yet within the limit Of legitimate party
tactics-such as promises OF employment,
of favor kindness and friendship appeals
to selfishness as against principle-to
which men Of color as we'll as white men
are open.
TIE effect Of these causes may be
measured in some parishes where there
was no violence. and the limit to their
success may oe found in the fact that
generally outside OF the disturbed par
ishes and polls the Republican majority
was greater than it ever was before
Making liberal allowance for disaifec-
ton towards the State ticket and for
loss of colored votes through entice-
ments, there must .emain a Republican
majority in Louisiana on a fair ard free
election of not less than $4,000
In this opinion, | am sustained by
statements of candid men, both Con
servatiye and Democratic. who say. no
well informed man doubts that Louisiana
is Republican by from $1,000 to $4,000
majority.
What then became Of this Republican
majority Of louisiana
The fact Of intimidation being proved
in the localities where their vote was lost
IL is hard to doubt that intimidation
caused the loss.
Bot, not satisfied with inferences,
inquired Of candid white meL, Demo
Gratis and Conse.y ative from the dis.
trrbed parishes. and found them not un-
willing TO admit that the lawlessness
which prevailed more OF less in their
parishes did affect the minds Of the col
l-ored people. And, indeed. il is set up
as one of the true causes Of the increased
Democratic vote that the colored men
found no protection from Republican
officials, and were thereby induced to
seek sefety in the Democratic party
While disavowing all responsibility for
violence, and even deploring its exist
epce, Democratic citizens appear to re
gard the lawless condition Of society as a
special providence operating for the good
of their party, And while the rowing
bands. called Regulators. Ku-Klux. or
Rulldozers, raid the country at night.
filling every cabin with fear, law abiding
citizens open the doors of the Democrat
ic Clubs and invite colored men to seek
safety there. When they accept this in
vitation they are well received, protected
and favored.
Among white citizens Of the disturbed
parishes, present in New Orleans, some
were introduced as Bulldozers. and.
when put upon their manhood. they did
not hesitate to say that "the only thing
which will make good sound Democrat
OF a negro is a double-barreled shot gun
The shotgun is great persuader, it
helps a negro to see the point"
Yet, while making such admission
these citizens insist that the state Of
things existing in their parishes die not
amount to what they call intimidation.
They seem TO attach a peculiar meaning
to this term, which takes il out of the
sense commonly expressed by il, while
they have extended the word "persua-
sion to inc lude more tnan we would un-
derstand by that term. An old colored
man having adopted their views, was
asked if he had been "intimidated" lie
said, "No, sir / was suaded / would
have voted the radical ticket. but they
'suaded me to vote the Democratic: they
just put de pistol to my head and 'suaded
me"
Thus il appears that the whites brought
a double influence TO bear upon the col
ored voter. One class of citizens held
out inGucement of protection. employ
ment PLd favor, taking them into the
clubs, while another class, by acts OF vi
olence, made protection a necessity
driving them in.
To satisfy me that this double opera
tion produced the result Of reducing the
/ Republican and Increasing Democratic
votes, there was needed only the testi.
mony OF the colored men in the disturbed
parishes who left the Republican party
and joined the Democratic clubs, and
\ this evidence was supplied by an invita-
l tiOn from Democrats to be present at
meetings where cDlored men were giving
/ their experiences and stating the reasons
which induced them to join the clubs
/ In these meetings they stated that Re-
publicans had de -eived them aud failed
to give them protection. That they had
lost confidence in their local leaders,
and as tIeir old matters offered them
protection and employment they had
concluded to try them.
In answer to questions by Republicans.
they said that on joining the Democratic
clubs. they received certificates of pro-
lection, and on the day Of election. they
voted open tickets. the clubs going to
the polls IN a body and each member
taking an open Democratic ticket in
public view and delivering il to tho
official
As these meetings were not adapted
to full and satisfactory personal inquiry,
asked one in authority, who seemed
desirous that the truth should appear, ii
In might examine some Of the men apart,
in my own room He freely assented
and did so, and there learned. from
such as came to me voluntarily, that
they had not changed their political
principles, that they were at heart Re