The daily gazette., 1876-08-23
The Late Alabama Election.

The Late Alabama Election.
In the closing hours Of the session of
Congress. Spencer. the carpet-bag SEN
ator fran Alabama, read a lot OF dis
patches from SINE OF his henchmen
in that state, telling the same old story
about intimidation and outrages which
had no existence whatever. Spencer
knew he was wrong. He knew the
statements he read we're false; that the
election just held was as fair, honest
and peaceable as 1t could have been.
That IL was so is admitted In plain |
terms by Mr.. Redfeld. the Republican
correspondent of the republican Cin>
cinnati Commercial, the strongest |
Hayes and Wheeler paper in the West
Mr., Redfeld was IN the state at the |
time of the election. He is careful |
honest. conscientious journalist, and
what he writes may be implicitly be-
lieved.y In letter to his journal he
gives some interesting facts and figures
bearing on the late contest:
| Altogether the republicans carried
but seven counties in the state, and
made gains" In but ten counties and
very small gains in these. But the
democrats made some of tie most as
tonishing advances. Their champion
cDunty is Bullock. This ia a heavy
negro county; containing 1928 whites
to IL, ,25l blacks. Here they made a
clear gain of 3,197 votes! Thick Of
that, in u county which contains but
,, about five thousand voters, when every
man turns out. In 1874 the total vote
there was 4,0S7. Last week II was
1910, showing some falling of, but
note enough to be of any Significance
Whence came the large democratic
gain? Itcame from the colored people
They voted the democratic ticket
largely, In 1874 the republican ticke.
in that county had 3 sos votes; last
week it had but Coca falling off of
neAr2 900! In 1874 the democrats had
1.6M then, aud last week 2, ,919! Evil
IDENTIFY the bulk of the black vote went
TO the democrats, as there are but
about 1900 voters in the county. The
only one of the heavy negro counties
where the republicans held their own,
. or near ab )ut it. was Dallas. Dallas
contains population of 80, ,152 blacks
to $3.50 whites, or about four blacks
!. to one white. Here the whites COM
q plain OF wretched misgovernment and
they made an extra effort to carry the
lcounty. But success did not attend
, them, The vote stood: Houston, L.
: Sc; Woodruff, 5,027. In Greene
county the vote fell off funaccourtably.
Eitner the whites did not open the
polls in many precincts, or the blacks
were confused by the frequent change
q of tickets by the repubiicans-three
|. changes in three months-and attend
: ed to their. cottoninstead of the cleo.
!. ti6n; which, we may observe, pays
\, them the bcst.s Greene county isir
>. the Black Belt, and not distinguished
:. for the intelligence of its voters. | in
cline to attribute much of the falling
l. off in the republican vote there to tho
e split in tho party, which occasion
,s ed three tickets, and consequently
great confusion In the minds of the
l. rural blacks. The population Of that
8. county 10 1868 whites to 4,541 blacks
r or about four to one. In 1874 the re-
4. publicans cast 3,139 votes and the
= democrats 1854. Last week the republi
Q, cans cast but 1 ,092 votes, a falling of
.: of about two.thirds, while the demo-
a Gratis had only 61S, showing plainly
q that no blacks voted with them in thai
county. 30 it goes through the Black
o. Belt. We find wonderful irregularity
% from county to county. In one coup-
j lty, as Dallas, we find the black
s unanimously voting the republican
se Ticket, in another county, as Marengo
ID twe,find them voting with tho demo
y as tcrats, and in Greene less than thir,
= Of them voted at all. In Hale, a coun
"a ty containing 4.S00 whites to 1900
". blacks, We find the democrats made
en- net gain of 2,93S votes! To caus'
or this, fully 1900 blacks must have vote,
ca the democratic ticket.
a. ~. Mr.. Redfield does not say that ther'
ch was the slightest intimidation any
:, where. No negro was driven fron
81 the polls. Everyone voted, who wan
ted to vote. The division of the color
as ed vote is one of the cheering signs @
Il. The times, and we have reason to knoN
10. that the split which has taken place i
I'D Alabama will extend over all the Sout
to a greater or less extent. Th
le- carpct-bagger is losing his hold upo
the black brother. Freedman's Ban
! ia a villainies and kindred robberies hav
es, at last convinced him who are his trr
kr, friends. The carpet-bagger has no III
he he for the negro except to swindle hi
ais and ride into power on his shoulder
ent Bait. Gazette.