The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1877-11-20
NUMBER 1920.


| THE Sctsu ANS SfthL NEeW NO.
| From the New YORK rines.
During the Presidents recent visit
/ TO the South the distinguished Demo
Gratis by whom he was so generously
entertained lost no opportunity Of as
suring him that they and all their fol-
| lowers were warm in their support OF
| the Reconstruction acts and the con-
stitutional amendments, and that since
| the Inauguration Of the new Southern
/ policy the negroes were not only treat
| Ell with kindness by the whites, but
protected by them in all their rights
under the law. While these rose-col-
ored representations were being made
in public, however, and while Mr..
Hayes and the members Of his Cabinet
were congratulating the country upon
the satisfactory results OF the recon-
eiliation plan, there is only too much
reason TO believe that at least one wing
Of the Democratic Party, and not by
any means the least powerful one, was,
as ever. quietly plotting not only TO
more edectually curtail the political
rights of the blacks, but also by the
formation Of so-called Labor Leagues,
TO remand them 20 a condition which
differs from slavery only in name. The
league Is not a new institution. 1t ex-
listed as early as 1866, and il was main
" by It's influence that the Infamous
Black Code was enacted. Gen. Candy
and others made the laws referred TO
imperative, however, and under tho
Republican Governments their revival
was, Of course, impossible.
Two years ago in the Counties OF
Laurens and Edgefeld, in South Caro-
lima, the Labor League was aganin or
ganized, but, unaided by the courts or
Legislature it was unable to accom-
plish any of the reforms" so much de-
sired by the white citizens. Now,
however, under the home rule of Gen.
Hampton. the organization has been
revived all over South Carolina, and
the tone OF the local press leaves no
room TO doubt that n determined, and
probably successful, effort will be
made when the Legislature reassem-
bles TO have the laws governing labor
in South Carolina radically changed.
What the leagues demand-and il must
be remembered that they are directed
by some of the heaviest landowners
aud most influential men in the State
lis, that hereafter all agricultural Ia
Dor shall be performed under contract,
each violation of which shall be con-
sideTed q misdemeanor punishable by
forfeiture of, crops or imprisonment,
or, still worse, by whipping. The
leagues will also ask that all unemploy-
ed negroes shall be declared vagrants
under the law, and punished either by
the lash or imprisonment, and that the
same course be pursued in regard to
all persons found trespassing. Fall
ing in this effort TO secure the passage
of these and similar ''reform" laws, the
gentlemen who compose the leagues
have agreed among themselves that
they will refuse TO sell or rent land to
black men, that they viii only employ
field hands and other laborers at rates
Of wages 20 be agreed upon by them,
that they will employ no servant or
workman without the consent Of his
former master, and that no cotton,
corn, or other agricultural product
shall be purchased from negroes, un-
less such products have been raised
upon the land of the purchaser. How
absolutely the black laborer, under
such a ystem as this, would be in the
power Of his white employer is suffi-
tAtuAAg bDN4Oub hAbnOul COhl-
ment. We can only regret that no
mention OF the Labor Leagues was
made 10y the eloquent gentleman who
were recently at such pains to inform
the President that the negroes were
RgT Fl eRieiH RgEeet5eSted Sc sdn in all their
can be well understood, however, for
mention Of the South Carolina organi-
cations would Of necessity have
brought to light other matters of
similar character which every good
Southern Democrat is anxious to con-
ceal.
For instance, the dominant party in
Louisiana is not satisfied with the very
Just Registration law now in force in
that State, and plain notice has been
given II is soon to be repealed and
poll-tax law substituted in its place.
Those who advocate this change pre-
tend to do so on the ground that il
would result IN the total suppression
of frauds at elections, and would bring
a large revenue TO the State. IL is con-
tended that Registration laws always
promote the election abuses which they
are designed to prevent, and that they
are cumbersome in operation, expen-
On the other hand, il is
argued by the advocates of the change
shat poll-tax Of two dollars and fifty
cents, to be paid 10y each voter before
he should be allowed to deposit his
ballot, would produce revenue Of
2400, 600 q year to the State, besides
doing away with the expense of S50.-
600 per annum which 1t is alleged is
now made necessary by the Registra-
ton law. OF course, the newspapers
Of Louisiana are all warmly in favor OF
the proposed enactment. The New
Orleans Democrat, the official organ
II the White League, commenting up
on il, says, In substance, that man
who is not willing 10 pay n small poll
tax for the maintenance of his Govern
ment ia not Democrat; is not ft, in
fact, TO be voter. Further, it ap-
proves of the proposed new law on the
ground that though il might measure
oily curtail the vote of the State, 10
would at the same time rid the election
Of vsters whose influence is pernicious.
In plain English this means that the
OF Louisiana desire the pas
sage Of a poll-tax law, because they
know from the experience OF their
brethren IN Georgia that such an en-
actment would have the effect OF driv-
ing tho black men from the polls, thus
"ridding the elections Of their perni-
cious influence" Two dollars aud If
ty cents may not be large sum, but
there are nc least twenty thousand ne
gro voters in Louisiana who could not
afford 10 pay il for the privilege of go
ing 60 the polls. Many Of those who
did so would doubtless, before the day
Of election, lose their tax receipts, and
consequently be DISTINGUISHED. II is
for these reasons, and because the
present Registration enactment pre-
vents naturalization frauds in New Or
leans, that the Democrats are so earn
est in their demand for the passage OF
a poll-tax law.
The bones Of Christopher Columbus
supposed 20 have been deposited in the
F-np -, sHr (fotbaIrol ~ Havana