New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-05-19
TIE COLOR LINE IN ALABAMA.


WILL DO so -METIEoDs-TIIE BLACK VOTE MUST
DIVIDE FIRST-GOOD sCHOOLS-STATE DEBT AND
TAXES.
GFROM STAFF CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUSE.I
MONTGOMERY, Ala. May o." Happy is the land
that mas no history" says the proverb. Alabama Is
not making history now and ought therefore to he
happy. Save for tho hard times, more severely felt
in the Cotton States than in other agricultural
regions, her people are enjoying life as well as
anybody, and get along such peaceful and nm
e7entful way that there is little concerning them
that calls specially for newspaper discussion. The
two races are living III better accord than at any
time since the war. The white race has got the
upper hand in the government and means to keep It,
and the negroes, having no hope of ever reganmg
the supremacy and seeing that they subjected to
no sort Of oppression, have become as class salts
fed to regard the present condition of affairs as
natural and permanent In everything outside of
politics the rights Of the blacks are as well pro-
tected as those of the whites. negro can
sue n white man in the courts with inst as good
prospect Of getting justice as he would have were
he 10 prosecute one OF his color In OF per-
sonal abuse of a negro by white man, the negro,
as the weaker party, is likely to have the sympathy
Of the court The school fund is apportioned be-
tween the two races with rigid lmpartiaty. The
State fund, amounting 20 about $2j0,000 year, is
distributed 10 the counties and is added 70 the pro-
cceds of the poll tax, aggregating 100000 more.
Then in each county the Superintendent OF Common
Schools divides the fund among the townships
specifying according TO a table furnished him by
the state superintendent inst how much to a cent
shall be dshursed for colorcd schools and for white
schools There are normal schools for the education
Of colored teachers at Marion and Huntsville, sup
ported by the State and orc for white teachers at
Tl,o ootp rn1u In
vantage of another school, that sustained by
Northern religious society at Tallcdega; that also
graduates teachers. Ia the matter of acquiring
property there are no obstacles of law custom in
the way of the cOlurcd race. ncgrOs money IS
inst as rood as a white mans. and If he wants TO
brv land with II he has not the slightest trouble.
The suburbs Of every town are filled with little
hoIncsteads belonging to colored men, and in the
country negroes are here and there to be found in
the ownership Of small plantations
Theoretically the negro is the equal of the white
man in politics but practically he is not His vote
counts for as much as white citizens if 1t does not
90 to rcGstablIsh negro rule, State or local. When
it would effect return of that evil the whites find
some way of making it powerless, and they will con
trvc to do so to the end Of the chapter The supc-
rior intelligence courage and will of the white
will prevail as long as it acts united force. As
il will not occur until it involves possible danger
of the negroes getting control Of affairs. The black
vote must divide first. In August next there will be
an election in Alabama for county officers. The
blacks and their white allies still have the offices in
a few counties but they will lose them, no matter
what their majorities may be. Nothing less than
complete clearing out Of all remnants Of what is
called radical rule will satisfy the white people.
How Will the whites carry counties where the ne
groes have majorites running upintO the hundreds
This question ! asked of a prominent Conserve
tive Democrat tO-day-a man of large influence.
but now out of active politics. lie replied that
variety of methods would he resorted to-such as
indirect bribery threats of discharge from employ
ment the arrest of negro leaders charges of theft
and if all else failed and the votes in the boxes
gave a majority TO the negro candidates, then
false count would be made by the election officers.
This gentleman, speaking with much greater frank
ness than is customary among Southern politicians,
condemned these means of destroying the effect OF
the black vote, but said that the end of securing
the control of State and local government TO the
intelligent white element was vital to the wei
fare Of the community that it would be attained
hereafterby whatever methods were necessary to
accomplish it, have no doubt that he is correct.
Negro government even with a toleraby large adj
mixture of native and imported white in Office,
IS an intolcrabe evil Politicians at the North may
as well abandon at all calculations based upon
setting It UP again in the South. They viii never
see the blacks on top again i'll Southern politics.
The whites have found out how to control the negro
vote without Ku-KluX masquerades or bulidOzng
cruclties and without open violation of Federal En-
forcemeut laws ana they would be fools not to act
on their knowledge
The one open question in Southern politics is this:
When the black vote ceases to menace good gov
eminent win the whites divide into two parties
Discussing this topic to-day Gov. Houston said:
As soon as the negroes show no disposition to act
together questions will arise upon which the whites
will inevitably differ and the strngency which
now binds them in one organization beng relaxed
they will naturally form two parties. How soon
this will probably take place cannot predict. Ii
depends upon the course of the colored people.
There is an increasing disposition among them Il
let the tomfoocry of politics alone. Many of them
vote with the white people and many don't vote
AT all. As soon as the whites become convinced
that there is no danger of the negroes masslng
their votes you may look for a division among us'
Speakiug Of the condition OF the negroes the Gov
eruor said they were rapidly separating into two
classcs-the industrious and the Ehiftless Indus
trious negroes, who worked steadily, aud tried TO
sove their money, were everywhere doing we'll On
his own plantation most OF the hands owned horses,
mules. cattle. hogs, farm implements, household
furniture and lived quite comfortably. The most
ortbless class OF blacks left the plantations and
dr,ftcd to the towns, where they picked up pre-
carious living by doing odd jobs.
Among much interesting information obtained
from the Governor about Alabama affairs is the fol-
lowing: The State debt is about l0,oOo'O0O and
The interest is now punctually paid Many OF The
taxpayers demand reduction IN the interest but