Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1877-06-01
The CoIor.Llne in Alabama.

The two races are living in better accord
than at any time since the war. The white
race has got the upper hand in the govern
ment and means TO keep it, and the negroes,
having no hope of ever regaining the su-
premacy and seeing that they are subjected
to no sort of oppression, have become, as a
class, satisfied 10 regard the present condi-
tion of affairs as natural and permanent.
In everything outside of politics the rights
OF the blacks are as well protected as those
of the whites. A negro can sue white
man In the courts with just as much pros
pect of getting justice as he would have
were he to prosecute one Of his own color.
In case of personal abuse Of negro by a
white man, the negro, as the weaker party,
is likely to have the sympathy of the court.
The school fund is apportioned between the
two races with rigid impartiality. The
State fund, amounting to about $25O,OOO
year, is distributed to the counties, and is
added to the proceeds of the poll tax, ag-
gregating 100000 more. Then in each
county the superintendent Of common
schools divides the funds among the town
ships, specifying, according TO table furn-
ished him by the State superintendent, just
now much TO a ceut shall be disbursed for
colored schools and for white schools.
There are normal schools for the education
of colored teachers at Marion and Hunts
willie, supported by the Slate, aud one for
white teachers at Florence. The colored
people have the further advantage of anoth-
er school, that Is sustained by Northern re-
ligious society at Taledega that also grad
yates teachers. In the matter of acquiring
property there are no obstacles of law or
custom ia the way of The colored race. A
ig inst onOH q n xNhiia
mans, and if he wants to buy land with il
he has not the slightest trouble. The sub
urbs of every town are filled with little
homestesds belonging to colored men, and
in the country negroes are here and there
10 be found in the ownership of small plan
taiions.
Theoretically the negro is the equal of
the white man in politics, but practically
he is not. His vote counts for as much
as a white citizens if 1t does not go
TO re-establsh 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 contiive to do so
| to the end of the chapter. The superior in
telligence, courage and will of the white
race will prevail as long as it acts as a unit
ed force. AS TO a division of the white
| NOle, L COuNluCtu kudl IL Will uDl OCGul
until it involves no 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 a 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 negroes
have majorities running up into the hun-
| dreds2 This question l asked of promi-
| nent conservative Democrat to-day-a man
| of large influence, but now out OF active
| politics. He replied that a variety of meth
| ods would he resorted to-such as indirect
| bribery, threats of discharge from employ
ment, The arrest of negro leaders on charg-
| es of theft, and If all else failed, and the
votes in the boxes gave majority 10 the
| negro candidates, then false count would
be made by the election officers. This gen.
tleman, speaking with much greater frank
| ness than is customary among Southern
politicians, condemned these means of de-
stroying the effect of the black vote, but
said that the end of securing tue control OF
State and local government TO the intelli-
gent white element was so vital to the well
fare of the community that it would be al
tanned hereafter by whatever methods were
necessary TO accomplish it. have no dou bt
that he is correct. Negro government,
even with a tolerably large admixture oi
native and imported white men In office, is
an intolerable evil. Politicians at the
North may as well abandon at once all cal
culations basfd upon setting it up again in
the South. They will never see the blacks
on top again in Southern politics. The
whites have found out how to control the
negro vote without Ku. .Klux masquerade
or bulldozng cruelties, and without oper
violation of federal enforcement laws, and
they would be fools not 10 act on theil
knowledge.
The one open question in Southern poll
tics Is this: When the black vote ceases tc
menace good government, will the whites
divide into two parties? Discussing this
topic to-day Gov. Houston said: LAS soou
as the negroes show no disposition to ac
together, questions will arise upon which
the whites will inevitably differ, and the
stringency which now binds them in ont
organization being relaxed they will natur
ally form two parties. How soon this will
probably take place / cannot predict. L
depends upon the course of the colOred peo
pie. There is an increasing disposition
among them to let the tomfoolery of poll
tics 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 ofthe negroes mass
ing their votes you may look for division
among u.s." Speaking OF the negroes thu
Governor said they were rapidly separating
into two classes-the industrious and thu
shitless. Industrious negroes, who work
ed steadily, and tried to save their money
4. L..
, plantation most of the hands owned horses
mules, cattle, hogs, farm implements, house
; hold furniture, and lived quite comforta
bly,. The most worthless class of black
left the plantations and drifted to the towns
, where they picked up precarious livinl
by doing odd jobs.
An opinion exists among many Re
publcans at the North that the "whitt
mans governments" established in tn
South are hostile to the free school system
put in operation by the Republicans, or a
least 10 so much of it as provides for tn
equal education of the blacks. 1 am con
vinced that this is au error. 1t certainly !
; as far as this State is concerned. There is
good deal of opposition to free schools, bu
1t does not proceed from the intelligent ant
influential classes, and 1t has not affected
the policy of the State government. Inter
) est in education is more general and th
schools are more numerous and better sus
tanned than when under the so.calle
Radical administration. The school fun
: is apportioned with scrupulous exactnes
: for the benefit of the two races. 1t ough
to be increased by local taxation, but tn
1 counties decline TO take any steps in thi
! direction. In the cities and large town
l municipal action provides funds for main
3 tanning graded schools for about eigh
v | months in the year. To show how fairl