Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1877-01-25
THE VOTE OF THE SOUTH.

THE VOTE OF THE SOUTH.
How 1iiden Obtained H,s Popular Major
ity-Three Hundred and Twenty-Thre,
Thousand Republican Votes suppresse,
The Work of the Cotton States Dem
ocrats-Startling Statistics
fFrom the New York Tsmes1 t4
It is one OF the cardinal principles Of a Dem
ocrstic Io'iiic,an never 10 de from po
sition which he has once taken. This state
ment is true of al the species, and is as appli-
cable to the fre-esting, bull-dosing leaders Of
the Red river parishes of Louisiana as TO the
equally lawless and ignorant ruffians who con
troll the party machinery in the Fourth and
Sixth wards Of the city of New York. The
arguments of reason and logic have no weight
with men of this class and, OF course, it would
be waste Of time to attempt to convince therr
OF the absurdity of certain statements regard
ing the recent election which are still persisted
in by a number of Democratic newspapers.
They have been told, for instance, that the
popular majority Tor Mr. nlden was ''nearly
hslf million" rnd they will probably never
be convinced Of the fact that even "on the
face of the returns" to use Mr.. Hewitfs pet
expression, this sc-cslitd majority was only
241, s61. As this is the c,se. it would be worse
than useless to attempt to demonstrate TO the
part i'm question that over 800 900 Repub-
States. and that it was by suppression of those
votes that MIR. Tilden obtained his much
boasted populas majority. Such is the fact,
however. can easily be proved to the satis--
faction or all fair-mindtd d and impartial men.
SUGGESTIVE YIoUREs.
In 1872 Alabama gave the Republican nom-
inee for President q majority of 10.S25 votes
Louisiana the Republican majonty was IA ,634,
In Mississippi "a, ,S87, in North Curalina d 675.
and in South Carolina 49,5S7. This year, how
ever, all these States are claimed by the DEM
ocrsts. They are claimed by them IN spite of
the fact ti.st the Republican vote cast at the
last election in the twenty two Northern States
exceeded the vote cast for Grant in 1872 by
42O, ,ss9 IA net Republican gain in forr years
OF 16 7-lO per cent In other words, the Re-
publican gain in the twenty-five free States
has been 16 7-10 per cent, while in the slave
States the Repub lean loss has been over 100
per cent ! Why Is there this difference be-
tween the two sections How can il be &C
counted for, unless upon the theory that by
some means the Republican vete In the cotton
States was suppressed, and never reached the
balot-box 2 Where are the Republican major
tiles Of the South? What has been done with
the Republican voters of that section? These
are questions which sooner or later must be
answered. II is -ueeless for Mr.. Tdden, or
Senator Randolph or Mr.. Hewitt, or anv OF
their friends, to declare that the negroes want
ed change and have gone over to the Demo
cratic party. Such a statement, coming from
oven more trustworthy and respectful ,e sources,
could only be regarded as ridiculous. No man
who knows anything about the South can be-
litve such stories. for every man who has
travelled or lived In the section named Is well
aware that Republicaniem is the freedmenss
religion. The negroes almost to man are Re
publican, particularly on questions Of national
They are quite as ignoran. .. are
large cit es, and it is equally hsrd-indeed it is
even more difficult-to turn them from the
party to which they have given h ,ir allegiance.
IL left to themselves. il allowed to
exercise the rights Of citizenship as freely
and as fesrlessly as do their white neigh
borr, ninety-nne out OF every hundred
of them would vote the Republican ticket. ]
d, not make this statement at random, but
after careful observation and investigation.
During the recent political campaign i'm South
Carolina and LouisiAns- for instance, it was
frequently asserted by Gen. Wade Hampton,
Gary, Butler. McEnery and Others that the
colored men were attending their meetings
aud joining their clubs by thousands but no
man in South Carolina or Louisiana ever raw
more than score or 90 Of ntgross at Demo
procession. 1t WAS stated by the rife club or
gans in al parts of the South that 500 colored
men attended the great Hampton meeting hold
in Aiken. was at that nesting. By actual
count there were just eighteen black voters
present in the Hampton uniform, and they
were the old body-servants who travelled over
the State with the Democratic speakers and
appeared at all their meetings. But without
at present going further into this part of the
snbj ct, 1t may be well to inquire why the ne
groGs are Republicans, and what inducements
the Democrats offer them TO change their pol.
itics. The questions ere easily ans sered.
WHY THE ooIoRED MEN ARE RErUBLIcAEs.
In the first pace, the freedmen joined the
Republican party because 1t was in the name
and by the efforts OF that party that they OBJ
tanned their freedom and the right to vote at
all. They have continued to act with the Re
publican organization for very much the came
reasons which bind the Irish voters TO the
Democracy Tley are recognized by the Re-
publican party; IL extends to them the right
hand of fellowship; by it men of their own
race, their own color, are nominated aud elect
ed to important and representiiive public
offices, and they are taught by their
spiritual advisers 10 be Republicans. Oa
the other haud, the negroes have absolutely
nothing to hope for from the Democratic
They offer them no political representation,
allow them to take no part in their nominating
conventions and csucuses give them no places
on their tickets, permit thoni to have no share
or local affairs prevent them from
serving on juries, and to crown all, threaten
them with death il they do not give up
policies or vote the Democratic ticket.
The negroes would be no more or less than
human IL they were long in deciding which OF
the two political parties they would act with.
They are ignorant men, il il true, but their DO
litical instinct is remarkably acute, and, OF
course, they vote with the party that resos-
nizes and gives them power and place. This
fact is 80 obvious as to need no further discus
sion II only goes 10 prove that by some means
tho Democrats have overcome, got rid Of, and
suppressed the msjorities which the Southt rn
States, at fair, free, and full election, wou d
give the Republican party. How these ma
jorities were overcome--now the black vote
was suppre ssed-s aresdy known to the rs ad-
ing pubic. but the people of the North have
not yet baen made familiar With tho extent Of
the vote which has been thus suppressed and
which has gone TO produce Mr.. Tilien's great
popular majority" The following table will
throw somo light upon the subject. 1t bas
been pr pared with care from official sources,
and can be relied upen as correct 1t is fair
estimate Of tho suppressed Republican votes
in the States named, Including, OF course, the
votes which the negroes were forced to cast
for the Democratic nominee:
Arkansss ........ 1900 Mississippi. ... 1900
Alabama ......... $1,000 North Carolina. 20 COO
q -orgia ........ 70,0D0 south Carolina -. 1900
Lousias $3.50. 1910 rex.s............. 40,00o