Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1877-01-24

nor as a Southern man, but as an
American citizen, who desires above
all things the perfect harmony and
lasting peace of our whole country,
with all the rights Of all sections
and color. and races unimpaired,
and which happy result believe
can be perfectly accomplished II
mere partisans can be made to
cease the falsehoods by which they
seek to keep the masses Of the peo-
pie deluded and divided, for moth
ing but personal and party advan-
tage. Why do the negroes in
Georgia voluntarily vote the Dem
ocratic ticket This is the ques-
ton"
And after giving sketch OF the
effects of csrpet-bag rule he con-
tinued:
early in 1872 the Democratic
party came in full possession OF
the State government and have so
continued in possession to this day.
What are the results! Exactly
the reverse, in every respect, OF
the horrors above described
Everybody is contented: every
thing is safe; taxes are light;
homes are improving and hearts
are glad. Crime is punished; in
nocence is protected, and labor is
rewarded. The fraudulent bonds
were arrested, the State debt is
small and the State credit is high.
Values are constantly rising and
plenty is constantly increasing. /
venture the assertion that there is
not in the Union, nor in the world
either, a State whose people are
suffering less or hoping more than
are now the people Of Georgia -
True, we are not so rich as former
ly, but we are growing so, and will
grow richer than ever If we can
keep the other States at peace.
True also, there are some miserable
carpet-baggers lingering among us
in Federal offices with the army to
protect them in robbing and in
sulting our people. But they are
the last birds Of the preying flock
and they soon will be all gone, and
good honest men from the North
are now flocking in and are wei
come.
"But what has become, in Geor-
gia, of the poor negro that our
good friend Mr.. Hayes is SO sorry
for!
"Well, he has not been put back
in slavery, and not a white man in
the State would have him put back.
The negroes in Georgia return more
property for taxation than in any
State OF the Union. More of their
children are being educated in
Georgia than in any State in the
Union. They are more contented,
more prosperous and better pro-
tected for their numbers than in any
of her State on earth. And all this
is the direct fruit Of the change OF
administration in the State govern
ment which began in 1871. Do
you wonder that the negroes vote
the Democratic ticket in Georgia |!
Do you not rather wonder that any
Of them vote any other ticket The
numbers who vote the Democratic
ticket increase with every election,
and l tell you now that il the Re-
publican policy toward the South
is continued, it will not be long be-
fore the only population in the
South that will be more unsni-
mously and more inveterately Dem
ocratic than the old Wings, will be
the negroes.
"But, you will ask, do I mean to
say that government is good be-
cause it is Democratic and bad be-
cause it is Republican! No, I do
not mean to say any such thing.
Government in Massachusetts, is
Republican, and it is good; in
Ohio it is Republican, and it is good,
and 80 Of other States.
"But I mean to say that good
government comes, and comes only,
of intelligence, property and virtue I;
and bad government comes and
comes surely and invariably, Of ig-
norance, pauperism and vice. Men
who rule the State for the peoples
good are always blessings. Men
who usurp State, only to rob the
people, are always curses.
"Now, the policy Of the Repub-
lican party toward the South has