The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-05-01
Tn. Un..sinsss About tn. south.

cal Thought ana pre1udlce OF the country
than the real uneasiness with which the
Presidents Southern policy is regarded by
considerable number of honest and sin
cere members of the republican party. We
do not now allude to fanatics like MIR. Wen
dell Phillips or self-seeking politicians Of
the type OF Mr.. Blaine, but to men who are
not in political life, who vote, and who hon.
estly wish we'll to the country. We do not
mean to overestimate the extent of the IN
easiness of which we speak, and we do not
believe it is very far-reaching but it is re-
markable that it should exist at all, because
the whole history of what is called the
Southern question shows that the policy
which President Hayes has carried out in
regard to South Carolina and Louisiana has
worked we'll in all the other States in which
it was before applied 1t seems to be en-
tirely forgotten by the public that Mr..
Hayes has not really begun new policy: he
has only completed in regard to two States
what in the course of years has been done
by his predecessor or by Congress in rela-
ton to ali the other Southern States, and
has everywhere been followed by peace,
order and revival of industry.
A survey of the whole South shows this
to be absolutely true. OF the cotton States
Georgia was earliest emancipated from
carpet-bag rule and federal military inter-
ference. Georgia was always a strong
democratic State, and since its people were
relegated to local selfgovernment the demo-
cratic party has controlled all branches OF
the State government. What has been the
practical result upon the colored people
The negroes of Georgia to-day own and pay
taxes on more real estate than is owned by
oil the blacks Of all the other cotton States
together That certainly is not a bad sign.
Again, the democratic majority in the
Georgia Legislature has every year appropri-
ated as large sum to the colored uni
versity at Atlanta as they gave to the old
and honored State University at Milledge-
vile. Georgia before the war had no free
school system; the democrats have fostered
the free schools since they resumed control
of the State, and have taken care that the
colored people should have their full and
fair share Of the schools; and this, be it re-
membered, although very much the greater
part of the school tax is paid by the whites.
All this surely does not look bad.
But it is sometimes urged that the negro
vote does not appear in nearly its full
strength in Georgia; hence it is said there
must be intimidation. Those who argue
thus hold, wrongly, that negro will always
vote tho republican ticket if he is allowed.
But not only is this VIGOROUSLY false, but it
would be a serious calamity if it were
true. 1t would be to declare that the
negro has developed no political judg-
ment since he was made voter;
that he remains only q willing and blind
machine in the hands Of set of political
leaders who would be sure to be corrupted
by having such tools ut their command.
There are democratic negroes in Georgia as
we'll as other Southern States where military
interference has ceased, but their numbers
| do not account for the actual absence Of
large negro vote in many counties. This is
caused in different way. The republicans,
directly after the war and while they con-
trolled the State, gave it a constitution some
of whose features are excellent Among
others they provided that every voter shall
pay poll tax and that he shall not vote
unless it is paid. Now, the colored people
have not become accustomed to paying taxes.
They evade this one by keeping their names
off the poll lists, and naturally the demo-
Gratis take care to exact the tax if
any one wishes to VOTE The re-
publican politicians, while they held
the State, used to provide o fund
from which the negro voters poll tax was
paid but they can no longer afford to do
this. Hence the disappearance of large
negro vote, the white republicans of Georgia
being demoralized minority, not at peace
among themselves and numbering not much
more than FIVE thousand.
We have spoken at some length of Georgia,
because what is true of that State is true
of others. There has been doubtless in
Georgia in other years more or less harsh
treatment of negroes by whites but the re-
suit of this was q negro emigration to other
States, which presently reached such dimen-
sions as to make labor scarce, whereupon
the blacks who remained found themselves
more pleasantly situated. The same is true
of Alabama ; and surely while the black
man has in any State equal justice, equal
school privileges, the ability to acquire and
hold property, and the undisputed and con-
stantly exercised right to emigrate if he
finds himself uncomfortable, the sensible
part of the Northern people will ask no more
for him.
The most remarkable fact in the recent
history Of the Southern States is the instant
and complete cessation of political disturb
ances, murder, violence and lawlessncss
which has followed upon the stoppage of
federal military interference Arkansas, for