The daily gazette., 1877-01-13
\ Iafty Document,

OF all the federal official documents
that have come forth lately the annual
report of Attorney General Taft is the
most curious. The concluding portion of
it, as given by telegraph yesterday, has
none OF the marks OF force and clearness
that belong to the great mind. 1T dgres-
ses indeed into partisan twaddle. The
reasons he assigns for Issuing his circtI-
lars to United States marshalS have been
so often and SO clearly controverted that
one is surprised that lie should reproduce
them. HIS statement, (Which lie goes
out of the way to make) about the effect
OF the fifteenth amendment on represent
tation at the South is an old piece of
special pleading. If, as he argues, the
blacks had not been recognized as citizens
the basis Of representation at the South
would not have been increased as it was
to the extent of two-fifths of that popula-
ton, only three.fifths having been pre-
viously represented as slaves before the
war. But by their enfranchisement the
South gained more than twenty elector-
al and congressional votes. If the South
had not obtained by the act of the re-
publican party these additional votes the
democrat, he assures us, "would have
been in decided minority in the late
election" Well, what of it? The repub-
licans did not make colored men citizens
and put votes in their hands out of con-
sideration for the South or to help in any
way the democratic party. They did it
to prepetuate their own political power.
and so long as they had the benefit of
this increased Southern representation
and of the Southern electoral vote they
were quite charmed with their work. But
now that the power they imagined they
had securely grasped has slipped through
their fingers like water through a sieve
Attorney General Taft is of opinion it
was lost by bulldozipg, and that the par
ty (the people of the South more proper
ly spealking) which has obtained conlrol
ought not to be allowed TO exercise it.,
Are we to understand that he advises
another military interference? He fur
ther declares, in the most solemn and
smile way imaginable, and as if he were
bringing bill of Indictment against the
white people of the South, that sit is the
duty Of those who are more intelligent
than the negroes to aid in putting into
operation system of popular education
which shall reach every class in every
State" Granted. What then have the
radical adventurers done in this respect
for what Taft considers bulldozed States?
Have they maintained in South Carolina
and Louisiana the public schools? Let
DR.. Sears and the trustees of the Peabody
educational fund answer. They say
no!
Money for the support of the schools
have been appropriated year bv year and
used for other than school purposes, and
| this to such scandalous extent that DR..
Sears did not feel justified in distributing
| auy of the Peabody funds to the schools
of those States. Now mark the difference
Wherever there are democratic govern
ments in theSouthern States funds appro-
priated for the use OF the public schools
| have been applied to that purpose, and
| the schools are d0ng well. The proof OF
it is that they are recipients annually Of
their share of the Peabody fund. At
torney General Taft should arraign Lis
| own party and not the democrats for ne
glect of the public schools and misappro
| priation ofthe school funds.