The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1878-12-12

ihirty or thirty-one by Of the c1ored popua-
ion AT the recent election the white Democracy Of
the South seized seventy of the seyentyt three dis
tricts aud thus secured Democratic majority in
he next House of Representatives. Thus it appears
that throughout the States that formed the late Con-
'ederate Government sisty-fv thousand whites
the very people that rebered against the Union-are
enabled to elect Representative in Congress, while
| In the loyal States 1T requires Que hundred aud
thirty-two thousand Of the white people that fought
for the Union to elect Representative. In levying
| every tax, therefore, in making every appropria-
tion ofmoney 10 fixing every line of pubic policy
| in decreeing what shall be the fate and fortune Of
| the Republic the Confederate soldier South is
bled to cast a vote that is twice as powerful and
twice as Influential the vote of the Unionsoldier
| North,
But the white of the South did not acquire
and do not hold this superior power by of law
| or justice but 10 disregard and defiance of both.
| The fourteenth amendment to the Consultation was
| expected to be AMI was designed to be preventive
of all such possible abuses. The reading Of the
clause applicable to the instructive and sug
| gestive. Hear it,
| Representatives shall be apporiioned among the
several States according their respee i've numbers
counting the whole Der OF persons in each Sate
excluding Indians uot taxed. But when the right to
vote at any elec ion tor the choice OF electors tor
| P'esident and Vice President Of The United States,
representatives of Congress, The execu i've and judi
cal oters Of State, the members of The Legsia-
ture thereof is denied to Of the male inhabitants
OF sneh State, being tweDty-one years OF age, and
citizens of the United States or in any way alb ICED,
except for participation in rebellion or other eime
the basis OF representation therein shall be reduced
| in the proportion which the number of such male
citizens shall bear to the whole number OF male citi-
zens tweoty-one years Of age in such State.
The patent, unbeatable iutent of this provision
that if any such class of voters denied in
any way abrdsei OF tb ic right of suffrage then the
class so denied abridged should not bs counted 10
the basis of representation in other words, than
No State or States should gain large increase Of
representation in Congress by reason Of counting
any class of population not permitted to take part in
electing such Repress But the uction
given this provision is that before any feture Of
representation be enforced the denial abridge
ment of suffrage must be the result of law specif-
caly enacted by the State Under this constr ucton
every negro voter may have his suffrage absolutely
denied fatally abridged by the violence, actual
threatened, ofirrespoDsible mobs, or by frauds and
deceptions Of State officers from the governor down
TO the last election clerk and then, unless some
State law be shown that authorizes the denial
abrdgem mt the State escapes all penalty or peril of
reduced representation This construction may be
upheld by the codrts, ruling The letter OF the law
(which kileth," but the spirit of justice cries aou
against the evasive and atrocious conclusion that
deals out oppression to the innocent and shields the
guilty from the legitimate consequences Of wilfal
transgression.
The colored citizen is thus most unhappily situ-
ated; his right of suffrage is bat a hollow mockery:
it holds to bis the word of promise but breaks
always to bis hope, and he ends only in being made
the unwilling instrument of increasing the political
strength o; that party from which he received ever
tightening fetters when be was slave and contempt
uous refusal Of civil rights since he made tree
He resembles indeed those unhappy csptives in the
East who deprived Of their birthright, compelled
to Yell their strength to the upbulding of the
arch from whose tyrannes they have most toiear,
and to fight against the power from which alone de-
verance might be expected. The franchise intended
for the shield and defense Of the negro has been
turDei against him and against his friends and has
vastly increased the power of those from whom b
has nothing to hope and everything to dread.
The political power thus appropriated by southern
Democrats by of the negro population amounts
to tbrty-fve Representatives in Congress. 1t is
massed almost solidy and offsets the great State Of
New York or Pennsylvania and New Jersey togeth-
er; or the whole Of New England; or Ohio and Indi
ana united; the combined strength Of Illinois,
Minnesota Kansas, California, Nevada, Nebraska.
Colorado, and Oregon The seizure of this power is
wanton usurpston; it is flagant outrage it is vio-
Ient perversion OF the whole theory of republican
government. 1t inures solely to the present advsn-
tage aad yet believe to the permanent dishonor of
the Democratic party. 1t is by of this tramp
ling down of human rights. this ruthless seizure o.
unlaSfu power that the Democratic party holds the
popular branch of Congress to-day and will in less
than ninety days have control of tbs body also thus
grasping the entire legislative department of the Gov
ernment through the unlawful capture OF the South
States. If the prescribed OF the South were
cast its lawful desire, the Democratic par
ty could not gain power. Nay il it not counted
the other side against the Dstncts and interests,
the principles and pfeudices Of its lawful owners
Democratic success would be hopeless. 1t is not
enough, then, for modern Democratic tactics THAI
the negro vote shall be silenced the demand goes r
ther and insists that shall be counted their side
That all the Representatives in Congress and all the
Presidential electors apportioned By of the ne
gro vote shall be cast and governed to insure
Democratic regardless Of Justice in defiance
of law.
And this injustice is wholly unprov0ked. / doubt
if be in the power OF the most searching investga-
tion to show that iu any Southern State during the
period of Republican control any legal voter was
debarred from the freest exercise of his suf-
frsge. Even the revenges which would have leaped
into life with many who despised the negro were
buried out of sight with a magnan unity
which the superior race" fail to fol- low
and seem reluctant to recognize. 1 know it is
said in reort Of such charges against the Southern
election as 1 now reviewing that unfaIness OF
equal gravity prevails in Northern elections hear
it in many quarters and read in many wspapers
that in the late election in Massachusetts intimida-
ton and budozing if not so rough aud rancorous as
in the South, were yet widespread and effective.
have read and yet refuse 10 believe that the
distinguished gentleman, who made an energetic but
unsuccessful canvass for the goveInorshp OF that
State, has ndor sed and approved these charges and
I have accordingly made my resolution broad,
enough to include their thorough investigation. i
am not demanding fair elections in the South with
demanding fair elections in the North also. But
venturiDg to speak tor the New England States, Of
whose laws know something, dare assert that In
the late election in Massachusetts or any OF her
neighboring Commonwealth, it will be impossible to
find even case where voter was driven from
the polls, where a voter did not have the fullest
anest freest opportunity 10 cast the ballot of his
choice and have it honestly and faithfully counted in
the returns. Suffrage on this continent WAS first
made universal in New England, and in the admin
stration OF their affairs her people have found no
other appeal necessary than that which is addressed
to their honesty Of conviction and to their intelligent
sell. interest II there be anything different TO dis
Close pray you show it to us that we may amend
cur ways
But whenever feeble protest is made against such
we get comes to us in the form of taunt "What arc
you going to do aboutit?" and allow do you propose
to help yourselves? This is the stereotyped answer
of defiance which intIenched wrong always gives to
inquirng justice; and those who imagine it to be
conclusive do not know The temper of the American
people. For let me assure you that against the COM
plcated outrage upon the right of representation 30
lately triumphant in the South there will be arrsyea
many phases OF public opinion in the North net often
| hitherto in harmony. Men who have cared little
and affected 10 less for the rights or wrongs of
the negro suddenly find that vast monetary and
commercial interests, great questions of revenue ad
justmeuts Of tariff, vast investments in manuiac-
lures, in railways and in mines are under the con-
troll of a Democratic Congress whose majorit was
obtained by deprivng the negro of his rights under
common constitution and common laws. Men
| who have expressed disgust with the waving es
bloody shirts and have been offended with talks
about negro equality beginning to perceive that
the pending question of to-day relates more pressing
ly to the equality of white men under this Govern