Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1878-12-19

crease of representation in congress by rea-
son of counting any class of population not
permitted to take part in electing such rep.
But the construction given to
this provision is that before any forfeiture
of representation can be enforced the denial
OF law specifically enacted by the state.
Under this construction every negro voter
may re bis suffrage absolutely denied
or fatally abridged by the violence, actual
or by frauds and receptions Of
state officers from the governor down
to the last election clerk, and then, unless
some state law can be shown that authorizes
the denial or abridgment, the. state e.
capes all penalty or peril of reduced repre-.
sentation. This construction may be up.
the law, (Which ki]leth," but the spirit of
justice cries aloud against the evasive and
atrocious conclusion that deals out oppres
sion to the innocent and shields the guilty
from the legitimate consequences of wjllful
transgress!on.
The colored citizen is thus most unhap.
pily situated; his right of suffrage is but a
hollow mockery; it holds to his ear the
word of promise, but breaks it always to
his hope, and he ends only in being made
the unwilling instrument of increasing the
political strength of that party from which
he received er:tightening letters when he
Was slave, and contemptuous refusal Of
civil rights since he was made free. He
resembles indeed those unhappy captives in
the east, who, deprived of their birthright,
are compelled to yield their strength to the
upbuilding of the monarch from VIII se ty-
rannies they have most to fear, and to fight
against the power from which alone deliver
ance might be expected. The franchise in
tended fer the shield and defense of the ne.
gio has been turned against him and against
his friends, and has vastly increased the
power of those from whom he has nothing
to hope, and everything to dread.
The political power thus appropriated by
southern Democrats by reason of the negro
population amounts to thirty.fve repre-
sentatives in congress. 1t is massed almost
solidly and offsets the great state of New
York; or Pennsylvania and New Jersey to.
gether; or the whole of New England; or
Ohio and Indiana united or the combined
strength of Illinois, Minnesota, Kansas,
California, Nevada, Nebraska, Colorado and
Oregon. The seizure of this power is wan.
ton usurpation; it is fragrant outrage; it
republican government. It inures solely to
the present advantage, and yet, believe, to
the permanent dishonor of the Democratic
party. It is by reason of this trampling
down of human rights, this ruthless seizure
of unlawful power that the Democratic party
holds the popular branch of congress to-
day and will in less than ninety days have
control of this body also, thus grasp
ing the entire legislative depart
the unlawful capture of the south.
ern states. If the prescribed vote of the
! south were cast as its lawful owners desire,
the Democratic party could not gain power.
Nay, if it were not counted Oh the other
side against the instincts and the interests,
against the principles and the preiudices Of
its lawful owners, Democratic success would
be hopeless. It is not enough, then, for
modern Democratic tactics that the negro
vote shall be silenced; the demand goes
farther and insists that it shall be counted
congress and all the presidential electors
apportione by reason Of the negro vote shall
be so cast and so governed as to insure
Democratic success-regardless of justice
in defiance of law.
And this injustice is wholly unproyoked
l doubt if it be in the power of the most
searching investigation to show that in any
southern state during the period Of Repub
lican control any legal voter was ever de-
barred from the freest exercise of his sui
| trage> Even the revenges which would
have 1eaped into life with many who despis
ed the negro were buried out of sight witt
m!9agnan9iimity which the superior race u
fail to follow and seem reluctant to recog
nize. l know it is said in retort of such
charges against the southern elections as
am now reviewing that unfairness of equa
gravity prevails. in northern elections.
hear it in many quarters and read it in thu
papers that in the late exciting election il
Massachusetts intimidation and bulldozing
if not So rough and rancorous as III tn,
south, were yet as widespread and effective
l have read, and yet refuse to believe
that the distinguished gentleman, wh<
for the governorship of that state, has en-
dorsed and approved these charges, and
have accordingly made my resolution broat
enough to include their thorough investiga
! ton. I am not demanding fair elections il
the south without demanding fair election
, in the the north also. But veuturing t,
speak for the New England states. of who's
laws and customs know something, dar
: assert that in the late election in Massachu
sets, or any Of her neighboring common
wealths, 1t will be impossible to find evcl
one case where voter was driven from
the polls, where voter did not hav'
the fullest, fairest, freest oppor
tuuity to cast the ballot of his choice ant
have it honestly and faithfully counted il
J the returns. Suffrage on this continent wa
first made universal in New England, AM
| in the administration of their affairs he
people have found no other appeal neces
sary than that which is addressed to thei
honesty of conviction and to their intelli
ferent to disclose pray you show it to U
that we may amend our ways.
But whenever feeble protest is mad,
against such I'M Justice as I have described
in the south the response we get comes tt
us in the form of taunt, "What are you
going to do about it?" and "How do 20,
I propose to help yourselves?" This is tn,
: stereotyped answer of defiance which in
trenched wrong always gives to inquirinl
justice; and those who imag inc it to be con
elusive do not know the temper of tn,
that against the complicated outrage upor
the ri ght of representation lately triumph
ant in the south, there will be arrayed man!
phases of public opinion in the north no
often hitherto in harmony. Men who have
cared little, and affected to care less, for thu
rights or wrongs of the negro suddenly fine
that vast monetary and commercial inter
ests, great questions of revenue, adjust
ments of tariff, vast investments il
manufactures, in railways, and il
mines, are under the control of Demo
| CA0cAO OOA6A Cos " AV@0 4OJOA4Gy vas OOt1AACu
by depriving the negro Of his rights under
a common constitution and common laws
Men who have expressed disgust with thu
waving of bloody shirts, and who have beer
offended with the talk about negro equality
are beginning to perceive that the pending
question of to-day relates more pressiDgly
to the equality Of white men under this
government, and that however careless they
may be about the rights or the wrongs o.
the negro, they are very jealous and tena
cious about the rights of their own race, and
the dignity of their own firesides and their
own kindred.
know something of public opinion in
the north. know a great deal about thu
views, wishes and purposes of the Republi
can party of the nation. Within that entire
great organization there is not one man who's.
opinion is entitled to be quoted that doe'
not desire peace aud harmony and friend
ship and q patriotic and 1raternal union be
tween the north and the nth. This wish
is spontaneous, instructive, universal
throughout the northern states; and yet
among men of character and sense, there j!
surely no need Of aftemntinp to deceive