River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1878-12-19
SOUTHERN ELECTIONS.
Speech of Hon. James G.. Blaine, De
liyered Dee. II, 1878.

-
repetition Of these crues agains, free ballot may
The newspaper is the channel through which the
people of the United States are Informed Of current
events and the accounts given in the press represent
the elections in of the Southern States to have
been accompanied by violence; Id not few cases
reaching the destruction Of life; to have been
troed by threats that awed aud intimidated large
class OF voters; to have been manipulated by fraud
OF the most shameless and shameful description.
Indeed, in south Carolina there seems TO have been
no election at all in any proper sense of the term.
There instead series OF skirmsshes over the |
State n which the polling places we're regarded as
foFtb T. be captured by party and held against /
the other and where this could not be done with
yenience frauds in the count and tissue-ballot de-
vces were resorted to IN order eectualy destroy
The voice of the majority These IN brief the
counts given in the non-parisan press of the dis
graceful enages that attended the recent elections,
and far have seen, these statements are with
out serious contradiction. II is bat Just and fair TO
all parties, however, that impartial investigation Of
the facts shall be made By committee OF the Senate
proceeding under the authority OF law and repre-
senting tire power Of the nation. Hence my resoiu-
ton.
But we do not need Investigation TO establish GER
tain facts already OF official record. We know that
i06 representatives in Congress recently chosen
10 the States formerly slsve-hoding, and tnst the
Democrats elected 10l or possibly lO2, ana
the Republicans four possibly i've. We know
that thirtyve of these REPRESENTATIVES were assigned
to the Southern States by OF the colored
population, and that the entire political power thus
founded the numbers of the colored people has
been seized and appropriated TO the aggrandzemeit
VI Ns own NdNAStH ~ Aao bNAhNNA~~@ f~'fS - $50
The issue thus raised before the country, Mr..
President Is not OF mere sentiment for the right
OF the ncgrothough far distant be the day when the
rights of any American citizen, however black, or
however poor, shall form the dust In the balance
in controversy nor IL the Issue one that involves
the OF the "hoody Shirt TO quote the elegant
SsEnseslar q Democrats sssa.ss-s 49, ss.i so
the equality OF the black voter OF the South the is
sue Mr. President has taken far wider ra5ge,
Of prsteniious magnitude: and that u, whether
tha x-bf a N.r4lt chall he aassalf IN
the white voter Of the South in shaping the policy and
fixing the destiny of this country; whether 10 put
il still more boldly, the white who fought in the
Union army shall have as weighty and influential
vote in the government Of the republic the white
who fought in the ranks Of the rebel army. The
fought TO uphold, the other to destroy the Union
Of the States and to-day he who fought 20 destroy is
far more important factor in the government Of
| the nation than he who fought TO uphold Il.
Let me Illustrate nay meaning by comparing groups
OF States of the representative strength North
aud South. Take the States OF South Carolina, Mis-
sissippi snd louisiana They send seventeen Repre-
senAtives Congress. Their aggregate population ~
composed of ten hundred and fhirty-fve thousand
whites and twelve hundred and twenty-four Thousand
colored the coored being nearly two hEndred thou-
4 sand in ex cess of The ~hites. or the seventeen
Representatives then, il is evident that nine were
| aPportioned TO these States by reason OF their cod
ored population aud only eight by reason Of their
white population and yet in the choice Of the entire
seventeen Representatives the colored voters had
more voice or power than their remote Kindred on
the shores of Senegambia or on the gold coast The
| ten hundred aud thirty-hve thousand white people
had the and absolute choice of the entire seven
1 teen Representatives.
In contrast take two states Ia the North Iowa and
| Wisconsin, with seventeen Representatives. They
have white population Of 2247,ooo- considerably
than double the white population Of the three
Southern States have named In Iowa and Wis
eonsi J. therefore, it takes $4,000 white population
10 send Representative 20 Congress, but in South
| Carolina. Mississippi and Louisiana every 10000
white people send Representative In other words,
$1,000 white people in those southern States have
precisely the political power in the government
/ nff Nai1e peofp have in lows
| ard Wisconsin
The eleven states that formed the confederate gov
eminent had by tie last census population Of nine
! and o half millions of which Ia round numbers Eve
! and half millions white snd four millions col
ored. On this aggregate population seyenty-three
! representatives IN Congress were apporfioned TO
/ those States forty-two three Of which were by
reason Of the white population, aud thirty CT thirty
enc by of the colored population. Al the re-
/ cent election the white Democracy OF the South
seized seventy % the seveny-thrce districts, and
/ thus secured a Democratic majority in the next
| House of Representatives. Thus Il appears that
throughout the States that formed the late confeder
ate government sixty Eve thousand whitesthe very
people that rckeled against the Union-sre enabled
to elcct repres entatfve in Congress, while in the
| loyal States Il rsqairss hundred and thirty-To
thousand Of the ~hite people that fought for the
Union 10 elect representative In leyying every tax
therefore in making every appropriation OF money
In fixing every line OF public policy in decreeiig
what shall be the fate and fortune of the republic
the confederate soldier South is enabled 20 cast vote
that l. twice 50 powerful snd twice influential
1 the vote o. the lnion soldier North.
NfF. Blame then quoted TIE PROVISION OF Inc
eeuth amendment 10 the constitution applicable 10
his argument and held that the intent 81 the law
guarantee the right 81 suffrage to the negroes, not
to leave i to the discretion Of the State He then
proceeded;
| The political power thus appropriated BY Southern
1 Democrats by reason OF the negro population
amounts to thFty-fse representatives in Congress
II lie nsssed salidly and Offsets the great State Of
New York: or Pennsylvania and New Jersey togeth-
er; or the whole Of New England; or Ohio and In
diana united or the combined strength Of Illinois,
[ Minnesota. Kansas, California, Nevada Nebraska,
olcrsdc and Oregon. The seizure Of this 20 wer Is
wanton dsurpsicp1 i IS a5grant outrage II - Nle-
lent rerversion Of the whole theory Of Republican
government. II lnares solely to the present adVsn-
tAge, and yet believe, % the permanent dishonor Of
the democratic party Il = hy OF this tramp
nug down Of human rights, TINS ruthless seizure OF
unlSwful power hist the Democratic party hods the
popular branch Ct Congress to-day and ~lli IN loss
hsn ninety days nave contral Of ts BODY Also thus
grsspiug the entire legislative department 81 the
government through The unlawful capture 81 ths
southern 81 .tes. II me prescribed vote 81 TIE Seth
cast It's ssfH owners desire, the Democratic
I party could net gssH ROVER Nay. II Il we're mol
counted au she ether side against the Instincts and
the interests, against The principles and the preJu-
dicss Of its lawful owners, Democratic success would
be hopeless. Il Is rot enough then Tor the mooei1
the demand goes further aud insists THAI shall be
counted their side, and that al the Representatives
In Congress AMI al the Presidential electors ar
pointed hy Of the negro vote shan % 50 cast
and SO governed as 10 insure Democratic success
regardless Of justice, in defiance OF law.
Fsn4 whenever feeble protest il made against such
injustice az have described 10 The south, the re-
Spouse comes 70 II the form Of tau ~ hat are
you going t. 40 about Il 2 and "How 40 you pro
answer Of defiance which intrencheG wrong always
gives 70 nau ring Justice; and those who imagine il
to be conclusive do not know the temper Of the Amor
lcan people. For let me assure yoo thai aga4IsJ the
couHcsted outrage uIoa the right Of representation
Is civ triumphant in the South, there viii be arTsye0
many phases Of public opinion IN the North not often
hitherto in harmony, Men who have cared little.
and Affected less for the rights or wrongs Of
the negro suddenly find that vast monetary and COM
neris interests great questions Of revenue, adjust
Of tariff xsst invest ents ia manufactures, IN
railways and IA names are under the control CT
Democratic Congress whose majority was oDiamea
BY depreing the negro Of his rights under common
constitution and common laws. Men wac have eX-
pressed disgust with the waving OF bloody shirts and
have been offended with talk about negro equally
are beginning preceive That the pending Question
Of to-day relates more pressing to tic equality OF
white men under this government and tshi however
careless a. may be about the rights or the Wings
Of the negro they are very jealous and tenacious
about the rights Of their own race and the dignity
OF their hresides md their own kindred
I know somathing OF public opinion IA the North
know CREST deal aboa.f the views wishes, and pur-
poses Of the Republican party of the ration. Within
that entire great orgsnizason there Is not one man,
whose opinion is entitled be quoted, that does not
desire peace aud hsrTcay and friendship and pat
rioc and frateraa union between the North ana the
south. This wish is spontaneous instructive, rEl-
xerssl throughout the Northern States: and yet (
among men chaTac ana sense there - surely No
need q attempting 70 deceive ourselves as 70 the pre-
cise tfsth. f3Ttt pure then Teseeape 1nsh ~hi Z
not remove grievance, and 40 disguise OF Sgate 4
rights viii close tie eses OF our people to The
sit Of correcting great national wrong. Nor siioniG
the south make the faial mistake Of concluding that
injustice to the negro not also injustice to the white
nah; should Il ever ae forgotten thar tor tas +
Trsl4rs of both q remedy gdA sssuredly be found (
~he wsr with al its costly sacrifices was fought ia
Nsin unless e4a rights for all classes be established
n al the sistes Of the Union. ana now IN words /
which th5se q frienGslIils however ssfersfatts
they may be accepted tell the u tie South here
on this asoT and beyond this chamber that even I
they could strip the negro oi hie eonaatuuonai 4
rights they can necer permanently nAiBaain tbs In
equality Of the white n1en tn this nation; they csn 4
never make white mans vote in tlle South Gopbly 4
as powerful tn the administration u the government
as . white mans vote 10 the North.
In a memorable debate IL she Huase Of Commons
Mr. Maeaaliey reminded Daniel 0Gonnei when he 4
xas nnovne for repeal, that the English wings had
endured oa1uEy, abuse, popular fary, loss Of posi-
ton exclusion from parliament rather than the great
hetstoT should be less flan British subject; and
Mr. Macsuley warned hin that they would never sui
FER him to be more Let us remind You tsst the
government under whose protesting tag we SIT to-
DAY sacrificed Tnyr5szs % lives and expended thoa-
ssnds q millions of treasure that countrynaea Of
he south should remain citizens 81 The Ted States,
having equal rersouz rights ard equal ,olica Tr7yi
sgas with al other citizens. and venture, nov and
here, 70 vsrn the men Of the South, in the exact
words Of Mscaslss, thss We VII Hessr suffer them to
be more
There is. it mast be admltteo, a mani
fest tcndencs to make a family affair OF
the regular army. In San Francisco
paper an ex-sergeant, who has taken the
trouble 10 20 over the officers list, says
are there three Aggurs, three Ayers four
E,,.~l,sv,tss ss.,.. fsaasrrs 4k.pr F1a~e fhran /