The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1878-04-24

an ~OAOs
Statute Books; and, on principle, the I'M
,ettered black had as good right to the
ballot as the unlettered white, and would
make no worse use Of it. In fact, he is
by nature much less given to violence
than the white Is, and more easily IN
trolled. The right of suffrage was, there
fore, conferred upon him.
Now, what temporarily followed in the
cotton States? Just precisely what every
student Of history knew would follow the
putting political power into unskilled
hands, whether white, or colored. The
finances of these States were swamped;
their industries for the time being de-
ranged; public improvements stopped;
public education neglected on the plea OF
poverty; and their elections a farce or q
tragedy.
The three thousand unpublished politi-
Dor Of Congress to have been committed
there since civil government was restored
to them, and the political slaughters at
New Orleans, Coushatta, and Colfax, and
the Chisholm massacre in Kemper Co.,
Miss, show that the tragedy is quite as
frequent as the farce, though the actors in
tho former are whites, while in the latter
they are more likely to be colored.
Some people think these States have
done badly; a more just opinion is, they
have done better, on the whole, than we
had a right to expect. A complete social,
industrial, and political transformation
cannot be wrought in q people in o day ;
it takes an age, at least.
The result would have boon similar,
though more bloody, had the tifty-one
and one quarter per cent. Of illiterate
voters been all white instead Of largely
colored.
In 1903 france established the Republic
and universal suffrage. But the majority
Of the voters, as in the Southern States,
were illiterate: and the Republic, after
shedding rivers Of BLOOD. became in
repeated the experiment in 1913; but
more than half the citizens then, though
white, could not read the ballots they put
into the electoral urLs; and after four
years of experiment they chose, in 1852, q
military despot by an enormous ma
jority.
Spain has just gone through a similar
farcical and tragical experience. Her I'M
lettcrcd white rabble in. q few months
gladly exchanged the republic Of Cas-
tcllar for the despotism of a Bourbon.
The Spanish Colonies in America fifty
years axe founded half a score of repub-
lies, al based upon ignorant. suffrage:
they have enjoyed neither domestic peace
nor prosperity since. Their normal con-
ditton is revolutions; and will continue TO
be revolution until either the ballot il re-
stricted to the Intelligent, or strong mill
tary governments, fitted for ignorant
peoples, supplant the republics.
France, Spain, the Spanish American
Republics-in fact, all countries where n
large percentage of the adults are igno-
~rant-must, in order to be peaceful and
prosperous, have a strong governments.
There must be a power guided by intel
ligence, outside of and above the. igno-
rant mass; as long rs this mass remains
ignorant, capable of ruling and direct
ing it.
Free government and ignorant suffrage
cannot long endure together. One or the
other must go under. Like a ship ut sea
without master or navigator, free goreIn-
Ineut in such connection founders in the
first storm.
Tho late Emperor Napoleon, while
President Of France, published a Look
called "Napoleonic Ideas" The gist of it
is, that democracy, with universal, suf-
frage, necessarily ard logically, to secure
public order and prosperity, eliminates
in choosing an emperor or despot for life.
From the stand point of ignorant suf-
frage, like France in 1902 and in 1852, he
was right. The Southern States are to-
day in a state of mind leading to a SINH
lar act of political suicide ii they find no
other way of escaping the dangers and
disasters Of ignorant suffrage; hence the
intimidation and practical disfranchise-
ment of the freedmen.
Intelligent and conservative England
ovfan1S fhn hoflnt lint n~ynrlu ol,npftpn
with it. A distinguished liberal, the
Hon. w. L. Forster, said, in Parliament,
to the radical wing of his party, you de-
mand universal suffrage; I demand uni
versal education to 20 with it,"
In republican Sparta, Lycurgus, two
thousand seven hundred and fifty years
ago. compelled the education of every
citizen. In democratic Athens, Scion,
two thousand four hundred and and fifty
years ago, made the education Of all citi-
obligatory. In the so-called Holy
Roman Empire in the eighth century
C~harlemagne required the children CT all
participating in the government to attend
so that political power might be in
hands. 49,,
In the simplest form Of government,
despotism; the officers before
commands undergo careful
training and discipline, and are even then
selected by an authority. still more intel
In China the educated alone carry on
government, Confucius and Mencius
that system, and it seems to have
been practiced long before their time.
As a consequence, the Chinese have en-
dured longer as al independent nation,
govern a large population, and sustain
human beings to the square mile,
than any other people on the globe. The
Intelligence OF q country must and will
rule it, even If it requires q radical
of government to bring this
It is q law Of mans nature.
Disaster follows the violation Of this
law. ...r.. .; ,.. |
In the face Of these examples, could we
the South, with universal suf-
fifty-one per cent. Of which could
not read, to be Al exception to this here
fore universal rule, especially when
situation was not INT Of their own
choosing?
The illiterates, white and colored, in
The Southern States, as in every other
are not, as q body, OF then-
selves and uncontrolled, capable of steady
industry and economy. They exc out q
III subsistence, but add little or nothing 10
he permanent wealth aud prosperity Of
heir States. Their wants are few, and are
and easily supplied they are not
proYident and calculating, and are not
urged on to wealth and higher civiliza-
ion by the spurs of ambition.
Give them education, and their wants
multiply as their ideas expand. They at
once begin to take thought for the NOR
row, and are stimulated to labor and to
save. Their stolid faces, their rude huts,
heir tattered garments, their lazy mo-
sn. They take better cereof their health,
work to more advantage, demand better
;oOls, and cultivate the soil and labor in
he mechanics shop with more success.
laborers, with such an educa-
ion as the free common school gives, are
ound by actual experiment to be worth
the State, as mere producing machines,
IN all average fifty per cent. more than if
lliterate. In other words, the 5000, 900
If illiterates in the South, would If they
lad a common school education, accom-
On the average fifty per cent. more
If productive work per year than they
low do. This would be equivalent, ~ a
creating power, to adding a mil
ion and a'half to the industrial popula-
ion of the cotton States, and nothing TO
The cost Of supporting them.
Allowing a hundred dollars as the years
Of a laborer, 1t would add
$3.50, 900, 900 to the annual product of
.hese States.
Some of these States are now repudia-
their State debts from alleged inabil-
ity to pay them. Their whole amount is
only some $3.50, OO0, 900. We're their, Ia
not %illiterate, these very laborers
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