Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1878-08-01
Alabama Republicans.

T1e address of the Republican convention
of Alabama is bold and truthful a-rsign
ment of the Democratic party of that State
Tt charges it with perfidy to its pledges, with
increasing taxation, destroy ing the free schoo
system, and with en- arbitrary disfranchise
ment of large body of the voters. Instead
of CO operating with the President in his ef
forts to remove all supposed causes of i
tation, citizens e denied the exercises and
enjoyments of their rights sud privileges, and
the Democratic party still maintains the ter
rible race issued by the claim that this is 8
white mans government, established and
maintained exclusively fer his benefit. The
convention positively believes that if every
qualified elector n the State, who SO desired,
were to vote on election day, and the ballots
were honestly counted, the Republican candi.
dates for State officers would be elected. II
holds that the Republicans are as numerors
to-day as they were in 1874, when they cast
81, 900 ballots, and more than one-half of the
honest vote of the State.
Notwithstanding this fact, it would be use
less to attempt to poll the Republican votes
The ballot boxes would be stuffed, false re-
turns invented, and majorities be converted
into minorities through the process of count
ing out. Apart from these practices, the col.
ored Republicans are 'rtually disfranchised
by election laws that restrict their rights, in
terfere with the free exercise of the right OF
ouffro,o ond tclerota choot;n1 of oJaot;ono
1t is mockery of terms to call the govern
ment of such State republican. 1t is man
aged by one class of citizens for their exclu.
sive benefit. Colored citizens pay taxes, but
they do lot enjoy the privileges that accom-
pany citizenship. They ere remanded back
to state of serfdom. In some degree the
DISTINGUISHING legislation directed against the
colored citizens, affects the poor whites a'so.
A large mass of citizens aggrieved at the de-
graded situation to which they are reduced
are ready to join any party that will restore
to them their derogated rights Hence, the
independent movement which is develop
Ing itself al over the South. expects to draw
sufficient strength TO secr-e its success. The
Alabama Republicans retire from the field
under the parry flag. They ste I'd ready,
however, to II ow their influences in ny di-
rection where t may lead to change of men
q Id measr es, d to a more just system of
government.
How fs- the Republics of Alabama have
been encouraged to ma Mt: n the'r organization
by proper suppOrt from the uatioral admins
tration, we pc not Informed. 1t is evident
that there is no need of appointing Democrats
to post offiLes d other Ii Cpl offices, while
there are nee 'ly 10000 I've Republicans in
the State. u North Ca olina complsInt is
made of the discor agement produced in Re
publican rsnks by the preference of Demo-
cratic rebe's to Republic loya':sts The
President has done enough to conc late the
Democrats in the South and to restore peace
in that section. Hencetorwa-d it should be
his poicy to lend a helping hand to the pro-
scribed Republicans of tine South, that they
may mants n the'r orgs lization for the P as-
idential contest, and CO operate with the Re
publicans elsewhere. The very " longs which
despotic Democratic majority is inflicting
on the Southern Republicans, have tendency
to ruite them, to vitalize their strength, and
to render them formidable il emergencies
when they may hold the balance of power.
the oppressed never fail iu the end to punish
their oppressors, a I'D to vino cate their gr;ev
auces.-[ Pt ''adelpbia Press.