New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1879-11-12

ideally wholesale nullQcaClOn Oh C0o
last three amendments of the Constitu-
ton, and notification of the provis-
ions of the Constitution and laws to
secure citizens the rights of freedom Of
speech and free press, and their per-
sonal, civil and political rights, especial
! ly of their right to vote. We say that the
South, with the tolerance of the North
| ern Democracy, is in open revolt and def
ance of the Constitution and laws of the
United States. The position of the
South is almost as dangerous to the
peace and integrity of the Union now
as it was in 1860. A controlling minor
| ity in some of the Southern States has
nullified all the Constitutional amend
ments which were the fruits of the war,
and has reduced the body Of the negroes
of the South to condition but little
better than that of slavery. In districts
where the negroes are in the majority
they are Overawed by an armed and Or
ganized minority. Several States have
put upon their statute books an ingen-
ious series OF laws which make it diff
cult for the negro race to advance sim
gle step toward civilization. In some
of the States they have devised an in
genious system of poll taxes, by which
ten days labor from poor negroes is re-
quired on the roads, while the property
Of the planters pay nothing whatever;
and in enforcing this law the whites are
practically not required to labor, but
only the blacks. The school system
which was started by the Republican
party, after reconstruction, is practical
1y abandoned, and in some of the South.
ern States the whole population is grow
ing up amid the most dangerous ignor-
ance. The school tax levied in Arkan-
sas is but 62} cents per capita; in North
Carolina, GO cents; in Alabama, $1.02;
in Georgia, $1.10; in Tennessee, $l.58;
in Virginia, sl.98, and in Ken.
lucky, 80. The State of Michigan,
which has about the same popula-
ton as North Carolina. pays three
fourths as much for the support of
schools as the whole South. Kansas,
with school population about the same
:.s Arkansas, pays twelve times as much
for the support of common schools.
Arkansas had last year 1,O15 less
schools than in 1872, when the Demo-
cratic party got supreme control in the
State. 1t would seem to be the policy
of that party to keep in ignorance the
great masses of their people, but in
spite of it some CSC, 900 colored youths
are receiving instruction, and over
5000 are in professional schools and
thousands are receiving collegiate in
struction. This is the most hopeful
sign of the times in the South, for
knowledge, j! inspired by the love of
liberty, will make itself felt in due
time. The laws relating 10 landlord
and tenant are more oppressive than
the laws of Ireland. The lanl-holders
generally refuse 10 sell landto the COL
ored people, and the annual rent ex-
tracted is in many cases one-fourth OF
the value of the land. The crops are
mortgaged in such a way that it is i'm
possible that the laborer can have any,
thing at the end of his years labor. He
is paid the lowest price in scrip, which
will buy lictle more, if any, than fifty
cents on the dollar of the money, and
the profit is shared between the bond
holder and the trader. -.
The right of freedom of speech has
been so abridged that no Republican
speech pointing out the errors and
wrongs of the law devised by the. rul-
ing class could be made in these South
ern States without danger of life and
liberty. The right of the people to
peaceably assemble and to discuss
grievances is overawed by the presence
Of ritie-c clubs, armed and equipped with
murderous intent. The press is muz-
zled, except in large cities, and the
mails in many cases tempered with,
as before the war, to destroy speeches
and documents which freely cireu
here in the North. The Constitutional
lined in many of the Southern States,
and the rebels of the South are now
riding rough-shod, not only over the
rights of the colored people, but over
the rights of white Republicans and in
dependent Democrats. This is shown by
the testimony taken by Congressional
committees, by the newspaper press.
and by the open avowals of the men
engaged in the crimes. The murder of
men, white and black, for political opin-
ions and ac' 8, has been numerous, and not
one has been punished or put in peril
for such crimes. The murder of Chisolm
and his family and of Dixon are only
prominent instances of such crimes.
The bloody story of many poor black
shot to death for exercising the politi-
cal rights conferred by the Constitution
of the United States is scarcely deemed
worthy passing record, but never of a
trial or punishment. This open de-
fiance of the laws of the United States
is not confined to political cases, but
extends to our revenue laws. The OH
GERS Of the Government are set at de-
fiance by whole communities; their
lives are in constant peril. The num-
Der of stills, persons arrested for illicit
distilling, and casualties to officers and
employees in the Southern States from
July l, 1876, to September l, 1879, is:
Number of stills seized 1851
| Number of persons arrested. .6462
9 Soers s snd e e%PPloyyes xoanaed
OF these, 1880 have pleaded guilty.
A majority Of the Southern States have
repudiated or are debating the repudi:
alton Of the debts in the States, and
have thus brought reproach on the Ma
tional honor. The most lawlcss ele-
ments of society overrun the conservar
tive classes and rule by the shotgun.
The tide of industrious emigration that
l would gladly flow into the South is de.
TERED or driven away. The slightest
manly protest or resistance to these
wrongs is punished by violence or ostra.
cism. Thus whole communities are or.
ganized into resistance to National au.
thority, and are slowly decaying in al
the elements which would tend to make
them prosperous and happy. And ye,
these Southern States, having become
by these means Solid South, solid
! party calling itself Democratic, now,
through q Democratic caucus, rules
both houses Of Congress. They take
from or cheat the negro Of the politica
power which was given him for his pro
!; lection, and this increases their polit
ical power, which they use TO prevent
the National Government from giving
him relief. By q party name, upoI
Al.