The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-02-25
THE NEGRO our OF PoLlrIcs.
4 Native s Geo ss.,. Explanation

A Native GeorgIan's Explanation OF
the WherefOrea.
Edward KipSs Letter 10 BIston Journal.
/ remarked that the negro seemed
to have been annulled as force in Geor-
gia politics.
eyes; there are but two negroes in the
Georgia Legislature at present. The
blacks are rather better OFF than they were
ton years ago. They are allowed more
liberties in many ways; are left to them
selves for great portion Of the time; that
is, they are not intertered with. There is
no particular feeling on the part Of the
whites against them, as they are practi-
cally suppressed as force in politics"
"Then the majority OF them do not vote
when important elections occur?"
There isa poll tax Of 81 in Georgia.
There was one under the constitution Of
1868 and there is one in the new constitu.
ton. The negroes who don't pay are Of
course ruled out and don't succeed in yot-
ing. This the manner Of procedure: Ia
Georgia the persons known as the receiv-
ers OF tax returns first 90 around. In each
district notices are sent to the people to
appear at the customary meeting places ut
the crossroads, ETC., and to state the
property value on which the estimates for
taxation are 10 be made. AS the common
wealth Is very large and thinly settled,
and the distances are enormous, this goes
on for several months, generally ending
in the spring. The estimates from
this rather rude manner OF getting
q basis are made up, and notices
arc published in the newspapers by
the receiver Of tax returns that the
estimates thus secured are to be sent to
the Comptroller General Of the State. This
is done, and in due course OF time the tax
collector gives notice that he and his depu-
ties will go around over the same ground,
and to the cross roads visited by the re-
ceiyer OF returns, and will collect the
moneys due. Sometimes these notices all
reach the parties for whom they are in
tended, and sometimes they do not. When
the long task OF collecting the money is
finished the money Is sent to the Treasury
and list of unpaid taxes is returned certf.
fed to the Comptroller, who issues tax
executions and turns them over to the
Sheriff. Now ithappens that the elections
usually occur about the time OF the closing
OF the tax collectors books. Tkere Is lit.
tie or no chance TO pay taxes on
election day. When a tax collector Is
favorable TO those whose friends want votes
he can easily do them very good turn.
The system Is extremely loose and you can
readily sec that the careless man, who
would in many cases hardly pay his poll
tax II he were urged to do SO, is not very
earnestly pressed to remember his duty 10
the State. When election day comes It Is
found that large numbers Of both whites
and blacks are delinquent in the matter Of
paying taxes. As the negroes have in
most cases little or no property the only
tax which they would be called on to pay
is the poll tax, and the default on this rem
ders It impossible for them to vote"
nYou say there are large numbers OF
whites whose poll taxes as well as other
taxes are also unpaid" ..r
eyes, but common sediment In the
state makes it dishonorable to challenge a
white voter because Of unpaid taxes. 1t
Is looked upon as contemplate, and it
would go hard with the man or set OF men
who should insist upon doing II. The
negroes are otcoure mercilessly challenged.
When votnrs ore very much needed ne.
groes and whites are both bought IN in
large humble s."
"To what, in your opinion, Ii the sup
preston oil the negro vote mainly due7"
"Itis due to several causes, but the first
and most important one Is the inherent
weakness oil the negro himself. There Is
q fatal lack OF spine IN him as regards poli,
tics. The negroes can be got together in
clubs where the Democrats cannot get at
them, and there they can be trained into
some kind Of organized political effort.
Whenever they prepare 10 vote at all, that
is, 10 make their vote tell, they work In
clubs. One Of the great difficulties in
managing them is that they have to be
kept highly excited, or they relapse into
complete Indifference"
The same thing Is TO be noted in their
religion. The preacher, who does not
preach to their emotions, gets no results
at all.
"Unhappily the negro's judgment Is not
sufficient to keep him within strict bounds,
Prudent men are, therefore, slow to nm.
dertake campaigning among tho negroes.
An honest and faithful worker who un.
dertakes this difficult task, who endeayOrs
to make the negroes exercise their rights
and assume their places as ircemen and
independent citizens, finds all the white
Democrats conspiring against him. They
will involve him inrlots, even when he &
doing his best to prevent them. They will
undermine his reputation, The white man
who has good deal at stake In his State
cannot undertake q matter in which there
is so much risk. The rash men WIG
undertake it make themselves and the
RECOMMENDATIONS, And SO there scemIaC
hope OF Improvement OF the present situa
ton. When the whites disagree, tht
negro - pulled this way and that way, anl
he Is learning to consider himself a.
, mercantile article, and to give himself L
the highest bidder only"
Here and there In Georgia there are In
dlcatlons that the colored people are no
; so entirely careless and culpably indifler
) ent TO the rights Of citizenship as m,
! friend has depicted them, Buthis state