Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1879-01-03

The South Carolina Election Frauds.
The Southern Senators boldly denied the
existence of any political wrongs affecting
the -colored Republicans of their States ;
but such denials have wiped out no facts,
and it is easy to prove the facts from South
ern testimony. We find in the Springfield
RepnJlcGn letter from President Cooke, Of
Claflin University, Orangeburg, S. c., which
contains some significant testimony on the
subject. Mr.. Cooke was a Massachusetts,
man; but, as his position at the head of a
Southern college. shows, ne has become
thoroughly domiciled at the South, and no
comes forward now as the palliator of and
apologist for wrongs which he cannot deny.
We quote from his letter
Nearly or quite all the reports about bull.
doing and breaking up Republican meetings
before election were the creations and color
ings of these men Northern adyenturersl
whose trade it is to keep up sectional hate
| The wish was. in mCst cases, father to the
| thought. Holding both Democratic and Re-
same place was hazardous experiment, and
frequently led to little petty street quarrels,
which were sure to be magnifed and pub
lished as the breaking up of a Republican
meeting. Such was the affair at Sumter,
which made so large stir at the North.
When Gov. Hampton learned that both
parties were to hold meeting at Sumter
| at the same time, he sent two of his most
l 60 n l.. Al -
allow under any circumstances any inter
ference with the Republican meeting. Now
all this cry about bull-dozing and violence is
dropped, because the case will fail on that
charge.
But when We come to the charge of filling
the ballOt-boxes with Tissue ballots,'' some
body undoubtedly ought to plead guilty"
But before We pass sentence of the deepest
condemnation on the act, we ought in jus-
tice to consider the poverty and deep humil-
istiOn which the Southern people have
suffered and also take into account the
irritation which tbase have produced.
Negro rule has been a failure in all the
States, and. under the leadership of un-
principled aivsnturers from the North, it
has been worse than failure 1t has been
downright robbery, amounting to millions.
which the people are now taxed to pay.
The opposition of the Southern whites is
not to negro suffrage or negro cfhce holding,
or the rights of manhood with the consti-
tutional amendment secure; but the opposi-
tlon Is chiefly to turning again the Govern
ment OF the State ever to carpet-bag and bayo-
net rule. To prevent the recurrence of such an
event, frauds were, suppose, perpetrated at
the poll-, such, for instance, as the "a tissue
ballots COlored men are appointed to
office, and cOlOred men were elected by
Democrats to the Legislature, so that the
ballot-bOx stufhng seems to have been done,
not against the negro citizen, bus against
carpet-bag bayonet rule.
The South committed great crime
against humanity by sustaining SO long the
institution of human slavery, and greater
crime when she undertook to break up the
government to perpetuate that Institution. |
But she has not already expiated those sins,
by her long years of suffering? What |
rights does South Carolina withhold |
from the colOred man not denied By the |
Northern States? True, the ignorant masses |
are not her lawmakers, nor do they hold the |
superior offices. But what Northern State |
allows the masses Of ignorant foreigners to |
preside in her courts of Justice fill her halls |
oi legislation or to sit in the chief seats of |
power People can make themselves dis
agreeable and hated anywhere but those
who cone here Tor professional or business
purposes will be well received and kindly |
treated those who think God has called
them to be modern Joshuas will be roughly
handled Z. Cooks.
President Cooke does not deny the whole
sale stuihug Of the ballot-boxes with the
tissue pape; ballots, which made the late
elections all over South Carolina an absolute
mcckery. lie excuses it on the score that
the whites did not want return Of carpet
bag rule. His position appears to be that
he colored voter should not be the victim OF
fraud, unless his late master has some politi-
cal point which he particularly desires to
carry.
So We learn from this letter that Northern
men who % to South Carolina will be well
received, Hr'.SS they consider it their duty
to be modern Joshuas' which We take to
mean that no Northern man must comethere
and try to make himself leader to the 0p-
pressed race. II hc does he will be '.roug ghly
handled. This is not the condition Of
Affairs which the North fought to es-
tablish in South Carolina. The Republi-
cans OF the North ask the South
.Irolna Democrats to grant to the
'olored voter no rights which are denied
% him at the North The Northern States
ieny to no voter the right to cast one free
'allot, and 10 have it fairly counted. In
'Auth Carolina the voter can have that right. !
provided he will vote the Democratic ticket.
The Northern States permit any South Caro-
lniau To come here and DO modern
Joshua, to any extent that ne desires, pro {
ilcd he violates NJ law. Northern men
X no more of the SoutheIners than they
rc ready to grant and Northern enterprise ,
nd capital will avoid any State where free 8
hOught, free speech and free political action
ndcr and within the law, are denied to :
lasseS or to individuals. Doubtless the
a great evil. But the remedy for ignor- I
nee il not fraud" or ballot box stutliug. J
t is education. And If the President Of a
'lailin University had been able to add. in /
is letter, that the South Carolina whites 7
ere doing their utmost to fit the cOlored !
len for the honest and intelligent exercise $
( the voters franchise, the case there would b
G far less discouraging b