Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1880-10-02
Tie GOIOred Voters South.

tho Advance, weekly paper published 10 this
city, and devoted to tho moral. material. and
political advancement Of the colored race Of the
country. It occurred to me that it would be
&. nnd proper for me to address sou this letter,
IN order that ,lu may be fully prepared to dis
abuse The minds Of tie people Of the North
o9ucelu;De tho true condition Of STAIRS here 10
Aabaus. The republican psrliss press is row
teeuiog With sbuSs against The people OF the
Sou!h-alIegirg that colored men are build I'd.
their Votes not fairly counted and their rights
and privileges openly deoi.d. Such. sir, IS not
the fac. Colored men are disguised With repub.
losbisn Tor the following good aud substantial
reasons, and hebce gre voting With the demo-
cratic pirt5:
|. When !he right 10 vote aas frs. conferred
upon eoored men. they we're necessarily igoo-
rapt and easily duptd aud imposed upon by
that horde of Office seekers who came. So7th
Immediately after the war. They were told that
to vote for democrats was to dig the graVo OF
thst freedom wtioh had just been given them;
that their right Of suffrage, the right to sit on
juries. the right ct FREQ thought aud free
speech, The tight to make contracts for them
selves AMI work for whom ADD upon such terms
as they saw proper. would be taken away, aud
they would Immediately be put back into that
slavery from which they had just escaped.
whenever the Wb!o men Of tho South regained
the power. % tho other hand these adven-
turers promised to protect all these rights which
seemed so dear to the negro, and further even
alleged that their coutiuued adherence to re-
publicapism would be rewarded by dividing
enorg them the lands OF their former masters.
The negro gradually gained knowledge, became
more enlightened, and began to thick for him
se'i. Year sfter year passed and he was firm
and faithful. bat bis fidelity was uurewardsd.
The land was not divided; the adventures filled
all tho ofic.S save possibly few seats in the
General Assembly. and the colored man had re
c.ived nothing. One by ono they saw all the
fair promises Of thsB men come to nothing
aoa remain unfulilled. They became disgust
cd and lett the party.
9 The colorsd people were induced by these
same men to deposit their bard earned savings
10 the Freedmans Savings 4 Trust Company.
This they did until millions of dollars. the fruit
CT negro toll and Eegro industry. were accuuu.
la!ed 10 that restitution. Tho money is gone,
the bark is ruined. and the colored people era
left to wonder what has become of their money.
.. The coorei IL 30 saw the white men who
controlled their votes and filled the Offices grow
wealthy, and one BY one return to their North
err homes. They demanded representation 10
the Offices, aCd were answered with fair prom.
ises or the seading of oIe CT two of their num
bcr to The State Legislature. In community
where they po!led 1000 votes there would be
ose negro holding the meanest Office in the
county. The white republicans beclme sick,
ard then either LETT the State or quit politics
sud deserted their friends. This demon slrated
clearly enough that the negro was courted solely
:or Bis vote, GId cot from sry interest 10 bis
WelIsr'.
4. In 1874 the democrats came into power.
The utgro was frightened out CT bis boots. AID
expected every hight that be had to ba taken
from him. For six years the government has
toeu in democratic hands, and tho negro still
osss bis vote uumolested be still sits in the
jury box; be still! exercises every political right
that he ever had. and without interference or
hiDdranc,; his children have good eohools to
atlood. tree; be still makes bis contracts, and
i, MASTER Of himsslf
5. Under republican rulo the negro SAW the
State ord county overwhelmed with debts, hon,
es:l7 aud dishores ly contracted; taxes so high
81 to impoverish the country, dishonesty and
corruption ia high places. warrants upon the
treasury OF the State cDd county selling Tor
ono halt their faoa value, jury certificates worth
absolutely nothing. and all things 10 most
miserable condition. Sinos democrats have
been in power the public debts have been
greatly reduced. The taxes steadily decreasing
dollar for dollar, prosperity 10 every branch of
business. aud bones'y and fidelity in the e1.cu.
ton Of public trust.
nd ram hloap rnla uost anma n
rua!ly appropriated for the public schools, but
the schools were only opened for two or three
months 10 tho year. aud then presided over by
tercheIs utterly Incapable of importing instruc'
ton. Under democratic admins ration they
have seen The taxation for this purpose reduced,
but schools for oclored, as Well as white chill.
dreu ere open during six or eight months 10 the
year, aud competent teachers are employed,
under whom the sons aud daughters of oolored
moo are rsoeiViog an education.
T. l1ader the republican rulo the colored
men saw crime UNPUBLISHED and rampant ell
ever tho Sta!e-murder, larceny. rlots-all
crimes were every day occurrences 10 our midst.
Now they see crime, when committed, detected
aud punished, striegent laws made for the pro
tec:ion of the life ADD property of all men alike,
prompt redress Of all grievances by the courts,
and the criminal busioess OF our courts reduced
and Grim diminished so per cent.
s. Formerly the oolored men saw tho rscss
srraYed against eeoh other, bitter race prtiu.
dic,s existing-nothipg hu. antagonism and
strife Now all our people live peaceably and
quietly together. There is no strife, no conten.
ton. DO bitterness. apd all men are happy, pros
perous and cantented
g. Co!ored men, after calmly AID quietly re-
Vieacg the events of the last ten years. have
very naturally asked themselves. what have
We gained by our blind adhesion to the repub.
an party? We have held none Of the offices,
bat, on the contrary. men have induced us 10
place them IN power. and have grown rloh and
left Us to our fate; VIC have received nothing at
their hands; We are dependent on the white
men of our State for our bread, for our sub. |
sstepca, for the schooling of our children, for
all that We have; We 70 to them 10 trouble and
distress, and are always treated kindly; they are
all in all to us, ADD why should We oppose them
io pcl:ics? they have taken from W not one
of our lights We bava besn more prosperous |
u1der their rule than ever before. We are |
better projected now under the law than here !
totore, sid why should we hate them-Rork |
al main aoojnrt m: m and their intaresfa p ]