Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1880-09-24
WHY THE NEGROES VOTE THE DEMO
CRATIC TICKET.
His Educational Advantages, Though Re
publicans Stcle Hrs School Moneys
$685. COlOred Voters
Who own Real
Estate

toT tdkc piciStlIC Ill complying WIFI
your request to furnish for publicatiO
certain facts which referred to in an in
terview with your reporter relative to the
present condition Of the cOlOred man in
Georgia under Democratic rule. As long
as the institution Of African slavery existed
in the South public policy dictated that
the slave should not become the owner of
property and that he should not enjoy the
full advantages of education. This policy
grew out Of the necessity of our situation,
not out of any hostility to the cOlOred pcO-
pie rs 4 race. find many intelligent peO-
pie at the North who believe that this
policy still continues. But there never
was a greater mistake. With the abolition
of slavery the reasons for the policy ceased
and the reason ccasing, the policy
ceased with it. When the negro became
4 voter it at once became our interest that
he should become an intelligent voter, and
in devising system of public education
equal facilities were offered to both races.
(See act of the Legislature Of Georgia, ap-
proved August %, 1922 Our people
were i'll an impoverished condition. Ac-
cOrding to the estimate of the school COM
missioner Of Georgia the wealth Of the
South in 1870 was only thrce-fifths Of what
it was in 1860, and nearly one third of our
population consisted Of recently manumit-
ted slaves, owning no taxable property. In
Georgia the proportion was greater. Yet
in the face of these obstacles VIC have ac-
complished great results in the education
of the colored people. In 1873 there
were enrolled in our public schools, colored
80, 25S in 1876, 57,S97; and in 1877, G2,
k,1, ,<,1
commissioners report Of 1878. ! think
this is the last report published. The next
report will appear in the fall of this year.
But TO intelligent reader can fail to notice
the rapid and steady increase in the num-
resources it must be admitted that the re-
suits arc surprising and could only be ac-
complished by people willing and anx-
ious that the colorcd race among them
should receive all the advantages and i'm
provements which can be derived from cd
ncation. Since the Democrats have been
in power the funds appropriated to school
purposes have been sacredly applied to
these objects. But such was not the his
tory of the Republican Legislature elected
under the reconstruction acts. In 1870
they took frem the treasury and applied to
general purposes s242, ,O27. .G2 which belong
ed to the school fund. (See Governor
Smiths message, 1922 In Georgia We
have cOlored university, located at At
lanta, which receives from the state the
same amount annually which is apprOpri-
atcd to the white university. leave this
part Of the subject without further COM
ment, and now invite your attention to the
question Of property.
No ono iS allowed tO vote in (seOrUia who
has not reached the prescribed age and
paid his taxes. BY the cOmptrOller-gcn-
erals report of 1870 We had IS, 522 colOrcd
polls, and according returns made by them
selves under oath to the tax receivers of
their respective counties they owned 541,-
100 acres of land. This is an average Of
more than 6 1-1O acres to each cOlOred poll
in the state. When you examine the comp
trOller's report for 4 series of years you
again discover a steady and rapid i'll
crease in the acquisition of land. In 1874
the colored population in Georgia returned
to taxation 1893, 100 acres :; in 1875, $780,
65S in 1876, 457, G35 in 1877. 45S, 900; in
1878, 5O1, 500, and in 1879, 541, 100.
These figures abundantly prove that
under Democratic rule in Georgia.
the Southern state giving the largest
Democratic maiorities-th colOred race
is rapidly advancing both in the acquisi-
ton Of knowledge and wealth. 1t has been
the policy of our people to foster the spirit
of industry of which this increase in the
acquisition of land is SO striking mani
festatiOn. In antc-bellum days the large
planter usually carried his cotton for sale
to the larger cities. But at the close of
the war the large plantations were greatly
reduced in value and the number of small
farmers increased. Their product was
usually disposed of in the country towns,
which now began to grow in wealth and
importance. The village merchant soon
began to purchase tor the more
negroes small tracts of
land and then to stock them. The mer-
chant retained the title in himself as secu-
rity until the negro had paid the debt when
the merchant transferred the title to him.
The negro thus became the owner Of
small farm, and the merchant acquired, in
addition to the interest on his advance, a
good and reliable customer for the future.
Examples of this kind can be found all
over Georgia. l know of one village mer-
chant in single county who has in this
way enabled negroes to purchase in that
county nearly, if not quite, 10, 900 acres Of
and. The causes which have brought |
sbout these results in Georgia, have
operated elsewhere throughout the South,
md doubtless with the same consequence.
Of course there were disorders attendant
1pon SO radical a revolution as the trans
of our former slaves into impor-