Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1880-09-24
Senator conkliag On Southern Elections.

One glance at Southern elections proves
ostracisu, tyranny and wrong in monstrous
proportions. In 1868, eight Southern States
gave majorities for Grant. In 1872 seven
States did the same thing. Their Republi-
can vote was very large. Only four years
aftcrward 260, 900 OF these votes disappeared
from the count. In the nine other Southern
States, in the same four years, 300, 900 Re
publican votes disappeared from the returns
also, making an absence of 100000 votes.
Most of these stiiled votes were the votes of
men who had been slaves-freedmen, only
Just crowned with the crown of American
citizenship, and proud and eager-morc
proud and eager than the most of us-to ex-
crcise the right to vote Does any sane man
doubt that they would have voted if they
could, or that those who dared and could,
did vote, and that their votes were not hon
estly counted! If any man does doubt it.
let him look at the spectacle presented in
individual States.
wIrING OFT THE REPUBLICAN VOTE IN TIE
SOUTH.
The voters of Georgia were registered be-
fore the election in 1866. The white voters
numbered 90, 1903, the colored %, ass.
In 1876 the whole Republican vote count
ed was 50, 146. Only two years later the
whole Republican vote counted was 5, 257.
Pretences have been made that the freed
men of Georgia do not care to vote, and
often vote the Democratic ticket. Only read
the savage laws of Georgia under the fiction of
vagrancy and prison management, and then
learn of their sickcning, beastly administra-
ton, and human nature will tell you that the
freedmen of Georgia do not support the
Democratic party, but would cast !. os.t if
hey could.
In 1876 the Republican vote Of Louisi-
ana was 17,174 Two years afterward
the Republican vote disappeared from
the election returns. Yet in 1867 in
the same State the registry of voters
showed A., 1893 white voters, and 81, 43l col
ored voters and in 1876 the registration
showed Republican majority of ~, 3l4. In
North Carolina, In 1876, the Republican vote
cast was los, Az At the next Congressional
election Republican votes scarcely appeared
in the count. In Alabama, in 1872. the Re-
publicans cast 90,212 votes. They elected
five of the seven Representatives to Congress
and the Legislature by 4 large majority. In
1876, 60, 230 Republican votes were counted.
Two years later, when a Governor and men,
bers TO Congress were elected, not one Re
publican vote was counted. In South Caro-
lima the registration showed that the colored
voters outnumbered the whites by 81, 124
In 1872 Grant received ~, StO-49, 5S1 ma
iority. Every Congressional district elected
a Republican The Legislature was Republi-
can by % majority. In 1876 the Republican
vote cast was 9l.S70. Only two years after
ward, when Governor and Congressman
were elected, all the Republican votes count
ed in the State were 2l3.
rrIr rPr-rTS oE rnprr AND FpATD
This was a very carnival of fraud, cruelty
and deviltry. Voting places in Republican
regions had been established twenty five
miles apart and the Republicans of South
Carolina do not ride by night or by day
they 20 on foot. They are poor and ignor-
ant, but they know what emancipation
means, they know what the ballot-boX
means, they know which side they prayed
and fought for in the war, they know which
side they would vote for in peace.
Force and tissue ballots took care of the
election of 1878 in South Carolina. 1t was
testified before committee of the Senate
that one man put about seven hundred votes
into the ballot-box This makes politics one
Of the exact Sciences" much more certain
than the dice or lots with which offices and
nominations were rallied off here the other
day. In Mississippi more than half the pop
ulation is colorcd. Every year until 1874
the Republicans had Il majority in all cleo
tons In 1876 the Republican vote return
ed was o., 605. In the next year 1t was but
|, l6S and the next year after :, OSj. In all
these States the Republican vote, and even
the Republican committees and newspapers,
have been utterly suppressed.
Alabama has Just held an election. The
Grccnback candidate for President went
there and realized the embarrassment
of the hull who buttcd against the locomo-
tive The whole proceeding was shame
full wrong, and Mr.. Weaver says that the
enforcement of the National election laws Is
the only thing which will make a fair cleo
ton possible. Arkansas has just voted
Arkansas where, until recently, Republicans
always elected members of Congress and the
Legislature. where ut the last Presidential
election 80, 6G9 Republican votes were cast,
and where now in no part OF the State docs
the Republican vote appear. liquidation
and Democracy prevail nightly, Mr., Conk
Inns Ne,s York Speech.