Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1881-03-10
Garfield and Equal Suffrage.

trage is still in question, and a frank
statement of the issue may aid solution.
IL is alleged that in many communities
negro citizens are practically denied the
freedom of the ballot.
Bad local government is certainly "A
great evil which ought to be prevented.
but TO violate the freedom and sauCtity
Of the suffrage is more than an evil it is
n crime, which if persisted in will destroy
the government itself Gdrfchfs In.
augITdi.
That negroes are anywhere in the
land prevented from the free exercise
of the ballot we do not believe The
statement of the outgoing and the in.
coming President that they are inter.
fered with does not make it 50. The
statements of both these men, and they
were both foisted upon the people by
fraud, assume without reason that the
negroes of the South are not permitted
to use freely their right Of suffrage.
The only instance We have of inter
ference with the free exercise of suf.
frage is where this James \. Garfield
himself, consorting and conspiring with
plundering carpet bagger., returning
board thieves and ignorant negroes,
male and female, dsfranchised ten
thousand men in Louisiana, and thus
thwarted the will of eight millions
of frecmen, emphatically expressed
through the ballot. If then, n Mr..
Garfield says in the same paragraph,
in other lands it be high treason to
compass the life of the King, it should
be no less a crime here to stranglc our
sovereign power aud -tihe It's voice"
he should have been tried, convicted
and hung for high treason in 1877
for he strangled our sovereign power,
and not only stiaed but entirely
drowned its voice. 1t Is rough on
the nation that our present and last
chief magistrate can not speak OF the
violation of law, or refer to the pun
ishment Of crime, without passing sen.
tence upon themselves.
1t il also assumed that the free ex.
ercise of suffrage is alone interiered
with in the South. What of the North
What rights were violated to make
Garfield President; Wherein was the
freedom and sanctity Of the ballot
and the power Of the popular voice
stitledg Let us for a moment inquire.
! Through violence alone to the ballot
Indiana, conceded Democratic State,
was carried by the Republicans. For
the implements used let the records
answer. Scott Ray, Esq, being sworn
says, on Sunday evening, Jan'y %,
1880, in Shelbyville city, had n con.
versation with Henry :. Byers. in
which he said There is no disguis-
ing tho fact, Ray, the exodus move
ment of colored men 20 Indiana is a
political movement of the Republi-
can party, as ! know it to be fact
We intend to carry Indiana with the
aid of the negro vote We intend to
bring eight thousand of them into
the State in time for to vote this fall,
and place them in the close congress.
ional districts and into the close coun-
ties of Indiana. That he was in a
position to know that it was an or
ganized effort on the part of the Re
publican managers to bring negroes
into the State for political purposes,
and he had contributed all the money
he was able to give to bring negroes
into Indiana. J." Mr.. Byers is a lead
ing Republican Of Shelby county
Again, Thomas p. Mills, an eminent
Republican of Indianapolis, engaged
in the real estate and railroad busi-
ness
Question. You have been 10 favor of
emigrationi Ans. Yes, sir, very much
in favor of IL, told the boys when
they first came that We wanted 10000
| th,tnk .hurk utooara In Iudtnna thts
year.
q. You mean 10 say you wanted
10000 men7 a. Yes. sir we had no
special use for women and children.
@. You had no idea of labor con
nected with this matterf n. No, sir,
had no idea OF labor, was looking for
votes.
q. You wanted the 10000 bucks to
voter A. wanted them to vote, Of
course.