The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1882-06-27
sareguards Admitted &c be
Necessary.

extraordinary ignorance, considering the
pretensions he makesJ declares the Dem
ocratic party in 1876 "pledged " itself
"to give the State" is change in the
mode and manner of electing County OFF,
GERS. Now there is not Democrat in
the entire black belt," certainly not in
Middle Florida, who is opposed, we ven-
ture to say, to such change, provided
the change be hedged around By such judi
ciOus safeguards as will give assurance
that no detriment will be thereby inflicted
on the. body polite, or, if you please, the
black belt" Naturally enough, the
tax-paying and property-holding people
of the nine or ten counties composing
this belt feel a sense of security from the
present mode of appointing the officers
who are to administer their local govern
ments that they would not and could not
be expected to feel if these officers are to
be chosen by universal suffrage; and it
is the fear that no safeguards will be pro-
vided against the evils they dread, that
produces the opposition SO decidedly man
ifested.
1t is an old saying that ga burnt child
breads the fire." For years section con-
tanning at the present time within frac-
ton of one-half of the people and nearly
One-half of the taxable property of the
State was dominated over by officials who
made merchandise of every interest
Debt and taxation, crime and immunity
from punishment, insecurity to life and
property, were the natural results of such
rule. Property had no value, and immi-
grants turned to other fields, fearing to
trust themselves and their families in
region slumbering over volcano of igno-
rance, prejudice, passion and greed
When it is said that there were times
when the white people in some, if not all
of these counties, felt that they were on
the eve of blood-shed, rapine and murder,
We say what is only the unpleasant, literal
truth; and while we are glad to be able
to say that this reign of terror" has
passed away and that hopeful prospects
are beginning to spread their rainbow
hues all over the black belt, the people
therein do not look with favor upon any
change that might by possibility plunge
them again into the sea of doubt and
uncertainty from which they have so re-
Gently emerged. Without proper safe
guards, negro domination would as GER
certainly ensue from radical, sweeping
change in the manner of selecting county
officers as that INSTRUMENTATION of law,
confusion in finances, waoto and oxtrava-
gance, debt and taxation, would follow
from such domination and this no intel
ligent person will for moment doubt.
This feeling of apprehension demands
and should receive due consideration. 1t
was too often the case in the old days for
a certain class of extremists to denounce
those who were not so hot-headed but
were more moderate and conserva-
tive. But this will not do now
Denunciation and abuse are always poor
arguments. They only exasperate =
not convince. Mr.. Campbell has shown
wonderful lack of mother wit in his at
tacks on the Democrats, not of Middle
Florida only but all over the State, who
say let well enough alone" make haste
slowly" He talks like a feed advocate, not
like statesman. 1t will be time enough to
denounce people for thinking for them
selves when the party, through its properly
authorized representatives, shall take ac-
ton in the usual form and that action is
derided and set at naught. AS yet no
Convention has been so unwise as to
lay down rule of action forbidding
private judgment on a measure, about
the ,ynediency of which there is and
must and will be, from force of cir
cumstances, wide differences of opinion
Mr.. Campbell admits the existence of
" fear as to the possible effect change
in the manner of providing county Off
GERS may have on the public welfare; but,
he says, this fear is 'idle," because the
New Constitution will contain a restric-
ton on suffrage by the application of an
educational "test" to the voter, and this,
he adds, would make the Democratic
party " stronger" and, per contra, the
Radical party weaker.
This is an admission of the necessity of
doing something to protect the black belt
from being devoured by piece-meal, and
is the safeguard Mr.. Campbell pro-
poses. 1t is good as far it goes; but
other advocates of change admit the
existence of the same well grounded
"fear" and have also their safeguards"
which go further. The editor of the
Economist, who it has been said voted
for the present Constitution in 1858, pro-
poses this provision to be inserted in the
"New Constitution :"
| All officers other than Governor and members
of the Legislature, whether State, county or
municipal, shall be filed by joint vote Of the
Legislature; Provided, however, that the Legis
lature may confer upon any county or munich
pality authority TO elect its own officers and 9TH
erwise provide for its local selfgovernment.
Other advocates demand polktdc,
buf No ,roNocif;on oou,aS CO mar ,~,oot