The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1882-03-29
How It works in Alabama.

ahaT NerincALlon ol tle Areo pfofcIo
that curses, like chickens, come hometo
roost. There, as in other Southern
States, the colored majority is simple
matter of absolute fact as stated in every
census and more particularly in the last
census. No honest man can deny that
in South Carolina, North Carolina, Ala
bama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas,
Georgia and Florida there are more
colored men over the age Of twenty-one
years than, there are white men. Nor
can any candid man deny the other fact
that ninety-nine out of every hundred
colored electors, if left free to express
their viii in the ballot, Tin vote the Re-
publican ticket. The colored citizens
know that party through what they be-
heve it has done for them; they know
it as the party that made them free and
has given them citizenship and all that
they have. They would be, less than
human to vote otherwise; and their
very lack of education would force them
to the natural view, il their native in
-stincts did not clinch their allegiance TO
the Republican party. The proof is
plain that they have always carried their
States in q fair vote. The conclusion is
therefore inevitable that these States
belong of right to the Republican party.
Then add the other fact that there is
body OF white Republicans, amount
ing in North Carolina to 10000 and in
the other States to q very large number,
and the proposition is unquestionable
that the Republican party ought to car
ry the country by an easy and decisive
majority in the ELECTORAL College; where
as in 1876 and 1880 it barely succeeded.
and i'm 1884 it must again take its
chances. Is not this q palpable wrong,
and is itrnot unmanly in the Admins
tration that controls the country not to
take its vote, where it can lawfully and
rightfully find itP Is it wise to suffer
that vote to be crushed out to the immi-
nent risk of the general campaign. 81
Now in Alabama, as in the other
Southern States, where the Republican
majority was plain, the Democrats had
TO resort to all sorts of outrage and fraud
to overcome it. This colored majority
congregated chiefly where the plant
ing Interests had placed it before the
war, sometimes hundreds of negroes
on plantation where only q single
family lived. Does not the fact
prove itselfP Well, these counties
became known after the war as
the - Black Belt, where the Republic
ans were as ten to one. The colored
voter regarded the party that emanci-
pated him with an unique yeneration
and affection He considered that he
owed it everything and he sought to pay
the debt with complete fidelity. Moth
ing could induce him to vote the Demo-
cratic ticket Then violence was orgah
lied into a system of unparalleled terror
and horror, and it tore from the hands
of the majority the power to which it
was entitled under the American prin-
ciple.f- Once in command of the election
machinery the armed. and victorious
minority dropped the mask, put aside
the lashtan The revolver. and adopted
the easier.method of ancient fraud and
tissue ballots. Having the appointment
of all the managers and Judges of cleo
ton, they simply counted the majority
out of their franchise. This worked
charmingly, until. as in Alabama, the
Democratic party came to appertion the
Delegates to their State Convention. OF
course. the ordinary plan was adopted
of one delegate to so many electors, as
witnessed by the count in the last gener-
al election. Then .'the chickens came
home to roost;" for in q county where
the colored vote largely predominated,
they had to stuff the boxes accordingly
and had to commit perjury to overly the
election returns. As there had been, no
hesitation in murder, so there was none
in perjury, and it happened that coun-
ty with really only one thousand electors
would appear in the sworn returns as
having, say three thousand. Then when
they came to apportion the delegation
in the ratio of one to every two hundred,
there would be fifteen delegates in the
Convention from county entitled only
to five, and the minority of the party
would control its nominations and poll
cy.b So-long as open, naked, public
fraud is used to swindle and rob Repub-
licans of their rights, the Democrats
shout their 'hozannas. but when it OPP
crates to put power into the hands of q
minority of their own party, they repudi-
ate and denounce it. 1t is two-edged
sword that cuts both ways. Was there
ever a more shameless confession than
is published in the editorial of the Troy
Inquirer, leading Democratic paper of
Alabamap iC is1 ot- Eodj
i"At that election not only the State
officers but also county officers were
elected-many to serve six years-and
in counties where the negro vote pre-
ponderated il was determined upon
that Democrats should be elected by
thereturns, and it was accomplished.
ANY plan, scheme or device that would
accomplish the result, regardless of the
criminality of its exercise or use, was to
have been invoked and was executed.
To express the belief that more than
one county has officers who were not
elected by the vote cast is TO voice the
opinion of almost every one who is we'll
informed. But it is immaterial 50 far
as that affects this question. To cheat
a Radical candidate out of an Office Is
patriotic act in the eyes Of many; but
the swindle does not end at that. The
illegal, fraudulent and stolen votes that
were used to defeat Radical now come
to the front to swindle Democrats by
representation in convention. The
Black Belt counties have third less
Democratic votes than the white
counties, yet in the next State Conven-
ton they win cast third more votes.
This is unfair; it is unjust. it is wrong.
The voters of these white coun-
ties know it and are i discussing
it with no uncertain meaning to
their utterances. A vote cast is a
very different thing from stolen vote,
miscounted vote, or any other kind Of
dishonest vote, and the white counties
win protest against any such wrong be-
ing practiced upon them as permitting
representatives of the fraudulent votes in
counties, that could easily be named, to
overcome and defeat them. -.
Is not this atrociousp Murder and
perjury are virtues when used against
Republicans, crimes only when they
affect Democrats. Is the country going
to tamely submit longer to the public
robbery of the votes, rights and fran
chises Of eight Southern Statesp If the
Republican party win fold its arms and
allow this wrong, it deserves to be beat
en-, and ought not to hold the power it
has neither the nerve nor the plnck to
vindicate It viii be beaten, too, be-