Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1883-04-06

The result of the election trials now in
progress in South Carolina is likely to have
an important effect upon the suffrage in seve-
raj of the southern states II it is demon
strated that South Carolina can eliminate one
half the negro vote from her poll peaceably
and under the forms of law other states bur
dened with a mass of ignorant voters will be
pretty certain to follow her example. That
this is the practical effect of the so-called
EIGHT box law" in South Carolina is too plain
to be denied. Indeed, its purpose is admitted
and defended by the white citizens The OPP
Grafton of the law is thus described At ev-
cry polling place there are separate boxes for
every important Office to be filled, the limit
being eight. They are plainly marked with
the name of the Office in Roman letters. Only
one voter is allowed in the polling place at
time. The law requires that the election Off
GERS shall read to the voter the names on the
boxes but if the voter cannot read his bal
lot, he is no better of than before He must
deposit his ballot blindly, and if it is put in
the wrong box it is void. The white Demo
Gratis who cannot read are assisted by the cleo
ton managers, but the illterates on the other
side are helpless. In addition to this, the
evidence given on the trials proves that, un-
der the regulations for separate approaches
to the polls, the negroes were kept back by
challenges, questionings, and other devices,
so that large numbers of them had no oppor-
tunity to offer their votes before the polls
closed. As a consequence of this policy, the
election was peaceful and free, ." and the re-
suit satisfactory to the white leaders.
1t is admitted that this is an evasion of the
constitutional prohibition of an educational
qualification, and that it practically disfran-
chises fully one-half of the colored voters
but the attorney general of the state in al
luding to the matter, says; 1--WE do not JUS
tify such practices or desire their perpetua-
ton, but We must, as practical men, recognize
that, as long as human nature remains what
it is, they will be resorted to when the evil
sought to be arrested is regarded as worse
than the demoralizing influence of the prac-
tees themselves" The evil sought to be pre-
vented is the rule of ignorance, directed as
it is apt TO be, by smart rascAls. The south
has had a taste of that, and her worst enemy
could not wish it to be repeated. Attorney
pSASANA 4AO"obSAt AOH0NSIt uOtb uOA pIODOAe
to acquiesce in this method of securing good
local government He has directed suits to
be brought against election managers and 9th
ers, under indictments for a conspiracy to
prevent citizens from exercising the right OF
suffrage. The result of similar efforts by the
department of justice during the past three
years does not afford much encouragement
for the present proceedings. Out of over 300
arrests for otfenses against the federal election
law, the sum total of the governments en-.
beavers is expressed in six failures OF juries
to agree, The party line is drawn as closely
in the jury box as at the polls, and it is sim
ply impossible to convict without such a pack
ing of the jury as could not be sustained even
by those who deprecate the denial of suffrage
rights 1t is not easy to see how the eight
box law is to be overthrow, or its peculiar
workings prevented. 1t does not violate eth
er the federal or the state constitution, nor
contravene the federal election law
The Boston Herald, whose editor -in-chief
has Just made some observations on the spot
Of the working of the southern Bourbon po-
liticRl machine, concludes after recting the
above facts, that the only remedy lies in the
education Of the blacks and the wiping out
of the color line. If suitable educational
system had been adopted eighteen years ago,
the Herald says, "a vastly greater number of
the colored people would now be filter to vote
and could not be cheated of their rights by
such means :" but that remedy, which goes
to the root of the whole matter, has been
neglected, and now we must hope that issues
/ will arise to abolish the color line ''If both
| whites and blacks are divided upon questions
of opinion or interest, fair play would then be
| guaranteed The South Carolina law would
be impossible in Virginia, because white lead
ers Of equal ability and determination are
seeking the negro vote and interested IN So
curing fair elections. 1t is something to have
progressed beyond force and fraud at the
south. readjustment of parties is perhaps
the only thing that will complete the protec-
ton of the ballot-box."