The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-11-08
POLITICAL MURDER MUST STOP.

1t was not intended to stop there. He is
| selfdeceived who does not realize that the
purpose OF the political assassinations at
Danvlle was to thereby kill the colored
vote of Virginia. The false coloring put on
the affair gave Democrats a pretext for
openly carrying arms, and to have the white
militia in readiness. The meeting at Rich
mond had the same purpose in view, and the
| formal utterances there made were intended
to intimidate the colored voter. How we'll
parent Thousands of colored men staid
away from the polls rather than run
| the risk of losing their lives. The MUIR
ders at Danville were we'll planned. There
was not time emo ugh to show the purpose
of the assassins, and the tragedy was too
fresh in the minds of the negroes for them
to overcome their well-grounded alarm.
| Under fair vote, without intimidation or
fraud the State of Virginia is no longer
Democratic. The same is true of several
other Southern States Up to this time the
Republican party has been content to pass
over the innumerable offenses against pop
ular suffrage throughout the South because
the North gave enough majority in federal
elections to overcome the frauds practiced
against coored voters in the late slave
States.
Indications are that the Republican
party will succeed next year, just as it did
in 1890, by votes from the Northern States.
The party will thus be enabled to keep its
place at the head of the government. But
this is not enough. The Republican party
has opened the door to suffrage for the
colored man. 1t is it's duty to see that no
man nor men obstruct nor close it. There
are literally tens of thousands of legally
! qualified voters in the South who
do not enjoy the right of suffrage. Accorded
it, there are not less than from three to six
Southern States that would be as solidly Re-
publican as is Massachusetts, or Iowa The
Republican party owes it to these citizens
to secure to them the right of suffrage
not as partisan measure, but as a political
principle vital to the very life of the gov
eminent. The war was fought over the
principle that the majority should rule.
When fairly defeated at the ballot-box the
South went into rebellion against the ma
jority. The result is a matter of history
The principle is just as vital to-day as it was
in 1860; just as essential to the perpetuation
of the nation as a popular government. The
party in power Republican or Democratic
can not afford to daily with this question
nor wink at such gross violations of funda-
mental laws. Evils, like weeds, grow when
neglected 1t is the plain duty of the domi-
nant party to preserve intact the political
rights of all the people The strong will
take care of themselves. 1t is the poor
and down trodden that must be sustained
until they can maintain themselves.
1t may be, and doubtless is distasteful to
late shareholders to see their former slaves
enjoying all the privileges they themselves
do. But that is no sufficient excuse for con-
spring to rob them of suffrage. If the polit-
ical assassinations at Danville were the first
of the kind they would be dreadful enough.
But it is but a repetition of almost number
less similar outrages throughout the South.
The red -shirters of South Carolina and bull
dozers of Louisiana were no myths. The
horrible realities of their midnight vista
tons, the understandable atrocities practiced
by them, the foggings and murders, are too
we'll established to admit of denial These
outrages have measurably ceased only for
the reason that the moving cause no longer
obtains in those States. The force of the
black mans ballot has been killed. In many
parishes experience has taught him that if
will remain at home on the day of cleo
ton Where he IS allowed to vote
the result is annulled by fraud,
against which lie has no recourse. The re-
suit has been that States which rightfully
should return Republican majorities are by
fraud, intimidation and violence stolen by
the opposition.
Until quite recently there has been no oc-
casion for violence in Virginia. The State
was reliably Democratic, and that was all
that could be desired The black man could
vote in peace, because his vote did not ma
terially affect the result. But just so soon
as the features of the political situation
change, and the necessity of saving the State