The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-07-28
TIE FREE SUFFRAGE.


bic and dignified series of resolutions.
Among other things they congratulate them
selves that the shotgun and horsewhip of
Southern bulldozers have given way to less
violent and less brutal means of defeating
the will of Southern colored voters. 1t is a
step in the line of progress. But the present
plan is no less effectual than were the old
methods. What was long accomplished by a
reign of terror and bloodshed is now arrived
at by fraud, through tissue ballots, false re-
turns, etc. So far as being factors in the gov
eminent of this country is concerned the col
ored voters might as well be cheated in one
way as the other, for in both are their wishes
ignored and their will defeated. Against such
injustice any class of voters white or black,
is sure to revolt The right of suffrage
thus changed into farce is
worthless. 1t is worse than worthless, be-
cause, while putting upon citizen the
duties of citizenship it gives him no part in
exercising their accompanying privileges
He may and must pay taxes, and, if needs
be, take up arms in defense of the State and
Nation, but has no voice in making the laws
| that place these obligations upon him. 1t is
exactly the same form of injustice that pre-
cipitated the Revolution that resulted in the
autonomy of the American republic.
The colored people of Indiana are right
fully solictous concerning the treatment of
the colored men in the South. Not that
they should be clannish or attempt to hold
themselves as people different from the
great body of American citizens about them
but that in common with all honorable
and patriotic citizens they should seek by
all means to secure to all men, white and
black, North and South, the fullest and
freest expression through the ballot. 1t
was an outrage TO use violence
and intimidation to prevent the recently en-
iranchised slave from voting. 1t is only a
less violent outrage to nullify his influence by
fraudulent devices. The colored people are
eminently right to take public notice of this
palpable injustice, and it is in their hands to
do much toward its correction. In no sec
ton of the country have the political rights
of the colored- race been denied or abridged
except in the South. They would not be in
terfered with even there but for the fact that
a solid South is essential to the life and ex-
istence of the Democratic party. A break in
the Southern States from their old-time allie
glance to the Democratic party will insure a
more liberal treatment of men of all shades
OF political belief. There is no more need of
solid South than OF a solid North. The
idea of sectional solidity is repugnant to a
united patriotic people. But just SO long
as a solid South is made an issue by the
Democratic party, and made a moving
force in national politics by means
of fraudulent elections, will it be
necessary to maintain fsolid North as a tell
ing protest against such undemocratic
practices.
| The South has given evidence of progress,
and it is to be hoped that the bloodshed and
violence of past campaigns will never again
be resorted to. These have been abandoned
reluctantly, and only because the great mass
of the people of this republic condemn them
at the ballot-box. 1t slowly dawned upon
Democratic leaders in all parts of the coun-
try that their party could never win a ma
tional campaign by intimidation and murder.
The conscience of tine people, as revealed
through the ballot-box has always spoken
against them, and despite the fact that
hundreds of thousands of Republican voters
were kept away from the polls in fear of
their lives being endangered, tine supreme
court of public opinion has always pro-
| nounced against Democracy on account of
its crimes against popular suffrage The
| national Democratic party is responsible for
the tissue-ballot frauds that cheat Southern
Republicans, black and white, out of their
political rights. But that party will not re-
linquish the scheme until the force of public
opinion indignantly compels it. This is
sure to follow, if only the importance and
Justice Of it can be made sufficiently plain
The colored race are already alive to the
issue, and it is in their power to do much to.
ward working the desired reform. solid
North can defeat solid South. While this
is in itself a very undesirable means of
reform it is imperative, in view of the. needs
OF good and impartial government There
is no danger of solid North being unfairly