Daily Republican., 1883-11-14
The BLOODY shirt In Politics
ARaim.

WEDN ESDAY, NOVEMBER II, 80.
The BLOODY shirt In Politics
Again.
The Virginia campaign has in ad.
vance elected a Republican candidate
In 1884, said United States Senator Rid.
dleberger of that State, when inter
viewed upon the results Of the Virginia
election, and this seems to be the opin.
ion of all the leading politicians who
have honestly expressed their real SEN
timents.
There was no chance whatever for
the Bourbons even with Republican an.
sistance to carry Virginia at the late
election upon an open, square, honest
vote of the people, but the State had be.
come an important recognized factor in
the Presidential struggle and something
had to be done to change its political
course or the Democratic party could
not present solid Democratic South
to elect the next Democratic candidate
for the Presidency. 1t was found that
nothing would save the State for the
Democrats at the next election but a
zeal first class negro riot.
In the South, negro riots consist of a
number of armed white men rushing
upon a crowd of unarmed, inotfensive
neer )es and shooting them down in cold
blood and then proclaim through the
Southern Associated Press to the
Northern people that there has bsen
another dastardly uprising of the ne
RrOes. This was the case with tbs Dan
Vile riot that, though it resulted in
batchering number of unresisting ne
KrOes, wrested the State from the Read.
justers and makes it now rs sure a
State for the Democrats in 1884 as
either South Carollua or Missis ,ippi.
Since the poor, murdered negroes have
been buried and excitement has sub
sided, the real facts Of the butchery
are being brought to the light.
Investigation shows that the negroes
of Danville never thought of raising a
riot, in fact at the time he disturbance
took place were unarmei and totally
unprepared for riot. bourbon papers
tell us that William Il. Sims, Goa
lition speaker, the night before in a
speech lad called some DemoC ratio
leaders rascals and that the negroes ap-
plauded the speech This they said
was melting the nrgrovs to revengeful
feelings against the whites. Very like
ly Mr.. Sims tod the ruth and very
likely the negroes were so much excited
that they determined to go to the polls
every man of them and vote against
these Democratic rascals. This is just
to do, and something had to be done to
stop it. Was not South Carolina saved
10 the Democrats by negro riots, and
why cannot Virginia be saved in the
same way, and where is there a better
place to commence such a riot than
right here in Danville where ihsre is
a large negro vote?
II was very easy matter to carry
such q purpose into practice. 1t was
but an easy matter for white man to
Quarrel with a black man on the street
d to offer sufficient provOcation to
make the black man strike the whi.c
man. It was but an easy matter for a
number Of white men, armed to the
teeth, to rush into the streets at a
preconcerte1 sigma and shoot down a
n".Cuer Of surprised and unarmed ne
Eroes 1t was then an easy matter to
lhies rafh terrible negro riot all over
l. State and exhort all white men tc
rush u the polls and defend each oihrl
tr,m the dastardly murderous negroes.
We can easily imagine how the chival-
rnus whites caught the tocsin Of a IrnI
and did exactly as they were told Il do,
aud we can easily imagine how the
terrified negroes sought hiding places
in the swamps and woods, instead Of 60
ing TO the polls and voting.
1t is all very plain now, and the fig
ilres of the vote cast at Danville show
the effect of the sO-Called riot, more
properly called a butchery of harmless
negroes. In Danvil.e 1901 colored
voters were registered, but only 81
dared to vote In North Danville 235 col.
ored men had registered and only three
dared to vote, and these, through fear,
it is said voted the Bourbon ticket. In
neighboring place 435 colored men
registered, but only one had the colr-
age to vote With this kind of voting
there was, OF course, nothing to prevent
the State from giving large Demo
cratic majority for the Bourbons, and
the only surprise is that the Bourbon
majority was not 100, 900 instead of 80,
900.
1t is no fault Of the Republican party
If the bloody shirt is re.introduced
into the Presidential campaign, and il
a Republican President is elected by a
solid North against solid South, le,
the blams rest with the Virginia Bour
bons
THE TWO stronges. DemoC attic Stat ei
in the South would be the two strOu lest