Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1884-12-29
The Negro as n Citizen.
Fu.t...s-s. rN..-,Ul

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white mans vote In some of the South
ern states Is equal to two white mems
votes i'm the Northern states and that
something must be done right away TO
correct the evil. In South Carolina,
Mississippi and Louisiana where the
negroes do not vote en- masse. the poll .
in each OF the congressional districts |
was about one-half of what 1t should /
| have been and nearly that much less |
/ than the average in the Northern dis /
| tricts. For this reason IL Is |
asserted that the Southern /.
states have more political power
than they deserve, that million votes
are suppressed, and that the VIII. PEG
pie, having secured representation on
/ the basis of negro suffrage, exercise all
the power OF selecting these represen-
tatiyes. Some haaty writers or decla-
matory revolutlonists want war OF
some kind right away to correct this
seeming wrong, and others talk wisely
of what may happen at some future
time II change shall not be effected
AS in all these sectional arguments
and appeals to prejudice the entire
'SOuth,n consisting IN the political
dictionary of sixteen states, several Of
them no further south than Kansas or
Colorado, is charged with offenses pro
perly attributable only TO few of the
states where the negroes largely pre-
dominate. OF the fact that In three or
four Southern states the negroes do
not generally vote, there can be no
doubt Many of them have been in
Inundated and are afraid to vote, but
by far larger number do not care to
vote. In all of these states the inteili-
gent leaders of the blacks have devoted
every effort to induce them 10 leave
politics alone, at least, until they had
bettered their condition, and thousands
of the freedmen have followed their
advice, with excellent results to them
selves and TO the whites. The con-
gressional apportionment made up
from the census must, ofnecessity take
these people into account; whether
they actually vote or not, they
help to swell the number OF
representatives to which the South Is
entitled. Here at the North, in dis.
tricts where msny mechanics and
others are coerced 10y their employees
into voting as they direct, no differ
ence is made in the representation on
that account. II the employers in
reference with the rights Of their men
should take the form of compelling
them to remain away from the polls
altogether the representation would
still be unchanged
The white people of the South and
millions Of white people at the North
did not want immediate negro sui.
frage. IL was forced upon the country
against the better Judgment Of
thoughtful men, and the result
has been exactly what they pre
dicted 1t would be. The South
gained power in congress- and In
the electoral college by the act, anc
then in self-protectlon---fo self-preser
walton, In fact-it cont rolled the fran
ehlse Of the negroes. If they had beer
ut for the ballot, If they had had tn,
capacity to govern themselves, to sa,
nothing OF governing white men, doe
anyone believe that they could hav,
been convinced that IL was lest 10
them not to vote at ALE The very DO
litical condition OF the negro IN Ia,
South to-day Is IN itself oonvincip,
proof that the policy which clothed
him with citizenship before lac knew
iis meaning was unmerciful 10 hin
tions.
But all the hubbub now being mad
Dy disappointed partlsans comes 10
late Things are better now than the
We're last year. They will be bette
next year than they are this. A
the negro acquires the capacity /
govern he win assert 1t, and Il win no
be denied him, for II cannot be. 81
II VIII lake care Of himself. There "a n
occasion, therefore, torabuse or threat,
Whatever the political condition I
tne negro may be the North Is respon
sible for It. AS party measure neor
suffrage failed to accomplish what %
expected Of Il. II the negro has fh
capacity 20 rise, his influences In mol
Ties VIII be more marked with eRe
aueceeding year. IL he has not IN
intelligence, the independence an
the courage 70 vote, the party who
claims him 40 is own must wait uni
ne shall acquire these qualities NH
. experiment has Progressed loo fsr !
ele be retreated from. i'
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