Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1884-11-27

pIlnClplc aCueQ the spectral COupiAlnou
of standing as my personal representa-
tives in the national struggle.
But the achievements for the Republi
can cause in the East are even surpassed
by tue splendid victories in the West. Ii
the magnificent Gordon of states tina
stretches from the foothills of the Al
Ieghenys to the Golden Gate of tht
Pacific, beginning with Ohio and ending
with California, the Republican banner
was borne SO loftily that but single
state failed to join in the wide acclaim
of triumph. Nor should do justice tC
nv own feelings if failed to thank the
Republicans of the Empire state, who
encountered so many diseouragementS
and obstacles: who fought foes from
i within and foes from without, and who
ysged so strong battle that change
of enc vote in every 1000 would have
given us the victory in the nation. In
deed change of little more than 5000
votes would have transferred New York,
Indiana, New Jersey and Connecticut to
the Republican standard, and would
have made the North as solid as the
South. My thanks would still be in
complete if l should fail to recognize
with special gratitude that great body of
workingmen, both native and foreign
born, who gave me their earnest sup
port, breaking from old ties, and finding
in the canvass the safeguard and protec>
lion of their own fireside interests.
The result of the election, ny frierds,
will be regarded in the future, think, as
extraordinary. The Northern States,
leaving out the cities of New York and
| Brooklyn from the count, sustained the
Republican cause by majority of more
than 100000, almost half million, in
deed. OF the popular vote. The cities Of
New York and Brooklyn threw their
great strength and influence with the
solid South and were the decisive ele.
ment which gave to that section the
control of the national government.
Speaking now not at all as defeated
candidate, but simply as a loyal and de-
voted American, | think the transfer of
the political power of the government
TO the South is a great misfortune. 1t
is a misfortune because it intro
duces an element which cannot insure
harmony ard prosperity to the people;
because it introduces into the republic
the rule of a minority. The. first in
stinct of an American is equality; equal
ity of right, equality of privilege. equai
ty of political power, that equality bich
says to every citizen: Your vote is just
as good, just as potential as the vote OF
any other citizen"
That can not be said to day in the Uni
ted States. The course of affairs in the
South has crushed out the political pow
er of more than six millions of Ameri
can citizens, and has transferred it by
violence to others Forty-two presiden>
tial electors are assigned to the South
on account of the colored population, and
yet the cOlored population, with more
than 100000 legal voters, have been
unable to choose single electOr. Even
in those states where they have a ma
jority of more than 100000, they are de-
prived of free suffrage, and their rights
as citizens are scOrnfully trodden under
foot.
The eleven states that comprised the
rebel Confederacy had by the census of
1880, 1900 OeO of white population. and
100000 colored population. The color
ed population almost TO man. desire to
support the Republican party, but by
a system of cruel Intimidation, and by
violence and murder are thought neces+
sary, they are absolutely deprived Of all
political power.
If the outrage stopped there it would
be bad enough. But it does not stop
there, for not only is the negro pOpula>
tiOn disfranchised, but the power which
rightfully and constitutiOnally belongs
to them is transferred 10 the white pop
ulation, enabling the white population
Uf tue South TO exert an influence far
beyond that exeIted by the same num-
ber of white people in the North. To
illustrate just how it works to the de-
struetiun of all fair elections, let me
present to you five states of the late
Confederacy and i've loyal states OF the
North, possessing in each section the
same number of electoral votes. In the
South the States OF Louisiana, Mississip- |
pi. Alabama. Georgia and South Carols |
ma have in the aggregate 4S electoral
votes. they have 2S0,OO0 white people |
and over 800 900 culored people. In the |
North the States of Wisconsin, Mime |
sofa, Iowa, Kansas and California have !
likewise in the aggregate 4S electoral
votes, and they have white population |
of 56OO0OO, OF just double the live |
Southern States which l have named.
These Northern States have practi- |
cally no culored population. 1t is there ,
fore evident that tue white men III Those |
Southern States by usurpiDg and abb |
sorbing the rights of the colOred men |
are exerling just double the politi>
cal power of the white Inen in the North
ern states.
submit, my friends, that such a con-
dition of affairs is ex TaordiOary, unjust
and derogaIory to the manhood of the
North. Even those who are yindictive
ly opposed To negro suffrage, will moi de-
ny that If presidential electors are as
signed to the South by reason of the Ne
gro population, that population ought
10 be permitted free suffrage in the
Todeny that clear proposition
is to affirm that Southern white man
in the Gulf states is entitled to double
the political power of white man iii
the Northern Lake states. 1t is to at
firm that Confederate soldier shall
WELD twice the influence in the nation
that a Union soldier can. and that per-
petual and constantly increasing Supe-
riority shall be conceded to the South
ern white man in the government of the
Union. If that be quietly conceded In
this generation it will harden into Gus
tom until the badge of inferiority will
attach to the Northern white man us
odiously A. tv.r Morn an noble stamped
1t upon Saxon churl.
This subject is of deep interest to the
men of the North. With the
Southern Democracy triumphant in their
states and in the nation the negro will
be compelled to work for just such wa>
ges as the whites may decree, wages
which will amount as did the supplies
Of the slaves. to bare suLsistence,equal
in each to perhaps So cents per day, If
averaged over the entire South. The
white laborer in the North will seon
feel the distinctive effect Of this upon
his own wages.
The Republicans have clearly seen
from the earliest days of reconstruc>