The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1884-11-26

and prosperity to the people, because il
introduces into the Republic the rule o
the minority. The first instinct Of an
American is cquality-cquality of right
equality Of privilege, equality of politi-
cal power, that equality which says to
every citizen: "Your vote is just as
good, just as potential us the vote OF
any other citizen.''
That cannot he said to-day in the
Uuited States. The cou d of affairs in
the South has crushed out the political
power Of more than million of
American citizens and has trans
ferrcd it by violence to others.
Forty-two Presidential electors are as
signed to the South on account Of the
colored population. That population
with more than 100000, legal votes
have been unable to chose a single cleo
tor. Even in those States where they
have majority Of more than 100000,
they arc deprived Of free suffrage and
their rights as citizens are scornfully
troddcn under foot.
The eleven States that comprised the
Rebel Confedcracy had by the census of
1880 seven and a half million white pop
ulation and 100000 colored population.
The colorcd population almost to man
desire to support the Republican party,
but by n system Of cruel intimidation,
and by violence and murder, whenever
violence and murder are thought ncccs-
s,ry, they arc 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 population disfranciscd, but
the power which rightrully md consti-
tutionally belongs to them is trans
ferred to the white population, enabling
the white population Of the South to OK
crt All electoral influence far beyond
that exertcd by the same number Of
white people in the North.
To illustrate just how it works to the
destruction Of all fair elections, let me
present to you five States in the late
Confedcracy and five loyal States Of the
North. possessing for each section the
same number Of electoral votes. In the
South the States Of Louisiana, Missis-
Sippi, Alabama, Georgia and South Car
olina have in the aggregate forty-eight
electoral votes. They have just $780,
COO white people aud over B 100000 COL
ored people. In the North the States of
Wisconsin, Minnesota Iowa. Kansas
and California have likewise an aggrc-
gate Of forty eight electoral votes, and
these have white population Of $780,
coo, or just double the five Southern
States which have named. These
Northern States have practically no
colorcd population. 1t is, therefore, ev-
idcnt that the white men in those South
crn States, by usurping and absorbing
the rights Of the colorcd men, are cx-
ertinsjnst double the political power Of
the white men in the Northern States.
submit, my friends. that such con-
diton Of affairs is extraordinary, unjust
and dcrogatory to the manhood of the
North. Even those who are vindictive-
ly opposed to negro suffrage will not de-
ny that if Presidential electors are as
signed to the South by reason Of the
negro population, that population
ought to be permitted FREQ suf-
fragc in MI election. To deny that
clear proposition is to affirm that
the Southern white man in the Gulf
States is entitled to double the politi-
cal power Of the Northern white man in
the Lake States. 1t is to affirm tn Ut the
Confederate soldier is to WELD twice
the influence in the nation that the Un-
ion Soldier can, and that perpetual and
constantly increasing superiority shall
be conceded to the Southern white man
in the Government Of the Union. If
that be quietly conceded in this genera
tion it will harden into custom until the
badge Of infcriority will attach to the
Northern white man as odiously as ever
Norman noble stamped it upon tho Sax
on churl.
This subject is Of deep interest to tho
laboring men Of the North. With the
Southern Democracy triumphant in their
States and in the nation, the negroes will
be compelled to work for just such wa
ges as the whites may decree, wages
which will amount, ~ did the supplies
Of the slaves, to a bare subsistence,
equal in cash, perhaps, to 35 cents per
day, if averaged over the entire South.
The white laborer in the North will
soon feel the destructive effect of this
upon his own wages.
The Republicans have clearly seen
from the earliest days Of reconstruction
that wages in the South must be raised
to the just rccolnpcnse Of the laborer,