The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1884-05-28
|sHERMAN'S SUBCOMMITTEE.
MAJ0RITY REPORT SUBMITTED.
opsersations and Conclusions Of the Repub-
tean Membcrs--Reconincndations similar
TO Those IN the CopInh Report Senator
Vance Preparing the Minority Views.

Il. ii
nam, was submitted 10 and approved by ,
majority OF the Senate Committee on
privileges and Elections to-day, and was
thereupon laid before TIE senate. II en-
bodies an exhaustive ANALYSIS o. the test.
mony OF nearly two hundred witnesses,
observations and conclusions Of the com.
mittee thereon being distributed through
out the document.
1t appears from the evidence, saws the
report, that during the control OF the
Affairs OF the State by the Democratic ~
funder party the constitutional amend.
ment bad been adopted in 1876 imposing
the payment Of the capitation-tax OF one
dollar as a prerequisite TO the right to
vote, and the law had been enacted estab-
lshing the whipping-post rs the punish
ment for minor offences, persons sub
iect by law 10 such punishment
for certain offences being disirancliiscd.
The Readiustor party having gained the
ascendency, amended the Constitution.
abolished the capitation-tax and whipping
post, and, for the first time in the history
OF the State since the amendment OF 1876
was adopted. suffrage at the election in
! November, 1888, was TO be free from such
restrictions. Accordingly the Democratic
party. early in the canvass OF last wear, re-
ncwed efforts which had before been made
to some extent to intensity aud excite race
Issue in the contest. This was deemed
necessary from the fact that the white
voters in the State had left their
| former political associations in such num-
| bers as enabled them, with the aid OF col
orod votes, to secure 4 majority in the State
and elect officers q their choice. Without
such division OF the white votes success in
the State by the CoSlltionists would have
| been impossible, - by the census of 1880
| the cOlored voting population in Virginia
was only l2S,257, while that OF the whites
was 20G.04S. While there was no motive
| therefor on the part Of the Coalition party
to excite the race issue. which would ineyi-
| tally have the eject TO ALLEVIATE the support
OF the white voters. there was every in
ducement on the part OF the Democrats 70
raise and intensity that issue with the view
Of recovering the votes OF those among the
white people who had been supporting the
Coalition party.
| The committee here quotes extracts from
the Democratic papers and circulars Illus
| trating the efforts which It assumes were
made to raise and intensity the race issue
! in Danyille.
| The report continues: The colored
voters outnumbered the whites, and cary
| in the canvass the Democrats sought to
raise and intensity the race issue in that To-
cality. Democratic clubs were formed, and
resolutions were passed in two or three
wards Withdrawing the support and pat
ronoge in business from CoalitiOnists, both
white and colored. The proposition was
made that Democratic real estate owners
| should refuse 70 rent their property to coll
/ Il, rl,r
vile circular is here quoted and its origin
and purpose described.
The evidence. the report says, is entirely
sat sfactOry that, with the exception Of the
statistics given In the opening paragraph OF
| the circular, 1t is false presentation OF the
state OF things at D3nvile. Yet so vital
was il deemed TO the interests OF the Demo
cratic party that the statements be suS-
tanned that when its correctness was chal-
! lenged aflidavits from its signers to its cor
rectneSs were secured and published. The
evidence conclusiyely shows, say the COM
mittee, that the DanvilIe circular, although
prepared for circulation elsewhere, was
| known in DanYiie soon after its publica-
ton. and that il, with affidavts, were CIR
culated in large numbers in the southwest
counties OF the state prior TO the election,
assurances having been received that IL the
/ statement in the circular could be auGhen-
! ticated it would carry certain counties.
| The committee relates the experience OF
! Colonel Sims and the events OF the riot.
Respecting the latter it finds no evidence
that the negroes fired q shot until after the
whites fred 4 general volley, and that very
| few had weapons OF any kind. The ne
grocs were Of all ages and both sexes,
gathered lmquestionablyafrom curiosity
| the whites, on the contrary, were generally
armed. The fre-bell was rung, but not for
/ fire; on the contrary, it was a secret signal
| for the white military company. The whites
came rapidly from all directions, and arms
were distributed TO those who had none rom
shops and stores. The committee finds
conclusive evidence that violence was pre-
meditated, and makes cOpiOuS extracts
! from the evidence OF several witnesses in
proof under the Sub-headng, GLOW
| Democrats Made Use. Of Occurrences at
! DanYille.' The report says that IN almost
every part OF the State exaggerated reports
OF massacre were circulated by kilograms
and printed circulars. Circulars and eX-
tracts from the testimony OF many OF the
witnesses are given, showing the sympathy
! which was aroused by the supposed dan
ger Of the white people OF Danyille. In
view OF this created sentiment, what. the
committee asks, was the conduct OF affairs
| in the city OF Danyille? After the massacre
and at the time kilograms and reports were
sent out the ringleaders Of the rioters were
placed on guard. Every white Democrat
| was armed. The negroes fled in terror to
their houses. The authority OF the Re-
adiuster mayor was defed. and the White
Ia srf.
| thought there were 500 armed Democrats
patroliing the town and IFS vicinity on the
| day following the riot. He did not see Il
colored man armed, and expressed the be-
lief that II one had appeared on the street
he would have been riddled with bullets.
The report concludes: The object OF
the Democrats in these efforts TO raise the
race issue to alarm the blacks and to eX-
cite the whites was twofold. First, TO
intimidate the colored voters In localities
where they were strong, as in Danville {;
second. but chiefly to produce such a
frenzy OF feeling in the State as
would induce the white electors to
JON with their own race and escape
the contumely and reproach TO which they
would otherwise be subjected for irater-
nizing politically with negroes. The ei-
forts which were made to gloss over this
terrible outrage by the Committee OF Forty
need only moments notice. IL was done
upon er-parte afidaylts taken before a
magistrate. They were wholly extra judi
cial, and no one incurred the responsibility
for his statements. The real facts were not
called out. 1t was q partisan effort to screen
the perpetrators OF the wrong from punish
ment.
The report OF the grand jury is equally
open TO criticism. Three at least OF IFS
members were on the Committee OF Forty.
The published report OF that committee
was before them and used by them. There
,yare only seven members and the fore