The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1884-03-08
A Hard Nut to Crack.

Those Northern Republican jour-
nails which have committed them
selves to the theory that every refer
enee to the abuse of colored voters at
the eSouth is claptrap and "waving of
he bloody Shirt" are just now com.
peiled to eschew all allusion to the
testimony being taken concerning the
panville and Copiah county outrages,
because that testimony furnishes the
most abundant and conclusive proof
mat there are still many parts of the
south in which the political main
stay of the white Democrats is terror
hsil, Kept at a white heat during
every campaign by murders and
Whppings and all manner of out
RACES. 1t is further demonstrated by
thee Investigations thai the South
!. aynD Democrats have not the least in
peNion Of changing their political
habits. Their testimony on this head
is as frank as it is brutal. One "lead
ingcitizen" unhe-ltatingly declared
thathe and his friends preferred bull
doziig to letting the colored vote
count Another witness owned to
having voted for Wheeler, the muir
derer pf Matthews. for alderman,
after le committed that crime, but
intimaed that he did not regard the
killing as murder, and would only
admit that Wheeler might perhaps
have beel guilty of ian indiscretion."
This is wat the cowardly, deliberate
assassination of a man by his inti-
mate friend, in obedience to the man
date of a secret organization, is called
In Copiah county, and that this is
common sentiment there is proved
by the factthat another witness who
was bold enough to characterize the
deed as 'cowardly MURDER" was
threatened with death, and driven
out of the own.
The general tone Of the witnesses,
when theyare white men, is in fact
one of cool indifference to what is
thought of their peculiar political
methods, joined with as cool a deter
minatiOn to perseyere in them. Now
whoever prelends that these facts and
admissions are not both legitimate
and necessary factors in Northern
political discussion must ignore the
relation of such facts to National
politics. The question of the Presi-
dental election is a question of the
votes of the States. If any number
t0f States are made to return Electors
not chosen by the voters of the district
concerned, the whole result of the
election is liable to he yitiated, and
the popular choice for President over
borne by force and fraud. 1t is of
record that this has been already at
tempted twice by the Southern Dem
ocrats. The pretence that Tilden had
larger popular vote than Hayes
could only be supported by ignoring
the suppression of the colored South
ern vote in half a dozen States and
so long as terrorism and outrage are
permitted to dominate Southern poll,
tics, there can be no security for an
orderly, lawful and honest Presiden-
tial election. Just so long the North
ern voters will he playing against
antagonists who haye stocked" the
cards. This consideration is wholly
apart from that of the country's duty
to protect the colored citizen in the
enjoyment of his political rights.
which must be recognized.
But the too o-fastidious contemnners
of the "bloody shirt" in politics must
sacrifice the very essence of all politi-
cal action in order to obtain standing.
ground for their eccentric doctrine.
Those, on the other hand. who realize
the duty of protecting the colored
voter, and of securing to the North
the just poteNtiality of its suffrage
will accord the proper weight to tie
evidence of Southern lawlesSness and
political usurpation. N. Y. Tribune