Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-12-27
A Chance to Correct a Wrong I'M
presSiOn Lost.

T. correspondent of the New York St'
inquiries of that journal whether u Oe-
Iieves many of the negroes of the South
were prevented by the Democrats at the
late Presidential election from voting
The Sun, answering, says: 1--WE answer
frankly that we are not convinced that
any extraordinary or Illegal pressure was
exercised bv the Democrats upon the ne
groes of the Southern States to prevent
them from voting at the late election, o.
to compel them to vote contrary to their
wishes: and we see no reason to conclude
that their votes were not cast freely anu
fairly"
This answer will be considered haruly
satisfactory, perhaps, by the SUMS cor
respondent. It admits that in the Suns
opinion there are some things which
teDd tn show that tae negroes
were bulldozed and intimidated, but
claims that they are not convincing
The sun is a journal of large circula-
ton and much influence. 1t claims that
one Of its great merits is its fairn5 IS
and its extraordinary efforts to get at the
truth. As there is deep interest ieiI
throughout the North on the question
asked bv its correspondent it would have
been ONLY fair to the South to have made
a very thorough inquiry before expressing
an opinion which contains a shade OF
doubt.
1t is a fact worth noticing that the negro
| leaders in the South have not made any
statements that unlawful efforts were
made TO keep the negro voters from the
polls, or to destroy the effectiveness OF
| their votes at the late Presidential cleo
ton. If there had been anything like
| bulldozmg or intimidation they would
have not allowed the opportunity to pass
to make it known.
When the Northern people understand
the Southern negro better they Will not
wonder at the small negro vote in what
are known as the black districts. The
negro. as a rule, will not vote unless he
is paid, g. unless he has yer! strong in-
I centivA When the Republicans had con-
\ troll d athe State governments of the
4 Southern States, and, also, about all the
county offices the white Republican lead
ers organized the negroes and made it
their business to see that they voted.
These white leaders have almost wholly
disappeared. Those who remain lack the
energy and ability Of those who were
prominent during the period Of carpet
bag rule. There are some negro leaders
Of ability. but 1t is a fact worthy of notice
that the negro leaders lack the capacity
to organize that was possessed by the old
white leaders. Many Of them are excel
lent takers. and are capable of arOusins
a great deal of enthusiasm among the
negroes, but they fail when they under
take tine kind Of work that is necessary
% make the negro vote effective.
The neg 20 leaders are Jealous OF each
other. and it is extremely difficult for
them. for that reason, to start and keep
alive an organization Of any kind. The
! negroes who do not aspire to leadership,
but who are content to remain in the
ranks. have much more confidence in
white leaders than In leaders Of their own
color.
At the late Presidential election, with
the exception of a few localities, there
was no attempt made to bring out the
negro vote. The Democrats knew weeks
before the election that very light negro
vote would be pOlled, and they made no
effort, therefore, 10 bring out the full
vote of their party. In this State all the
NEGROES voted who wanted to, and it is
certain that their ballots were dealt with
as fairly as the ballots of the white voters
were.
Quite a number Of the Republican pa
pers has attempted to create the impress
sion since the election that the negro vote
was rendered ineffective by unlawful
means, but they have not attempted to
show what the means were, or to prove
their statements. They have succeeded
however. in creating the impression in
the North that the negro vote was sup
pressed by showing that it was not large
in comparison to the number of negroes
entitled to vote. The Sam could have done
much towards correcting this false i'm
preston by investigating thoroughly and
speaking emphatically.