The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1884-12-03
GEORGIA NEGROES HAPPY.
Facts which DisPrOVe Mr. BIsIne's
Charges
- Peaceful Election without evidence or
Murder"-The same Story from Men
of Both PARTIES.
New York Times


this attractive and enterprising city on the
eastern border Of Georgia, am justified
in beginning this dispatch by assert
Ing positively that Mr.. Blaine's talk
about "cruel intimidation" and "vio-
lence and murder" being used to deprive
the negroes of their political power has here
no sort of application to the recent election.
1t does not At the case; nor ia his assertion
chat the bolored men regard the return OF
the Democrats to power ''as q signal of their
Reimbursement" and that they are therefore
'affrighted because they think all legal pro-
lection for them is gone" by an means an
negroes in this place. The election was, by
ali accounts one OF the most peaceable and
Cneventful ever held in the State. If 1t was
remarkable for anything il was most so for
che short vote, for which 1 will let Repub-
ican give an explanation later on.
After the actual result had been ascer-
tanned kfrom dispatches sent here by New
York newspapers, and the Associated Press
dispatches were pouring in thick and fsst
with q contradictory story, there was great
excitement that abated, however, very rap
idly when the worthlessness of the contra
dictiOn was discovered. Among the grossly
ignorant and superstitious blacks for several
INTO slavery. Itsppears to have been caused
n many instances by jocular or cruel taunts
made by young or brutal old men who
knew the sort Of people they we're talking to,
and we're amusing themselves with the exhi-
bition Of fear by the negroes. There was no
such thing as g general scare. Intelligent
negroes resent the suggestion as an impesch-
ment Of their good sense. You can look in
vain for it to-day. At the railroad station,
about the markets, on the streets, going
about their ordinary occupations, the ne
GrOes appear to be as free from unusual care
as anybody else. On the train coming
through South Carolina from Columbia and
right In Edgefeld, made memorable some
years ago as the scene of the Hamburg mas
sscre, the railway coach was occupied by
many negroes who were much more bolster
Gus than passengers on railroads in New
York would be pleased to have them. but
Who did not appear to annoy anybody by
their presence or their frequent outbursts of
wild laughter
Postmaster Holden, who is of course Re-
publican, tells me that he does not regard
Mr.. Bl2ine's remarks against the South as
true cor corning Georgia, when he suggests
that the negroes were prevented by "vio-
Ience and murder" from voting. "The elec.
fion was very peaceable. Every voter, white
or black, who had paid his taxes, could
vote, and every vote was. IN my belief,
counted az it was cast. The Republicans
were we'll organised, bat they did not get
out their entire vote. The negroes were in
different to the privilege of voting They
had been reminded o. IL, and much encour-
agement was offered tothem 10 bring
them out, but for all that they neglected
20 pay their poll taxes and so could not vote.
Many white voters also were so indifferent or
20 aveTse to paying their taxes that they lost
their votes, and this was the case, notWith-
standing that the negroes knew SIS well as
r-hf q a q a n
vocational fund in maintaining the common
schools. / account for the short vote in the
State, not by the counting out OF negro votes,
not By fear on the part OF the negroes that
their votes would not be counted il cast, but
by their neglect, inability or unwillingness
70 pay the poll tax They appreciate the
privilege. but are disposed to decline some
of the obligations of citizenship"
DO you think" asked, that the negroes
are in danger in any way, because OF the
election Of Mr.. Cleveland?'
'sNOt the slightest. On the contrary, il
nav be that they will be much better of.
They are bound to become before long OBJ
Iects of solicitude to members OF different
Democratic factions for ii is almost certain
that the Democratic party will divide with
the superintendent of the fruits OF their
victory"
Two representative colored men. Professor
Il. R Wright and Rev. w. J. White, the
latter the editor OF religious paper, have
expressed their views OF the situation in
long interviews with reporters OF the
Chronicle. journal which is advocating
very earnestly the cultivation of kindly re-
iAtions between all classes of citizens and
the special avoidance of anything like
encroschment upon any OF the rights
with which the blacks are vested. Professor
Wright says the negroes regret the defeat
of the party which gave them freedom and
acknowledgements He did not believe there
e l.
. fear, in his estimation, among the COL
ored people that the right to vote may be
20 trammeled ss 10 be made practically in
operative. The colored people are deeply
interested in State affAirs, 10 the abolition
OF the chain gang system, and In improving
the schools, and see no way to accomplish
these changes except In the free use OF the
ballot. Professor Wright has not heard
Of many negroes leaving the State.
He thinks that II the Democrats i'm
prove their opportunity to treat the col
ored man fairly the South viii be solid with
ont nurmur. Rev. Mr.. White said that
the fear OF - eDsRvement manifested by
some of the negroes would wear OF, bat the
fear that the election OF the Democrats
would remove q check from the party that
opposed emancipation aud might result In
disregard by than Of civil rights had taken
= deeper hold. He did not think that the
xelfore Of the coloTed man depsCded upon
the success Of this or that party. He was
nore concerned about State sttscs, and 10
order to have free school system and re.
move burdens from the lRboring men
ths colored people must have free
access TO the ballotbox- Mr.. White
asays: "Our best interests lie In oor educa
tiOnal. moral and religious advancement
and TO this end We shorld oil labor II thil
Is done 90 viii not Do long before the coIoI
Line disappear"
Mayor May, Democrat fidiculed the idef
that there was . disposition TO treat ths
negroes with less consideration than theJ
had been treated by the Republicans or tha
there vas any probability that IA attemp
would ever be made To curtail or interfer'
with their political privileges. The Demo
.crats had need OF the negro vote, and tn
time would come when they would psrhap
cultiyate il more carefully tasn they hae
done. "As for reeDslsyement" ne said, .
can find you hundreds of men Ia Augusta VIII
will 6ght % stoutiy against return toslave
holding ss any in the State OF New York
Mr. May Is popular among the negroes and hs
won his popularity. sm informed, by I'm
varying justice and kind treatment OF thei
race He said that very intelligent col
-ored man employed In the Posrofice bad in
timated that he would probably have to g
in March. 81 told him." said Mayor May
that l would get 200 signatures 70 peti
ton for his retention, as regarded him q
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