Morning journal and courier., 1884-05-29
SunrHaI sno Gaiuisr.
SINGLE COPIES TWO GENTS.
Thursday. May go, 1884.
THE DANVILLE RIOT.


 The report of the Sherman subcommittee upon the Danville riot, prepared by Senator Lapham, is very interesting document. It gives clear description of the condition of affairs which led to the outbreak During the control of the State by the Democratic or funder party constitutional amendment had been adopted in 1876 imposing the psy- ment of 8 capitation tax of one dollar as c prerequisite to the right to vote and a law hAd been enacted establishing the whipping post as punishment for minor offences, persons subject by law to such punishment for certain offensss being disfranchissd The readjuster party having gained ascend- ancy, amended the constitution, abolished the capitation tax and the whipping-pess, and for the first time in the history of the State, since the amendment of 1876 was adopted, suffrage at the election in Novem- Der, 1888, was to be free from such restric- tions. Accordingly, the Democratic party, early in the canvass ef last year, renewed the efforts which had before been made to some extent to intensity and excite the race issue in the contest. This was deemed necessary from the fact that white voters in the State had left their former po- lltical associations in such numbers as en- abled them, with the aid of colored voters to secure 8 majority in the State and elect of fcers of their choice. Without such division of the white vote success in the State by coalitionists would have been impossible, as ty 1.-the census of 1880 the eolored voting 1Qslation in Virginia was only 12S, ,257, while that of the whites was 206, ,O48. While there was no motive therefore on the part of the coalition party to excite the race issue, which would inevitably have the effect to alienate the support of the white voters, there was every inducemsnt on the part of the Democrats to raise and intensify that is- those among the white people who hsd been supporting the coalition party.
 Regarding the massacre the committee fiads no evidence that the negroes fired shot until after the whites fired the general volley, and that very few had weapons of sny kind. The whites on the contrary, were generally armed. The fire bell was runR, but not for a fire. It was . secret signal for the white military company. The whites
 
 were distributed among those who had none from the shops and stores. The committee finds conclusive evidence that the violence was prenneditated. Under the sub-heading, "How the Democrats made use of the occur renee at Danville, D the report says that in al~ most every part of the State exaggerated reports of the massacre were circulated Circulars and extracts from the testimony of many witnesses are given showing the sym pathy which was aroused by the supposed danger of the white people of Danville. In view of this created sentiment, what, the committee asks. wes the conduct of affairs in the city of Dsnville after the massacrs2 The ringleaders of the rioters were placed on guard, every white Democrat was armed, and the negroes fed in terror to their houses, the authority of the readjuster mayor was defed, and the white company WAS ordered ont
 The Democrats will of course try to break the force of this report by declaring that it was made for political purposes. But it is impossible to blot out the facts, and these facts give ample justification for the findings of the committee.