Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-12-06

u
The publication Of the official vote Of
each state cast at the late Presicel Ia
election furnishes some Of the extreme
Republican papers with the opportunity
for reIteratfng the Islander that the VOC
Of the eoIored men in the Southern stA. -
was nuIIifed. The figures undol.''' -
show that a very much larger -
cent of the voters OF the u
81, s.a.ss cast their ballots tlaA
~ az, ,-o-s-s n tbe Southern states Inc
number Of votes cast % saeA Iep
tive eIect0r in the Northern S'@'e7
about 5000. while the NUMBER y eN1n
conservative elect0r in the Sou'NSi a
Statez was less than $1,000. The extreme
PsrutIfcau uapers insist that this diner
erca i drle 70 the fact that the black vote
was repressed. II suits their purpose 70
make an assertion Of that kind. Iney 40
not attempt 70 prove their assertion .!
facts. Their argument j. that the heZIoes
are the most eager class Of voters III .-e
country. and il they didn't vote u was 'e-
cause they were not permitted 70 'ole.
This s1rt OF logic does well enough "hen
the whole aim j. % sustain an assume"
position rather than TO publish the Iru'h'
By many people the assertion d lAese
r,1ra-- VIII be believed. however strongl!
Il nav be c0ntradicted. In fact, tae ma
f7-ftv Of those who read the slanderous
assertion will not see the CONTRADICTION
because il is in journals that do not come
under their observation.
We have attempted on several occS-
sf0ns % show that the negroes a. the lale
election enjoyed the same freedom II
casting their ballots that the white Vo-
ters did. and that they exercised Il 70
whatever extent they pleased. Ii Is true
that except in localities the negroes oiu
not vote very freely but the same i rue
with respect 20 the white voters. Inc
Northern papers appear 10 forget that
there vas no campaign in the SOUTH anu
no uolitical excitement whatever. IN
manv places in this state the people
hardly realized that a great political con-
test was being waged. There were very
few POLITICAL meetings. and those few
were poorly attended
The white people knew that unless
efforts were made % bring out the negro
vote. very small per cent. Of it would Dc
p0IIed. and as no efforts were being made,
they did not make any eXsrt1on u get out
their Own vote. The Southern peopl e
know the negro and his eculiarities- The
Northern people think they know him,
but they are mistaken. When they
assert that the negro Is eager 70 vote
they snow that they are wholly ignorant
|. OF the nero character. The negroes are
eager % vote Il they are paid for doing II.
OF II they can be alarmed into believing
that d failure % vote viii cause them 10
lose some rI-1t U privilege but they are
extremely careless about voting Il
left alone. This the white pc
DE Of the south know, and as
there was no attempt 70 organize
the heroes during the late campaign a
very Iarge per cent. Of the white people
did not bother themselves about voting.
They were SATISFIED that their States were
safe for the Democratic party, because
thev knew that in the absence Of all ex-
element and all organization a very much
larger. per cent. Of the white than the
black vote would be cast. 1.-THE Republic
can journals wIll take the trouble 70 IN
vestigate they will be convinced that the
small vote in the Southern states was not
due 10 the repression Of tire black vote,
but 70 the Indifference Of the black voters
and % a feeling Of security on the part Of
the white voters.