Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1884-11-22
THAT STARTLING ADDRESS.

extraordinary, The Northern States, leav-
ing out the cities OF New York and Brook
lyn from the connt, sustained the Republi-
can cause BY majority. Of more than
400, 600 almest halt million, indeed, Of
the popular vote. The cities Of New York
and Brooklyn threw their great strength and
influence with the solid South, and were the
decisive element which gave TO that section
the control of the National Government.
Speaking now, not at all as defeated can
didate, but simply as loyal and devoted
American, | think the transfer OF
the political power of the Govern
ment to the South is great
nation misfortune. Ii is a misfortune be-
cause it introduces an element which can
not enssre harmony and prosperity to the
people; because it introduces into republic
the rule ofa minority. The first instinct of
an American is equality-equaEty of right,
equality of privilege, equality Of political
power; that equality which says to every
citizen, Your vote is quite as good, Just as
potential as the vote of any other citizen"
That cannot be said to-day in the United
States. The course of affairs in the South
has crushed out the political power OF more
than six million American citizens, and has
transferred it by violence to others. Forty
two Presidential electors are assigned to the
South on account Of the colored population,
and vet the colored population with more
than 100000 legal votes, have been un-
able to choose a single electOr. Even in
those States where they have majority OF
more than hundred thousand they are de-
prived of free suffrage, and their rights as
citizens are scornfully trodden under foot,
The eleven States that comprised the rebel
Confederacy had by the census of 1880,
100000 white population and 5,OOO,OOO
colored population. The colored popula-
ton, almost to a man, desire to support the
Republican party, but by a system Of cruel
intimidation and by violence and murder,
whenever violence and murder are thought
necessary, they are absolutely deprived Of
all political power. If the outrage stopped
there it would be bad enough, but it does not
stop there, for not only is the negro popula-
ton disfranchised, but the power which
rightfully and constitutionally belongs to
them is transferred to the white population
of the South to exert an electoral influence
fur beyond that exerted BY the same mum
Der Of white people in the North. To Illus
trate Just how it works to the destruction of
all fair elections, let me present 10 you five
States in the late Contederacy and fiIe
loyal States of the North, possessing in each
section the same number Of electoral votes.
In the South the States OF Louisiana,
Mississipr;, Alabama, Georgia, and South
Carolina have in the aggregate 4S cleo
toral votes They have $500, 900 white peo
pie, and over 5000, 900 cOlored people. In
the North the States of Wisconsin, Mime
sofa. Iowa, Kansas and California have
likewise in the aggregate As electoral votes,
and they have white population of $780,
600. or Just double the FIVE Southern States
which I have named. These Northern
States have practically no colored popula-
ton. 1t is therefore evident that the white
men in these Southern States, BY usurping
the rights of the colored man, are exerting
Just double the political power of the white
men in the Northern States. | submit, my
friends, that such condition of affairs is
extraordinary, unjust, and derogatory to
the manhood Of the North, Even
those who are yindictiyely opposed
to negro suffrage will not deny that
if Presidential Electors are as
signed to the South by reason of the negro
that population ought to be per
mitted free suffrage in the election. To
deGy, that clear proposition is TO affirm that
a Southern white man IN the Gulf States
is entitled to double the political power of
Northern white man in the Lake States-it
is 10 affirm that Confederate soldier shall
WELD twice the influence in the nation that
[ mon soldier can, and that perpetual and
eonst lntly increasing superiority shall be
to the Southern white man IN the
government of the Union. If that be qui.
etly conceded in this generation, 1t will
harden into custom until the badge of in
feriority will attach to the Northern white
man as oliously as ever Norman noble
stamped it upon Saxon churls.
The subject is Of deep interest to the la
boring men of the North. With the South
ern Democracy triumphant in their states
and in the nation, the negro will be COM
PEELED to work for just such wages as the
whites may decree; wages which will
amount, as did the supplies OF slaves, TO
bare subsistence, equal in cash TO thirty
FIVE cents day, if averaged over the entire
South. The white laborer in the North VII
soon feel the distinctive effect of this upon
his own wages. The Republicans have
clearly seen from the earliest days Of recon.
struction that wages in the South must be
raised to a Just recompense to the laborer,
or wages in the North ruinously low
cred. and the party have steadily
worked for the former result The reverse
influence will now be set in motion and that
condition of affairs produced OF which years
AGO Mr.. Lincoln warned the free labocing
men of the North will prove hostile to their
and will inevitably lead to q
ruinous reduction of wages. A mere diff
ference in the color Of the skin will not
suffice TO maintain an entirely different
of wages in contiguous and ada
cent States. and the voluntary will be com
uelled to Weld to the involuntary. So COM
pletely have the colored men in the South
been already deprived by the Democratic
party of the constitutional and legal
rights as citizens Of the United
States that they regard the advent Of that
party to national power as the signal OF their
and are atfnghted because
they think all legal protection for them is
gone. Few persons in the North realize
how completely the chiefs Of the rebellion
WELD the political power which has triumph
ed in the late election. 1t is a porteutious
fact that the Democratic Senators who
come from the States ofthe late Conteder-
acy all-and mean all without q single
e1ception-personally participated in the
rebellion against the National Government
1t is still more significant fact thatin those
States no man who was loyal to the Union, no
matter how strong q Democrat he may be
today, has the slightest chance of political
promotion. The one great avenue to honor
IN that section is the record Of Jealous ser
vice in the war against the Government
II is certainly an astounding fact that the
section in which friendship for the Union in
the day of lis trial and agony is still q polit-
ical disqualification should be called now
70 rule over the Union. All this takes
place during the lifetime Of the generation
that fought the war, and elevates into Prsc-
command Of the American Govern
mept the identical men who organized Tor