The Brookhaven leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1883-1891, 1884-12-04

mony and prosperity to the people
because it introduces into the Re
public the rule of minority. Th,
first instinct of an American il
equality, equality of right, equalit,
of privilege, equality of politica
power-that equality which says to
every citizen, "Your vote is just a.
good, just as potential as the vote o
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 moro than 100000 of American
citizens and has transferred it BY
violence to others. Forty-two pres.
idcntial electors are assigned to the
South on account of the colored pop
ulation, and yet the colored popula.
ton, with more than 100000 legal
voters, have been unable to choose
single elector. Even in those
States where they have q majority
of more than 100, 1000 they we're de-
prived of free suffrage and their
rights as citizens are scorniully
trodden under foot.
The eleven States that comprised
THE REBEL CoNFEDERAcY
had by the census of 1880, 7,500,-
600 of white people and 100000
colorcd population. The colored
population, almost to man, desire
to support the Republican party,
but by a system of cruel intimida
tion, and by violence and murder,
whenever violence and murder are
thought necessary,they are absolute
ly deprived of all political power.
If the outrage stopped there il
would be bad enough, but it does
not stop there, for not only is the
negro DISTINGUISHED, hut the power
which rightfully and constitutional
ly belongs to them is transferred TO
the white population, enabling the
white population of the South to eX
ert an electoral influence far beyond
that exerted by the same number OF
white people in the North.
To illustrate just how it works to
the destruction of all fair elections
let me present to You five States in
the late Confederacy and five loyal
States of the North, possessing in
each section the same number of cleo
toral votes. In the South the States of
Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama,
Georgia and South Carolina have in
the aggregate 48 electoral votes.
They have 100000 white people
and over 100000 colored people
In the North the States Of Wiscon-
sin, Minnesota, Iowa, Kansas and
California have likewise in the ag
gregrate As electoral votes, and
they have white population Of
5,6O0,00O, or just double the five
Southern States which | have nam
ed. These Northern States have
practically no colored population.
1t Is, therefore, evident that the
white men in those Southern States,
by usurping and absorbing the
rights Of the colored men, are exert
ing
JUST DoUB1E THE POLITICAL POWER
of white men in Northern States.
| submit, my friends, that such a
condition of affairs is extraordinary,
unjust ard derogatory to the man
hood of the North.
Even those who are vindictive!y
opposed to negro suffrage will not
deny that if PRESIDENT electors
are assigned to the South by reason
of the negro population, that popu-
lasion ought to be permitted free
suffrage in the election. TO deny
that clear proposition is to affirm
that a Southern white man in the
Gulf States is entitled to double the
political power of a white man in
Northern lake States. 1t is to at
firm that a Confederate soldier shall
WELD twice the influence in the ma
tiou that a Union soldier can, and
that a perpetual and constantly in
creasing superiority shall be conced-
ed to the Southern white man in
the government of the Union. II
that be quietly conceded in this
generation, it will harden into Gus
tom, until the badge Of inferiority
will attach to the Northern white
man as odiously as ever Norman no
Bile stamped it upon Saxon churl.
This subject is of deep interest &c
the laboring men of the North
With the Southern Democracy tri
umphant in their States and in the
nation, the negro will be compelled
to work for just such wages as the
whites may decree-wages which
will amount, as did the supplies oi
the slaves, to a bare. subsistence
equal in cash to perhaps thirty-fv'
cents per day, if averaged over the
entire South.
THE WHITE 'LABoRER IN THE NoRTE
will soon feel the distinctive effect
of this upon his own wages.
The Republicans have clearly
seen from the earliest days of re
construction that wages in tht
South must be raised 10 just rec
ompense or the laborer's wages il
the North would be ruinously lower
ed, and the party have steadil,
worked for the former result. Th'
| yavarsa infiuence will now he set il