The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1885-10-15
THAT SUPPRESSED vOrE SOUTH.

As to that much talked OF suppressed
yl.ein the South, Col,T,W HigginsOn, al
old-time abOlitiOnist who commanded
colOred regiment during the war, ha
given us something valuable. He ha
made a study Of the question and is wei
posted. In letter Ia the Boston Adyer
tlser, he discusses the alleged ''auppres
sion" of the negro vote, and certainl!
few mln at the North have had bette
sources OF information, or have shown
more unsell-h devotion TO the Interests
OF the freedmen. Ignoring what wa'
d me In the heated controversies OF thC
past, and considering the present situa
tlOn, Colonel Higginson holds thesj
views.
The real canses which impair The
Southern Republican vote lie In wholly
other iuilubncea, most OF which would
have much the same result In any Other
locality,
These more direct causes are; (D The
Ignorance and poverty OF the blacks
which has made II impossible that they
should organize and bring out
their vote ~ against the better
educated and Weather whites
(2) their disputes and sub'diyls'
iOns among themselyas; q tendency
which Ia illustrated by half the social
I'd "Alrlcan cl urches' at the North aud
largely the Te.ult OF the eama ignOr'
ance; CD their dependence through pOy-
erty, upon white employers, generally
Democrats, and having a tendency 10
discharge those who have voted against
them-a tendency also not contlned u
the South, as many Northern Mag
wump" have found TO their cost; (i)
their disgust at the memory Of the car
pet.bag government under which, IN
they fOnnd too late, they themselves
were only signed on the lire, while Their
Northern leaders got the chestnute; (5)
the absence OF all visible attempt by Re
publlcans TO hold meetingl or furnish
political guidance TO their Sou nlhern
allies; (6) the failure OF the republican
party, when In power, To fullll IT.
promises; (7) the death OF Lincoln and
now Of Grant. the only Norehern public
men whose names were really Known In
the Sou cabins.
Al these points OF explanation have
come TO me, not from my own specua'
tinna, bu from the very man concerned,
Compared with these Influences, 20 fSr
IN | eau form an opinion, violence Hnr
tissue ballots aud complicated ballot
boxes are wholly secondary, These
causes have had the effect not 10 much
to transfer the negro vote 10 lhr Demo.
cratic side az 10 impair and diminish Il
altogether All politicians admit that
II js hard to bring out the votes OF lhp
very poor and ignorant unless they have
q direct money Interest In voting Now,
the bulk OF the negro vote In the South
IL still and long Will DO just this class,
All politicians know how hard II IL 10
bring out q large vote In an of year
To the mass OF these slugglah voters
among the Southern voters II Ia always
al of year. must say that all the ac
cnmnlated speeches and resolutions OF
my Republican friends do not seem TO
me ~ manifest 10 much political com
mon sense OF the brief remark Of SAr
geant Harry Williams In my own par
lor: W. have made up our minds 10
quit politics until we have got educa-
ton and property; then, perhaps, we
will try politics again" or the still pith.
ier saying OF the old colored man In Al
lanta TO Edward Atkinson: You can't
put Ignorance on top OF knowledge and
make II stay there"
In the northern States, with oil our
intelligence and effort we rarely get GU
0 full vote, To-day In Ohio our aggre
gate vote will hardly exceed 5000;
that ls, about 100000 short Az to the
negro vote south, the ordinary canvass
Ing to bring out the vote Ia neglected,
On the other hand, the Democrats are
active and energetic. They represent
the brains and the property OF those
States They have vital interest IN
honest and decent local government. As
ColonNl HlggInson points out, under
such conditions the negro voter becomes
Indifferent, stays away from the polls,
Or, az is gradually getting to be the case,
Votes with his white employer.