The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1885-09-17

no Longer aOi6 10 cOutfol Sstc StsNH cecasUsINi
as i unit, will endeavor to destroy it.
Many prominent men have predicted,
that if the colored people were ever en-
dangered in their constitutional right to
the free exercise of the elective franchise
it would come from the Northern Re-
publicans. Sherman seems from his recent |
utterances to give color and force to this
prediction. The very means the Repub-
lican party adopted OF securing an
unholy lease of power, comes now to
plague it and serves as potent element
in its downfall, and they desire to de-
stroy it.
This Republican leader, to accomplish
his purpose, lays aside all semblance of
truth, and broadly proclaims that the
colored people have been denied many
of the necessary incidents of liberty,
among the most precious of which is the
right to free discussion, and that they
were now DISTINGUISHED, and thus openly
and boldly deprived Of all the safeguards
by which alone their liberties could be
preserved"
1t will certainly be news of a most
astounding character to our readers and
citizens generally, to be told from this
Ohio oracle that the colored people are
not allowed "free discussion and that
they are "now disfranchised." To those
of us who every campaign witness their
meetings and hear their public utterauces,
and see them go quietly to the polls and
vote, free from all interference, this state
ment is but the false utterance of a
bitter and biased political partisan.
Mr.. Sherman cries out fraud and intiml-
dation in the South. Can he see no crime
in the fraud and moral coercion exercised
at every Presidential election in the
North? Is it a free exercise of the cleo
tive franchise to have thousands of North
ern workmen depending upon their en-
ployment for support to be told by their
employees that they must vote in accord
ance with their views or be discharged
and turned loose upon an uncharitable
world, homeless and without means 10
support family? Is the bribery and
corruption used by Republican strikers
no crime Was the spending near a half
million dollars in bribing the voters of
Indiana i'm 1880 in accordance with his
high moral ideas The Republicans can
see and become amazed at the mote in the
political eye of the South, but never for a
moment observe the beam in that of the
North. They tell us that the black man
is tcrrorized over in the South. From
personal observation we know it to be
untrue. But even if it existed it would be
preferable to the wholesale purchase of
votes that is often made by the Republic
cans of the North.
These Republican leaders think it
strange that the white vote in the South
will not divide and denouncc the fact as
tteason. But when it is minated that
the colored vote may divide they at once
|
make the great mistake Of endeavoring to
keep the black vote solid and divide that
of the whites. The intelligent and patr-
otto white vote of the South can never be
divided on such party lines. a few white
demagogues will always be found az in
struments under the guise of Independents
or Liberals, or some other designation of
deception, to encourage the idea, but it
may be written down as law as I'M
changeable as that Of the Modes and Per-
slams that so long as the Republicans en-
deavor to keep the black vote solid so long
will every patriotic impulse of the whites
force them together as a necessity for
good government.
But the blacks are secure in their right
to vote, and Mr.. Sherman and his Re
publican followers will not be allowed to
deprive them Of it. They give the South
large increase in the lower house OF
Congress, and, according to MIR. Sherman,
thirty Height votes in the Electoral Col
lege. These rights are TOO valuable to be
given up, besides revolutions never 60
backward. But the position and utter
ances of such Republicans but serve to
demonstrate what has been generally be-
lieved, that the only use they have for
the black man is to keep themselves in
power. Wien they fail in that they are
willing TO sacrifice the rights of those
awards of the nation," if it can promote
their return to power. But the Southern
Democrats are not willing to be shorn Of
SO much power in Congress and in the
choice of President, and Mr.. Sherman
will receive no aid and comfort from them
in his fanatical efforts.
Boston Herald
Those Outrages.
1t sounds queer when we hear the Re-
publican orators denouncing the election
III