New-York tribune., 1885-03-09
INTOLERANCE IN FLORIDA.
TREATMENT OF THE coLoRED MAN.

JAcksONvIILn, Fla, March 4.-ln his inaugural
address President Cleveland speaks kindly of the
freedmen, and says that they are entitled to all the
rights and privileges of citizens. Ii would be o
happy thing for tho country If he cOnld get his
party 10 recognize and live in conformity with that
iaet. But certainly not in Florida nor in Georgia,
Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, in any South
ern state visited by The TRIBUNE correspondent
Is there any pretence of giving the colored man
the rights and privileges of citizen" The at
titude OF the Democrats of the South toward the
coiored citizen is we'll expressed in the following
extract from a speech delivered not long ago at
Madison by r. G. Long. a Democratic Presidential
eiector from this State, who helped to make Mr.
Cleveland President. He said:
desire TO say to you black mon that the whitc people
long enough. Whatever rights privileges you
now enjoy gratuty from hands, extended to you
tnig you might well understand first last, and that
Is you are not goDg to rule this Government and
getting tired OF having minds diverted from ques-
lons which affect the prosperity and material advance
Oh Tue state on your pretensons at each recurring
but serious conflict n this State between the white
man man and the niger that occurred in this county. and
have CONSTITUTIONAL Convention that convention will
@ 1e controlled by white men no one but white men will
oe aowed vote there the angel Gabriel himself would
not De allowed vote and don't you forget that the
state VIII then be fixed.
Unfortunately. however we'll intentoned Mr..
Cleveland may be toward the colored men, he can
do little or nothing for them because tho entire
democratic party Of the South Is q unit with Mr.
Long on That question. A constitutional conycn-
ton has been called, and it will no doubt adopt
some method OF fixing the status Of the Niger"
as foreshadowed by Mr.. Long, so chat no and his
party friends need no longer have their minds
diverted at each recurring election by the "preten
sions of the colored men to the right to vote and
to have their votes counted For that matter, Mr..
Long and his party have not been troubled much
by these 'pretensions" in the past. There is no
doubt that the colorod men, who are all Repub-
licans, and the white members of that party,
now have fair majority IN this State
II fair vote could be had
they would control the constitutional convention.
But under the present laws aud practice here, there
is no more chance Of fair election than there Is III
Louisiana, where the most honorable Democrats
IN the State swear that the election Is farce.
THE GOVERNOR CAR.
In this state the Government is lodged in the
hands Of the Governor lie has the appointment of
all election officers and of all State and county
oilicers except constables. The Democrats run
side boxes during an election, at which only men,
bers Of that party vote for county officers The
Governor generally. but not always, appoints the
sheriff and other officers chosen in that way by
majority OF his party. In Republican counties. no
matter how large the Republican majority, the
election officers the superintendent of Schools, the
Assessors County Commissioners, County Treasurer.
Judge and all other officials excepting 1t may be
constables, are always Democrats. the only excep-
tion TO- this rule of appointment was in the case
of cities OF which there only three
In the state with population Of over 1000. PEN
sacola. as stated IN previous letter, had large
Republican majority. There are quite number Of
white Republicans there and a large number OF
colored men, Of whom over 1000 own their
homes. The Democrats refused to pay taxes to the
Republican city government, and they could not
bc forced to do so because the judges were all
Democrats appointed by the Governor. There was
always some flaw found on which the judges man
aged to rule i1 favor OF the party assoc as'ofSs tS%;
city from bankruptcy, told THE TRIBUNE cor
respondent hat one reason gwen for resisting pay
ment of taxes was an allegation tha; the assess-
monts were not equitable. TO get over that excuse
the city assessors copied the rolls OF the, county
Governor. On this assessment the Democrats paid
their county taxes To the Democratic county otii-
GERS and where n case was taken into court the
Judge held that the assessment equitable, and
compelled payment. But when the city tried TO en-
force payment of city taxes the same assessment
the same Judge found that II was inequitable and
the city could not collect. The Democrats com-
planned that the city government was bad. ana
finally had tho recent Legislature abolish II and
give the government into the hands of a c0mmS-
SION appointed by the Governor. I'm that way the
"pfetensons" Of the colored and white Ropubli-
cans got rid Of at the same time.
SPECIMEN BALLoT-Box FRAUDS.
I'm Precinct No o. in Escombia according to the
affidavit of ex-senator Cobb. leading citizen of
Pensacola. the Republicans poled II votes ut the
last election and the Democrats 9l. Tho returns,
according TO a Democratic election officer, were
Republican votes, 10; Democrats, ii7. Afterward,
finding that more votes were needed the Demo-
a III tic IN
of 1877 returned to 237. Tho change was SO plain
as 10 be undenable. When Mr.. Cobb exposed tho
matter the official returns on file were destroyed
Another precinct was changed in the same way.
At Precinct No. 10 the lights were turned out while
the votes were being counted. 1t took twelve
hours 10 count he returns of 200 votes at that poll
Al Precinct No. IL there were IL votes In the box
in excess of the names on the poll list pretence
was made of drawing them out, but when the oui-
cial return was promulgated the IL votes were re-
tained. At Precinct No. D, where there are only 81
voters. Democratic majority OF lOi was
returned a year ago At Crab Tree Precinct
% votes wero pollod at the last election
and rs. returned. Three hundred coored men
required ostcnslbly for necessary work on
railroad were put aboard n construction tram ana
SO far away that il was impossible Tor theh To
get home To vote. In Jackson county, III one pre-
cinct. 125 tissue ballots were found III tne Dox.
The Democratic Commissioner OF Election salu tiat
he would comply strictly with the law ana ~ haVs we
the excess of l25 votes drawn out. lie took all
the Democratic ballots and put them In the bottom
of the box, and then placed tho tissue ballots on
top of those and tho top of oil he placed the io
publican ballots. man was then blindfoded and
told TO draw out the excess Of 125 ie did so, and
took out I25 straight Republican votes ne Tissue
ballots were all Democratic. In Madison county,
where the Republicans had majority, the
boxes were stolen to prevent any return oelhg
made In Sumter County where there Is hepuo-
hcan majority, Democrats from Georgia came
across and helped their party out, so that county
gave Democratic majority of 21O In Gadsden
County there were more tissue-DaIlot uauus. IL
would be easy to go enumeIatng similar III
stances of how the Democrats manage To oyercomo
the pretensionsr of the Republicans to ialr vote
In Lis Stnte The lazy nrnyidcs for the cXalnlnalon