The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-09-17

by fraud and violence In the States of Louis
lana, South Carolina and Florida the returns of
these officers accompanied by the testimony
taken in open session. showed conclusively that
but for the frauds and crimes committed, these
States would have been largely Republican. and
that by excluding the counties and parishes
where fraud or violence prevailed, President
Hayes received their electoral votes There is
not shadow of doubt that if the election had
been fair in all the cotton States they would,
with the possible exception of Georgia, have
voted the Republican ticket
Governor Hoadly, with strange perverslty
for one who has been Republican sees no harm
or wrong in the open deprivation of the colored
voters of their franchise. and repeats again the
oft-refuted story that President Hayes was de-
clared elected by means OF fraud. when the
only fraud wrong committed in these States
was by the Democratic party upon weak and I'M
offending freedmen, whom they deprived of their
votes. From the day of that election there has
been in all the South a practical deprivation OF
the coored people of their right to vote, but in
stead of violence the fraud of tissue ballots, and
false count and return, is the common and cas-
Ter mode.
Governor Hoadly insists that because the Re-
publican party could find no remedy for the
wrongs committed upon the freedmen no wrong
was committed This does not follow 1t may
be that the Republican party failed to grapple
with the second rebellion of the South
with the energy demanded by the gray
lty of the offense, but at that
harmony with public sentiment or the strong
desire of the Republican party to avoid actual
conflict. But, if it erred in this respect does it
follow that this example of the overthrow of the
rights of whole race should be forgotten and
condoned? Shall the solid South, maintained by
fraud and violence, be continued a controlling
element in our politics. Are we prepared to
have six millions of people deprived of their
constitutional rights. as fostering sore IN
the politics of the futurel Shall we have a
population larger than that of Ireland complain
ing of an injustice far greater than ever in
ficted upon the Irish people2 Shall the promot-
ers OF this wrong as reward Of their crime,
enjoy increased politica! power over an equal
number of people in the Northq Shall ten thou
sand rebels and Democratic voters in Mississippi
elect member of Congress when it requires thirty
thousand voters in Ohio to have the same rep
resentatlon. Governor Hoadly thinks nothing
should be said about it; that we must not wound
the feelings of the men who committed this
grave offense; that to do so is to wave the bloody
shirt and to revive the recolections Of the war.
He asks, as Tweed asked, What will you do
about it9" He, processing to be friend of the
colored men. has no remedy to offer, no advice
to give them except to vote with their former
masters and the Ku-klux Khan. He thinks, as
they kindly people, they will do If we
can believe the testim ony of every living witness
who has spoken upon the subject, the colored
man, if allowed to vote, will, without exception,
vote with the Republican party, that has secured
him his freedom, and will protect him, to the
extent of it's power. in his political rights. l
trust that I will always have the courage to de-
nounce the wrong that has been done him, and
do my part toward seeking remedy.
l said at Mt. Gilead that l think an appeal
should be made to the honor and good faith of
the South to faithfully fulfill their parole of hon
or, and obey the constitutional amendments,
and l. one, would be willing to make that ap-
peal whenever | thought it would be heard
needed. Governor Hoadly asks why did not
go South and try to persuade my countrymen
fkot, t1a5n1 ,,fxy pi~1@ @ho H.
knows well anyone that this appeal would
have been met in large portions of the South
with the shotgun. Hundreds of brave men liv
ing in the South, with property there and inter
ests there, have been driven from the stand by
armed ruffians. when they sought to exercise the
freedom of speech. gentleman known to
Governor Hoady Gen. Willard Warner, while
a senator from the State of Alabama, was pre-
vented from speaking to his constituents by Just
such violence. and hundreds of instances
| shown Ill the public records where free discus
sion was accompanied by murder or wholesale
violence. But l do believe that there is
now in the South feeling that the best in
terests of their people is that every legal voter
should be allowed to vote and have his vote
counted ! am encouraged in this belief by
many leading citizens of the South and by the
gallant contest now being made by General
Malone and Governor Wise ia Virginia, who
have made and are how making this appeal. l
believe the Republicans in the South heartily
| sympathize in this movement They do not in
any degree object to a confederate holding
Office of honor. trust profit but only ask that
he shall be willing to observe and respect the
rights of others.
The Republican policy of protection to in
dustry, free schools and internal development
and Improvement, accompanied with an honest
vote, and an honest count, would win favor with
| the Southern people, if only it could be pre-
sented in open discussion free from the hate and
sectional feeling growing out of the civil war.
| That has been the feeling in the North, and but
fNx %k1 49,
party in maintaining a solid South, itwould pre-
vail IN Virginia, North Carolina and Tennessee,
while an honest election at any time. in any
State south of these. except Texas, would give
Republican majority.
Governor Hoadly says that if the solid South
will still deny to the colored people the right
vote. representation can not be reduced under
the Fourteenth amendment, because l cannot
point out the State law that in terms excludes
them from voting. 1t is for each house to Judge
of the election of it's members. If the Constitu-
ton of the United States, which confers the
right to representation is III fact disregarded by
State, or within State, each house will judge
for itself whether members and senators are
elected according to the Constitution, and the
case may arise when this will be its bounden
duty
Governor Hoadly says that the Republican
party depends in Tennessee on fraudulent vot-
ing. The only evidence of this groundess state
ment is that the Republicans of Tennessee op-
posed the passage of registry law in that State
to be administered by the Democratic party.
do not know the grounds of this opposition. but
l can easily conceive that they do not care to
leave the Democratic party the chance to prac-
tice frauds under a registry law as well as un-
der their favorite way of change of the returns.
A fair registry law, honestly administered, is a
restraint upon fraud, but it is no restraint
upon a change of ballots fraudulent return
Does not Governor Hoadly know that ali the
historic frauds at elections from the time of the
Plaquemine frauds at the election of 1884 to this
time the exclusive work of the Democratic
partyl
Governor Hoadly complains that referred to
his signature to the petition for the pardon of
Lieutenant Mullen but do not take his version
of the fact of the atrocious crime of Mullen. l
prefer to take the sworn testimony of the wit
| nesses at the trial, the confession of Mullen,
and the statement in open court of Judge Bax-
ter And what is that statement That Mullen
knew that some of those arrested had been citi