The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1885-10-01
SOUTHERN ELECTION FRAUDS
Senator John Sherman Fur
nishes Another Supply of
Republican Doctrine.
He Responds to Gov. Hoadly, and Shows
How the Oolored Vote Is Suppressed
by Intimidation and Murder.

10 the recent reply OF Judge noauly IN u
speech, a portion of which We herewith
print. We call attention 10 the dignifed
courteous, and statesmanlike tone Of Mr..
Sherman's remarks. with the suggestion
that its facts and conclusions can neither
be answered nor set aside by cries of
bloody shirt.
wish to call your attention to a controversy
that has been conducted at long range between
Gov. Hoadly and myself. and to answer speech
he made recently at gainesville.
In my speech at Mt. Gilead said the war was
over and the animosities OF the war should be
buried; that would not hold the rebels re.
sponsible for what they did in the war. but that
we could not surrender what was won by our
soldiers in the war. Among the results OF the
war claimed were the liberty and equal civil
and political rights of all citizens, including the
right TO vote without discrimination as to race,
color. or condition j charged that the Demo-
cratic party OF the South had, by fraud and
violence, deprived the six million colored citi-
zens OF the South of their civil and political
rights, and had prevented those entitled by the
Constitution and laws TO vote. from exercising
affect the result OF the election. said that by
this organized crime the election OF Cleveland
was made possible and that this condition OF
citizen could cast his legal vote and have 1t
counted. Gov Hoadly, at Hamilton, undertook
to answer my speech put he neither denied the
political associates, but said was waving the
bloody shirt. that i was preaching the doctrine
OF hate and alienation, and that Judge Foraker
and refused to accept the results of the war.
Now to wave the bloody shirt. Is considered
by such new Democrats as Governor Hoadly as
mortal offense. The precise definition OF what
is waving the bloody shirt is not yet settled
upon, but any eulogy OF the achievements OF the
Union army, any statement OF the blessing won
by the civil war, and, especially, any reference
to our friends over the line rebels. is getting
60 be Offensive to a good Democrat, especially II
he is a new convert. While have life trust
will have the courage to denounce the rebellion
and extol the Union cause, and, therefore, to
this charge of waving the bloody shirt L make
no defense. but will continue to wave 1t as long
rs it is bloody, but with charity enough to for
give all the rebels did in the war; excepting only
those who conspired to bring on the war.
AS to the other charges, replied at Lebanon
that Gov. Hoadly had evaded the issue; that
j was not complaining OF the results of the war,
but insisting upon their observance: that the
constitutional amendments, the chief results OF
the war, granted to the freedmen certain rights,
chief of which was the right to vote; that the
parole of the Confederate soldiers given to Gen.
Grant required of them, as an obligation OF
duty and honor. 70 obey these conditions or
peace; and that the Democratic party of the
South. by crimes unnumbered, had deprived
these freedmen of the right TO Vote and of all
political power; that the events of which l
complained occurred since the war, and were q
part and parcel of the organized party policy of
the Democratic party. and never had been and
never would be condoned until redressed.
said would keep this issue before Governor
Hoadly as a candidate for Governor of Ohio un
til he either disputed or defended this enor-
nifty, and especially so as he had been with me
In political faith and action in the constitu-
tional guarantees OF liberty and equality TO the
freedmen.
And now have before me his answer, such as
1t is
He saws that seek to revive and enlist feel
tpgs which the war engendered, the spirit OF
luminosity to the South, to renew the battle
fever, and TO remind the parents and relatives
of the men who died in the field or In no pitfalls,
or in Southern prisons, of their sufferings, in
order that he may reap the reward in emolu-
ment and salary"
deny it. He is the first who in this debate
has referred to these cruel Incidents of the war.
What claim is that many Of these men who
were rebels, with their party associates, de-
prive millions of citizens of the United States,
more justly entitled to the consideration of a
free people than they are, OF the dearest rights
Does Gov. Hoadly deny this? He does not,
but states a fact which adds enormously to the
offense. He says that, though the Republican
party has been in power for many years, IL was
unable, under the limitations of the Constitu-
ton, to prevent the atrocities / have charged.
Gen. Grant attempted this, and exercised to the
utmost the powers he possessed over the army
and navy TO protect the freedmen of the South !;
but it was manifest that the force of the army
at his command was insufficient, and public
sentiment would not allow the employment Of
military force in such plumbers as was neces-
sary to protect the freedmen of the South. Does
IL lessen the crime that it remains unpunished2
w
line of duty and the law. 1t could not furnish
an effective remedy without an open renewal of
the war, from which men OF all parties shrank.
But Is the crime committed In the name OF the
Democratic party the less because IL was with
out remedy That party was composed in
the South OF white men who had been rebel
soldiers, or VINO sympathized with them,
though in minority of the legal voters
In several Of the Southern States, and was
so strong that. aided by secret armed organiza-
tons called Ku-klux klans and the like. they
were able by terror and violence to overawe the
majority Of the voters. largely composed of
freedmen. Appeals were made to Congress for
the enforcement of the constitutional amend
ments. In the month of March, 1871, General
Grant, President of the United States, sent
message to Congress calling its attention to the
condition Of affairs in the Southern States,
which, he said, rendered life and property inse
cure, and the carrying of the mails ana the col
lection OF the revenue dangerous. He also
stated that the power TO correct these evils was
beyond the control OF the State authorities, and
that the power of the Executive of the United
States, acting within the limits of existing laws,
was insufficient. Thereupon Congress passed
an act 10 enforce the provisions OF the four
teenth amendment. and also appointed joint
select committee of the two houses to examine
into the affairs OF the late insurrectionarv
States. This examination is contained in thir-
teen volumes, and the report of the committee
by MIR. Poland was made in February. 1872,
upon the testimony of great multitudes of wit
nesses, including many of the highest officers
of the army and persons In civil life. The evil
dence was conclusive that in the States south Of
Virginia anarchy prevailed. that secret armed
bands committed murder and every crime
known in the decalogue with view TO deprive
the freedmen of civil and political rights. The
courts were powerless when juries would not
convict upon the cearest testimony. Every
effort was made TO enforce the law, but failed
through the organized resistance OF the Demo-
cratic party.
This continued until 1878, when what is called
the Mississippi plan was put into successful
execution by the Democratic PARTY in that State,
with the avowed purpose of DISTINGUISHING the
mass of the Republicans OF that State. At that
time Gen. Ames, a man of unbemished charac-
ter and honor was Governor OF the State by the
vote OF the majority of the people. military
organization effected in the name of the
Democratic party. by which the members of
that party were armed and organized, and at
the day fixed for the general election they, by
force and violence, in many cases accompanied
by murder, seized upon the power OF the State
and subverted the government This matter
was again examined into by a committee of the
Senate. and the report made by Senator Bout
well shows Enthusiastically that the object Of
their seizure was to prevent the freedmen from
exercising the elective franchise, and from that
day to this there has been scarcely pre-
tense that they can vote in that State, or IL
thew vote that their vote will be counted
In the Presidential election of 1876 the Missis-
sippi plan was adopted I'm all the cotton states,
and the evidence taken before the returning
officers Of those STATES, after that election was
over, shows that the same plan of intimidation
was practiced with even more bloody results
than in Mississippi with view to prevent the
colored people from voting. but fortunately the
laws OF those states provided for canvassing the
vote and rejecting the vote of counties or par