The state chronicle. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1883-1893, 1886-04-29

question in most of the Southern States
since the new era began. The election in
Virginia last November showed nothing
conclusive in this point; the Coalition
party, purely mechanical contrivance,
had been overturned BY a larger majority
two years previously. 1t is an indisputed
fact that the large (colored) Republican
maiorites which at one time existed in
South Carolina, Mississippi and louisiana
had disappeared before Mr. Cleveland was
known outside Of his own state. For years,
the Solid South had been growing more
solid At an election in Mississippi last
fall the Republican party had no ticket III
the field. The only opposition to the reg
ular Democratic nominees was a few lnde-
pendent candidates Of the same party
Should Mr.. Clevelands 5 course incline col
orcd men to vote with the Democratic
party, it can only increase the solldlty, If
that be possible. 1t certainly has had
thus far, no tendency to divide the white
vote. Colored voters have for years, III
sections where they have the largest mum
ber of voters, found it impossible to get
their votes properly counted. They find
the election machinery everywhere in the
lands of their political opponents and CON
trolled exclusively, directly or indirectly,
by them. The only means which they
have of expressing their preference being
ineffective, and finding it easier and safer
to submit to these wrongs than to contend
for their rights, they have gradually be
come apathetic.
The disposition of the Administration 10
appoint colored men to Office has pleased
the colored people immensely They rec
OgniZe in this a tendency to give the col
Ored man his dues, not as a cOlOred man
but as man. To see such a tendency uni
form among the whites, and particularly
in the South, is what every colored man
and woman throughout the country is
praying for. They see also that under
certain circumstances, cOlOred men who
are consistent Democrats may get an oc-
casional appointment to public office,
though they know that the Southern press
is unanimously, or nearly so, opposed to
the appointment of a colored man to any
position Of profit or trust which white
man can hold. Colored people have lost
much faith in the authority of the General
Government since they have found it in
competent to redress many of the wrongs
to which they have been and are still sub
jected. The decision of the Supreme Court
on the Civil Rights bill was a great disap-
pointment to them. 1t is difficult for them
to understand why it IS that Government
which has the power to confer upon them
certain rights cannot protect them in the
exercise of those rights whenever and wher-
ever they may be violated.
There is thus far nothing to warrant the
conclusion that the new Administration
has perceptibly influenced the colored peo
Pile, regarded from an educational, indus
trial or moral standpoint. 1t is admitted
on all sides that they are rapidly moving
forward on all these lines; making appa
rently more progress in education than in
industry, and less in the Improvement of
their morals than in either. Their rapid
progress in education is due to the well
organized efforts of Northern men and
Northern money, added to the aid yearly
given by the State Governments. Thou
sands of colOred families in Virginia hold
in fee simple homes in which they live.
Many of them are in comfortable circum-
stances There is little loafng, and there
are no tramps. The number of shop
keepers and small merchants is steadily
increasing with promising results. There
are more than Il dozen practicing physi-
clans and as many licensed attorneys at
law in the State, and no opposition is mani
| tested towards them. A latent race pre- ju-
dice IS very strong, as an occasional lynch
ing shows, here and throughout the South.
The Danville massacre and the recent
affair at Carrolton, Miss, show further
the extent of the race feeling.
VIM. NJ. REID.