Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1886-09-07
Addresses Delivered by Hon. ],
d. Blaine and Hon. william
Gibson OF Ohio.
A Large and Enthusiastic
Meeting at Etna.

"e' "iter discussion OF the industrial
question and some reference to the prohibi
tlon issue, closed his speech with the follow
ing reference:
Il spoke few davs since of the determ.
nation of the democrats in Congress to keep
dakota knocking at the doors OF the Union
Tor abundance, even after she has ten times
the population that certain southern states
had when thev were adm tted The wrong
iainess Of this step is more marked and more
ih'oierable when its remembered that the
material proportion of the vote by which the
democrats accomplished the exclusion of
Dakota is obtained by the Acknowledgement
OF 6,00O,000 of the southern population, thus
enabling them to cast from 35 to 40 votes in
Congress to which they have no moral title
legal title, nor constitutional title, and no
title at all except that which is founded upon
force and frand. [Applause.
know 1t is regarded by a large number as
useless If not unwise to continue discussion
OF the Southern vote, but no feature connect
ed with that vote can in the END be 80 deplor-
able and destructive as that the whole nation
should quietly acquiesce in the outrage.
have only the voice and influence of a private
citizen, but as long as have that / will pro-
test against the wrong which not merely blots
out all the rights of colored men but abso.
lutely seizes the votes to which they are en-
titled with that wroDgfully acquired electoral
strength that controls the legislative power
of the United States. Cheers and cries of
good If the matter involved only the ex-
clusion of the colored man from the ballot,
and thus from the highest right of citizenship,
it would surely be bad enough, but he is
marked with the possession of the ballot. and
his electoral strength is turned to the support
pf tha hos ,e =.
jury. Southern gentleman with whon l
have long held personal relations of kindness,
sand to me with candor which was surprs-
ing, as his lack of perception of the enormity
which he was apparently endorsing. that in
the recent election in Mississippi and also in
South Carolina, the colored men who are in
a large majority in both States, were actually
well organized for the election and would
have carried it but for the great activity and
vigilance of the white men at the last mo-
ment. l said to him. ''Did these colored
men intend any violence or fraud?" "Oh,
no." says he, "but they would have out
voted us if they had the numbers
and it took great exertion on our
part to over vote them" He was apparently
unconscious of the magnitude of the crime
which was involved in the destruction of the
electoral rights of the entire race and yet
disregard of natural and legal rights have
proceeded in the South. The refusal to al
low colored men to vote and the cool appro-
priation of their electoral strength by white
men has become a common custom and COM
mon law of the South, and will remain so
until some great moral shock shall awaken
those people to the enormity of the offense.
1t will read very strangely in future history
of the United States that a minority of white
citizens of the country could neutralize and
destroy the franchise of 5000, 900 colored
people, seize their representative and cleo
torsl strength, and control the administration
of the national government against a large
majority of undoubted legal voters. And
yet, that is what is going on in the South and
what has gone on in the South ever since
1867. 1t is an extraordinary fact that the
wealthiest, most educated State of the Union
quietly acquiesce in the wrong of giving the
white men of Mississippi and Carolina double
political power in the country that any equal
number of northern white men possess. The
government, by free suffrage of the people,
proceeds upon the assumption, that
voting shall be legal and fair
When it becomes corrupted, either under the
domination of violence or through the influ-
ence of bribery, the whole republican system
is impregnated with deadly poison which, if
long continued will take its life. APP
plause. And yet we find many gentlemen
in the northern states justly and keenly alive
to the evil influences of bribery, even in the
smallest and most direct manner, setting to
check it by the most stringent legislation. a nd
yet constantly turning a deaf ear when it is
suggested to them that the corruption of the
ballot in certain southern states is chronic
and universal, working out results that utterly
destroy the principle of ma jority govern.
ment. Let me state case in an arthmet-
cal way. II you deprive the colored people
of the right of suffrage and exclude them from
the basis of representation, the republican par
~ would not have had majority in Congress
| at any time within the last ten years and a
majority of the electoral strength of the
country, or, if you secure to the coored men
perfect freedom of suffrage and include them
in the basis of representation, the republican
party would readily have controlled Congress
for the same period. But the democratic
success has been attained by including them
in the basis of representation and excluding
them from the enjoyment of suffrage, thus
appropriatng the electoral strength of the
colored people for the sole benefit of the
democratic party. When the old Scotch
covenanter was stripped of all power to change
the current of events against which he de-
creed, he still had power to give his testimony
and enter his protest.
For myself said two years ago, and say
now, regardless of its popularity
or its imp opularity, looking only to the in
justice which oppresses and the wrong which
outrages, that will steadily give my testi-
mony and enter my protest against this gigan-
tic wrong. l protest against it as a rank and
odious injustice to the colored and white citi-
zens alike. protest against it as utterly de-
structive to republican government. know
am thus protesting against the consolidated
power in the North, which gets the advantage
and profit and gain of this unjust aggregation
of political power in the hands of Southern
white men.
When sixteen Southern States can say 'we
are solid,we have the entire white vote of the
States and have seized the colored vote, we
offer to you partnership, we offer to any mi
nority of Northern States that will join US
complete government of the country" the
temptation, I say, is very strong. 1t imposes
upon the party that entertains proposition
for such an alliance the duty of carrying but
three or four S tates in the North, and when
three VI four States in the North find that
they can cement An alliance the temptation