The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1888-12-09
THE RACE PROBLEM.
Why the Negro is "Out of Politics"
Il Northern Bloody Shirt Paper
Very Effectively Answered.
Republicans Enfranchised Blacks to
Disfranchise the Whites.
John r. Lynch, of Mississippi,
Talks Of the Problem.
A Question Not of Race But of Political
AUTHORIZATIONS .Contribu-
tions to The Appeals Bud
get of Opinion.
; From the Louisville CKy) courior,Journal.


The Chicago Tribune says:
docs the Coiuier-Jound deny that the
colored vote is counted out in the Cotton
States? 1t will be seen in the extract
printed above that it admits the colored
vote is Republican. II it does deny it
will it account for the extraordinary fact
that the stronger district is colored Re-
publican the less chance the Republicans
nave OF carrying it2 Take Mississippi and
South Carolina for examples. The total
vote cast in Mississippi at the recent cleo
ton was ll6,0ll, OF which Harrison
received but 3O,006. The total voting pop.
ulation OF that State eight years ago was
23S, 4Sl, Of which the Republican popula.
ton was over 1904 At the recent cleo
ton in South Carolina only $4,000 Repu6.
lican votes were counted, but the State in
1850 had a voting population OF 2Oj,000,
the colored Republicans at that time num-
bering 10000 votes. win the Courier
Journal be candid enough to tell us what
became OF round 100000 OF Republican
votes in Mississippi and lO6, 900 Republi.
can votes in South Carolina, ii the colored
votes are counted IN those States?"
The answer TO this is simply that there
IS not one cOlored voter in 100 colored
voters in the States named who knows
what an election is and what il means,
who has any conception OF any public
question whatever, who could, by himself,
distinguish one party from the other, aud
who has the least capacity to comprehend
ballot, and what to do with it, or how TO
east it. The consequence is that, outside
pressure operating rs an inside instigator,
--Leing Withdrawn, tens OF thousands OF
black voters stay away from the polls for
the reason that they have no motive to 20
to them. They are tout Of politics" be-
cause politics no longer pays either in
fresh meat or good news" The troops
are gone. The carpet-baggcrs are gone
The Niger finds the woodpilc more con.
genial than the ballo,-box and sticks TO IT,
That is about the size OF il aud tells pretty
much the whole story.
But the Tribune continues:
"0) Does the COuai,r-jOundi hold that
Il Is right to count ont the votes OF legal
(2) Does Il deny that they are eniranchisrd
by the Fifteenth Amendment 90 Does
ii Justify the notification OF their right 10
vote and defend II? II ii does defend IL
then is II not defending an uncons,tu.
tional action upon the part OF the Demo-
Gratis Of the cotton States? a. Does IL
deny that the Democratic party has held
it's control OF the House since 1855 and
that IL elected Cleveland four years ago by
the robbery Of the Republican Districts OF
these States2 (5l Does IL deny that It's
party is governing by usnrpation and mi-
nority rule; (6l and h not minority rule
unconstitutional aud revolutionary in
free country, aud should IL not be resisted
and changed2'
All this Is pure rot dumped down for
quantity. The Republicans eniranchiscd
the blacks 10 disifanchisc the whites. As
long as they worked the blacks rs a ma.
chine, their scheme worked well. When
the machine broke down the scheme broke
down. The result Is that the Republicans
have fallen into the pit they dug for the
Democrats.
The Tribune wants 10 get out Of this
pit. There is one, aud only one, tangible
way out II cannot make the black man
a white man. II cannot change the force
-oL-paturc. But Il can propose, II II sees
III, the Acknowledgement Of these blacks
and the Elimination Of the South's repre-.
sentation In Congress and in the Electoral
College 10 that extent. There IL no other
way TO reach the admitted evil OF negro
suffrage.
IL is not NJ evil OF our making. II was
purely Republican invention. But IL IL
here, and no force Of laws or arms can
reach u. being. ~ IL were, ingram and In
the blood, beyond the ken even OF the
quack doctors who affect Omniscience aud
are devising new remedies with al sorts
OF fancy labels
The Tribune ycowls about plantation
manners" rs II IL were not itself living
embodiment OF the original Yankee over
seer, cowhde In hand. popping the lash
and swearing ut everyone who viii not ~
ns IL drives.