Morning journal and courier., 1888-11-14
somH SoT7THRRN POIIr.os.

An Interesting Review of the Political
 Status at Atlanta-LOcaI Elections of
 Paramount Importance - Compost
 tIon of the Republican and ProhIbi-
 tion PartIes-The Nezrs Vote.
 ATLANTA, Ga, Oct. 27. To the Editor the JOURNAL AND COURIER:
 A national campaign is very tame matter in Atlanta, as in most southern cities. There is no excitement whatever. No demonstra- tion is made by either of the great political parties. There are no speeches, no working mems parsdes, no torchEght processions, no flag raisings. Even after an election there is no demonstration;-or at least there never was any until after the election of Cleveland four years ago. The only way in which pub lie interest is kept alive in the general strug- gle is through the medium of the local press. The Constitution manages to keep Ca flashing of it's tail''-politically speaking-during the weeks preceding an election. It quotes CO., piously from the northers papers of both paties (but with nice discrimination, and ad- vocates democracy with as much 8est as if there was some one to gainsay its statements.
 The situation in the time of local elections is more interesting. All sorts of political
 
 ty to these contests.
 In Atlanta there are at present two tickets in the field for the next municipal election; with the prospect that two more will be put in the field within 8 couple of weeks. Al- though the city election does not come off till some time after the national election, the principal interest now is in the issues of the city election.
 Are the people of the North generally aware to what an extent the Democratic house in Atlanta is divided against itself iu the solution of local questions? Are they aware that at the late State election in which Rice was the Democratic candidate for State Small, the Prohibition candidate, the vote in Fulton county (of which Atlanta is the coun- | ty seat) stood, Rice 1,960, Van Pelt 1928 | and Small 1, ,423l
 But for one thing these figures would ap- pear as full of promise as they are of signif- | icanos. They prove that the third political | party has shattered the Democratic solidari- | ty of Fulton county, Georgia. They prove | that large number of progressive Atlanti- \ ans have come to hold that in local elections | there is an issue of greater moment than the race issue. They argue the possibility of similar political earthquakes in great many 1 counties in every southern State in the case | of local elections, if only the Prohibition | party concludes to till the soil in other eoun- | ties as it has done that of Fulton county, | Georgia, during the past year. They point | out to the Democratic party at large the dan- ger of coddling tke Prohibition party, as it | has done in the northern States for several | years.
 The one thing upon which these inferences are all conditioned is the disposition of those l in charge of southern elections to make 8 fair count of the ballots boiled. This dispo- sition does not exist. Just 80 soon as the vote of the Prohibition party, or any other | political eruption, threatens to defeat the | dominant southern party, just so soon will l the fire eaters who are in charge of southern politics begin to exercise their ingenuity in | thwartiDg the will of the whole people. No ! southern community will submit to "negro l domination, ,"-the term currently used by the southerners to express the idea of par" tial participation by the colored people in the affairs of government. Indeed 1t is remark | able that the figures were allowed in the | present instance to show how close the con- | test was. It should perhaps be added that | if there were any real danger of "negro | tionists could be relied upon to cast in their 1 lot with the Democratic party again. Even the Constitution admits the signih- l canoe of the figures at the late election. It calls upon all true blue southerneEs to con sider the gravity of the situation and stand | morning after the election it boldly declared that the Republican party was becoming dangerous in Atlanta; that it was better or. ganized than it had ever been before.
 The Republican party in Atlanta" is es- sentially a party of negroes. This is the case for reasons which shame the white ! northerners resident in Atlanta. Colonel Buck is about the only man belonging to thii class who dares to show his head in politics It is doubtful if there are one hundred white men in Atlanta who vote the Republi can ticket. I suppose there are good many hundred white men in Atlanta who are Re publicans in spite. In 8 conversation whicE had the other day with a prominent colore6 Republican (the illegitimate son of one o
 Georgia;s proud citizens, who perpetuallJ howl about the danger of niscegenationD tht
 total northern element resident in Atlanti
 was estimated at three thousand peraons-al most entirely Republicans. I suspect tha
 this estimate is rather high, but the number | is certainly goodly one. In commenting or
 the political conduct of these northcrneri
 the same gentleman said:
 stWhy don't these men live up to thei
 convictionsa You rarely see one of then 1 about the polls on election day. If for somt
 reason one of them is there he goes abou like a whipped cur. He doesn't look yoI l souarely in the eye. The explanation of al this is very simple. It would interfere witl their business to be active in politics. They l are the proprletors or large stoIeS ner0, ol 1 are prominent in the service of some looa
 industry. If they should avow their politi
 cal affiliations openly and fearlessly they l would be in danger of losing either their pa
 tronage or their positions"
 ssWhat is the total colored Republican votes" inquired.
 nAbout twenty-seven hundred"
 "What proportion of the negroes votelh "Perhaps half. I think we ought to hay five thousand colored Republican vots in At ) lanta."
 "Why don't you have that many votesa'
 uBecause half the negroes are disfran chissd before it comes to voting."
 ssHow is thatan
 esThey are allowed to disfranchise them selves in peculiar way. According to ou 3 Georgia laws man must register before h 8 l can vote. When he registers he must swea