The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1888-03-31
Suppression of the Negro Vote.

Murat Halstead, of Cincinnati, is so ultra
in his partisanship that it is impossible for
him TO do the Democratic party justice. dc
has written some papers for the Forum, IN
which he has set forth that the negro vote has
been suppressed by the Democrats In the
Southern States, and that they have not
scrubbed to resort even to terrorism and as
sassination. A falsehood of such magnitude,
charged against whole party, needs no reiu-
tation. Yet, Mr.. Henry Watterson, OF Ken
lucky, takes up the gage, and refutes Mr..
Halstead's wild phrenetic assertions, in the
pages of the same magazine. In the April
number Mr.. Watterson says it is easier and
fairer TO assume fraud and ballot box stuffing
in Ohio than it is the suppression OF the negro
vote in the South, and proceeds to prove his
statement by contrasting the vote OF Ohio
with that of Kentucky, which states lie con-
tipuous to each other. Mr.. Watterson says:
To begin with, Mr. Halstead takes five the ratio
of population to ballots, and in States thiekly pop
lated with a population largely urban, TINS may 10
very we'll 1t will not do in States largely agrcul
tural in which cities and towns are lew Inc
habits Of life are different political excitement does
not run so high men do not so readily congregate
and thus influence each other and full vote is
never poled. Moreover. full votes" depend largely
on narrow margins between the opposing parties
When election contests are close. party managers
resort to every means legitimate and lllegltmaie 70
bring out the party strength. when IN states ABOUT
whose position there is no doubt both parties are
lethargfc and Indifferent 80 o,,
Compare for moment, political affairs IN ONO
with the course of politics in Kentucky. II heii-
lucky no one claims that negro vote suppressed
Aside from any moral question involved there IS no
motive TO suppress 1t. negro or republican is
as free 10 vote, to refrain from voting IN Ken
lucky as white man or a Democrat 1here Is no
excitement over Kentucky contest, no doubt as TO
the result In 1880 for example, Hancock was ex-
ceedingy popular in Kentucky, and our people were
deeply anxious for his election yet with popuia-
ton according TO the census OF 1851 OF 6IS69O the
total vote cast in Kentucky was 26S04f, when, ac-
cording to Mr. Halsteads ratio it should have been
or suppressed vote of 81 SOL. In 1880 Ohlos
population was l9S CO.. and, according to Mr. Hal
Stead that State was entitled to 639612 votes it cast
~, 1925, or an excess OF S2,sl3 ONO Went kepuD-
lican.
is fairer and more reasonable TO assume fraud.
ballot box stuing false returns and wholesale cor
rupton in order to account for the immense excess
the small vote in Kentucky by the theory of nullif
cation. The point make is, that the population OF
the Southern States is widely scattered is chiefly
rural Naturally, after the downfall of the carpet
bag governments, the imprisonment or the exile of
their old leaders, the negroes took less interest in
politics than did the same population at the North
Take, now, the whole population and the total
ponular vote in 1880. Population. 80, l55,7S3. The
vote according to Mr.. Halsteac. should have been
10 O3l I5G but il only 9,20442S or 10000 votes
nullfed Or taking the Ohio ratio the total should
have been Il, 2jOOOO, and thus over 2OOOoOO votes
were nullifed.
wiser craftsmanship would see and more hui
name philosophy would counsel II surer, speedier
and gentler solution Of the problem. because there
is a perfectly simple and ready remedy from every
evil complained of by Mr.. Halsead. This remedy
is the removal of external pressure