The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1888-05-09
Notification Confessed.


The time having come when the
democratic leaders and journals can no
longer deny that the right of suffrage
guaranteed by the Constitution to the
colored citizens is practically nullified
in several of the Southern States, they
now more or less frankly avow the fact.
Thus Hdrper's Weekly says, in late
issue: cit may truly be said, in ex-
PLANTATION of the southern situation,
that acquiescence in the practical SUBJ
version of civilized society is impossi-
BILE to the Anglo Saxon race" This
means that, in the opinion of Harper's
Weekly, the colored citizens of the
South are uncivilized and that the sup
preston of the colored vote, by what
ever means accomplished, is justifiable
on the ground that the white man has
an indefeasible right to rule the negro.
Senator Eustis of Louisiana, in his re-
ply to Senator Ingalls, remarks upon
the recent election frauds in that state,
was compelled to admit that all the
southern election frauds were pre-
medtated and universal. He frankly
declared that he "would advise a reign
of terror rather than submission to
negro domination in Louisiana. Mr..
Eustis' plain declaration has created
some CONSERVATION among northern
democrats, who fear its effect upon
their fortunes in the coming campaign.
But he has only acknowledged what
other southern men and some of the
southern journals have boasted-that
since 1874 in at least six states of the
South the ruling element has deter
mined that white men alone have any
rights as to suffrage.
Now these six states have fifty-two
electoral votes and forty representa-
tives in congress. In 1884 less than
one-third of the colored vote in all the
states except Florida was polled in the
presidential election. Making due al
lowance for the questionable claim
that there is democratic vote among
the negroes, the evidence is indisputa-
BILE that but for the suppression of the
colored vote by terrorism and fraud
the electoral vote of three or four of
the states in question would have been
given for Mr.. Blaine. While the col
ored voters are thus defrauded, the
white voters of the South have more
than their proportion of political power
in the nation. 1t is thus that northern
interests are affected by this great
usurpation.
There may be good many northern
people who think it is a small matter
that the democrats should elect presi-
dent and secure majority in the.house
of representatives by the suppression
of the republican vote in the South,
but the opinions of such people can
not command respect. The party that
profits by this course of fraud and in
timidation defies the nation to correct
the injustice. 1t says we have no
remedy and must submit. If the rem
edy provided by the Constitution itself
is not available-which is reduced rep
resentation for those states in which
the vote falls below the average ratio to
population-there is one remedy that
would prove effective, and that is to
keep the Northern States solidly re-
publican. AT any rate the republican
party, which was deprived of the con-
troll of the government by the practical
Acknowledgement of southern repub-
licans, must set it's face like flint against
this intolerable and mighty wrong, and
never for moment cease it's efforts
until freedom of the ballot is restored
to every citizen in the nation.