Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-09-05
WEDNESDAY. .sEPTEMBER5. 1888.
The Sectional Party Also Negro
Party.

relative responsibility OF the Republican
and the Democratic party. That the
Republican party is q sectional party Is
evidenced by its whole history. When
it was founded. and for years Afterwards,
it had absolutely no standing IN any
southern State. Its only possible chance
of success lay in uniting tho stronger
against the weaker section, aud thus
riding into power upon the back OF
rampant and unpstriotic sectionalism.
This WAS the condition of things up to and
including the year 1850, when ABRAHAM
LINCOLN, the sectional candidate for
President Of the United States, received
only ]. $50, 1852 votes as against 2, $40, 50l
for the other three candidates., although
be secured e majority Of the electoral
votes a popular majority OF million
OF voters declared against LINCOLN. But
ssctionahsm was stronger than justice,
and no was seated according to law
which was never intended to subordinate
the will Of large majority of the peo-
pie 10 that of a wicked, unpatriotic, sec
tional minority. But even the unfair
operation of the election laws would
hSve been willingly submitted to by the
South if her nights and interests had not
been threatened with unimaginable ruin.
We mean that the southern people could
not even imagine what was to follow
LNCoLN's seating.
Since the war ended, the sectional
party has been worse if possible than 1t
was before the war commenced. Its re-
construction measures might be termed
diabolical. They were the work Of men
who were ready and willing to
destroy the liberties and the pro
perty OF the southern people in
order TO perpetuate the rule of the
sectional party. Nay, they were willing
10 stand upon the ruins Of the very civil
cation of the South. and to place the
feet Of the inferior race upon the necks
of the superior one. And yet a majority
of the white men, We claim, have always
been opposed to this sectional party and
its policy.
Let us consult the census. In 1880
the total number OF voters was II, S30,3l9,
of whom 1,4S7,34 were negroes. The
Republicans themselves constantly and
persistently claim that ell the negro
voters are Republicans They maintain
it as indisputable that wherever there is
a majority Of negro voters there is ma
jority of Republicans. Anyhow, the
number of negroes who vote the Demo
cratic ticket is small. In this city. where
there is a negro vote Of five or six thou
sand, We have never known q dozen ne
groes 10 vote the Democratic ticket. The
Democratic majority in this State, if
there were none bat white voters, would
be, let us say, one hundred thousand.
SO with all the southern States let none
but whites vote, and the Democratic
majority would be overwhelming.
How in the United States as whole !?
Well, in 1884 CLEVELAND received 4, 3d.
OF votes and BLAINE 4,84S,334 votes.
How many notes for BLAINE were cast
by negroes? Deduct 20 per cent from
the whole number of negro votes as not
having been cast and 10 per cent. as
having been suppressed and we find that
BLAINE received over million OF negro
votes. SO that the grand total may be
set down thus: For CLEVELAND five
millions Of white voters; for BLAINE
four millions of white voters
But the Republicans will claim that
ours is not q fair statement because in
the southern States the negro vote is
largely suppressed" Well, let us take
the four northern States which are now
set down as the battle ground, aud
claimed MS doubtful by the Republicans
OF course all the negroes are free to vote
and do vote the Republican ticket in
those States or else the Republicans there
would not claim all the negro voters in
the South as Republican voters.
New York has 10000 negro votes
CLEVELAND carried that State four years
ago by small majority in spite of negro
votes but suppose that only the whites
had been voters his majority would have
been twenty times as large as it was.
And If there were no negro voters in
New York now it would go for CLEvE-
LAND this year 10y an immense majority.
Indiana has about $1,000 negro votes.
CLrvELASD's plurality in Indiana in
1884 was 6,5l2. If there were none but
voters of the white race in Indiana what
chance would there be for HARRISON
this yesr9 None
Connecticut has $3.50 negro voters.
CLEvxLAND's plurality in 1884 in that
State was 1884. But for negro voters it
would have run up TO over four thou
sand in that small State.
New Jersey has 1850 negro voters.
In 1884 CLEVELAND received in that
State plursity Of 4,4l2 votes But for
negro voters he would have had an over
whelming majority.
Here, then, it appears clearly that the
sectional party is also . negro party
that is, dependent upon negro votes for
its success. The facts we have recited
afford food for serious reflection. They
condemn the Republican party as totally
unworthy 10 rule this country. Isn't
that pretty" party TO be talking
about suprressing votes 2-the party
which for eighteen years has used negro
votes TO suppress the votes Of white
men?
Vermont stands to the other States as