Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1888-02-02
The CoLoREp VOTE
a Cutting Rebuke or Malignant Partissns
and ONCE Sc eiSers.

and Once Sc eiSers.
1t seems strange to find the New
York Times taking a prominent stand
an defense of the South against the
charge of suppression of the colored
vote, and yet this able journal. at one
time foremost among those whose
abuse and denunciation of the election
methods of the South was character
lied by partisan hatred and sectional
malignity, contains in recent issue
the most striking protest which has
yet appeared in any Northern paper
against the bloody shirt policy of the
Republicans for 1888.
The Times is Republican paper.
but is generally very fair one. Its
criticisms are open and frank, and its
course is not controlled by the lash OF
its party 1t believed Mr.. Blaine to
be a corrupt man and Mr. Cleveland
an honest one. and it supported the
latter for the Presidency. 1t did not
sever its party alliance. but has since
stoC d with the Organization Of which
it was for many years the chief organ.
In outlining its policy for the next
campaign, the Republican party has
clearly determined to make the al
,cged suppression of the colored vote
in the South one of its leading issues.
On this the Times has a column ed
itorial, which is an admirable produce
ton, and should commend itself TO
the fair-minded voters of all parties. 1t
says:
Those Republican politicians who still think
lie the r in KeeOiQQ
sectional agitation and firing the Northern
heart with Southern outrages are trying des-
perntely to make an issue OF the alleged sup
preston OF the Republican in Southern
States. The difficulty which confronts them
lies In the fact that the Northern people want
no more sectional agitation. and are entirely
willing to leave the elections in Southern States
30 the control of the people of those States.
Speaking of the outrages of the Re-
publican carpet-baggers who overran
the South after the war, and of the
causes which prompted the necessity
counteracting the evils OF their das-
tardly regime, in which they ran
rough shod over the people by their
control over the negro vote, the Times
saws:
Unprepared to exercise intelligently con-
scientious their newly acquired rights, the.
negroes fell under the leadership of unscrupu-
lous men and were arrayed aga nst the people
who had the largest interest in the good order
and good government OF the reconstructed
States. Tho result was incapacity, extrava-
gance and fraud IN public affairs, AID a bur-
lesque on popular government. The native
Southern people. who felt that they had the
right to control affairs in their own States, saw
no salvation for their public or private inter-
csts except in overcoming the power which
was thrust upon them.
The North soon admitted that Federal inter-
tn tai MT wi
~ sted on the ignorant negro vote and were
managed mainly by greedy and INSCRIPTIONS
adventures, could not be maintained. Public
opinion withdrew all support, and nearly
pieces.
AS to the so-called suppression of
rthe colored vote in the South at this
Ftime, the Times dismisses the question,
sas being all appeal to sectional pas
rsiOn, which can not deceive the intelli
gent people of the North. saying:
Outrage, violence and election frauds dim:n-
jsh in proport on as the necessity for them
ceased For the last two years little has been
heard of them but election returns show that
many votes are withheld from the ballot box
flor one reason or another Colored voters may
have become ind nerent after find ng that the
ills which they were taught to expect from
Democratic ascendency did not beIall them.
=and easily induced not to vote. More or less,
salso- they have begun to div ide their votes be-
tween the part es. In not voting in voting
for Democratic candidates they are probably
influenced by no worse inducements than are
used In Northern States to sway the action of
voters whose intelligence and honesty are not
Auficent to guide their political action.
Such words, from such source. can
mot fail to have effect with the people
of the North, who have already re-
buked the sectional luminosity which "a
few party bosses have sought to at
tribute to the Republican party as a
whole. Mr.. Blaine went to pieces on
this rock, and if its present policy is
pursued. the Republican party will re-
ceive it's ultimate defeat in clinging to
it-AtiGntG Constitution.