Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1889-09-05
RAOE WAR IN TEXAS.
a State That L. without n Republican
Form of Government.


necessary outcome Of the evil state OF
affairs in the Southern tier. Under q
false pretext of dread negro suprem-
acy, a condition far more improbable
in any Southern city than Scandlna-
Wan supremacy might be in Mime
apolis, there has been a steady re-
solve to keep the uttermost and most
unreconstTuctible element Of old rebel
dom in power. The Southerner who
talks of negro supremacy as proba-
bility of a free ballot is generally a
dupe, but the fraudulent benefciaries
of the deceit are the brigadiers, judges
and majors under whose oigarchy the
South still remains poor, ignorant and
retrOgressive.
Richmond is in the county of Fort
Bend. Tex. The vote of the county in
1884 was Cleveland 3I7, Blaine l, j8S;
IN 1888 it was Cleveland SOP, Harrison
1861 The white voters. probably
not more than 800, the total white
population being about 800. were al
most solidly Democratic, the colored
kOLCLS NCES d-llOob d. bOi4uAg Ah-JAC
lican. 1t was obvious that so long as
the whites voted soIidly against the
negroes there could be no white men
in enjoyment of local Offices, unless by
forcible or fraudulent suppression OF
the negro vote. Circumstances being
thus, certain whites made Overtures to
the negroes for a mixed ticket, the
chief offices, it would appear from
present information, being given to
white men. So far from endeavoring
to assert that supremacy" which
their mum bers might have maintained,
the negroes consented, and a mixed
ticket was nominated and elected.
In this community, in which the
negro vote was as three to one
white vote, the result of friend
" negotiations and honest election
gave to white people a decided
preponderance in the management Of
local affairs 1t is a result which
every thoughtful observer of Southern
politics believes to be possible in al
most every county and city Of the
lower tier of States. But the Bour-
bons of Richmond were angry. 1t was
not enough that the numerical major
fly should concede political supremacy
to the minority; it was offensive to
them that any negro should hold Of
fee, or even that any white man should
hold Office by the free choice and con-
sent OF the negro voters. They were
for white mans government, not
only in the sense of all the officials
being white men. but of their being
white men who were chosen because
of their want OF acceptability to the
colored voters And this is the true
status of the Democratic party all
over the South. 1t would as lief have
a negro Governor of State or sheriff
of a county as a white man elected by
negroes. The quality desired by the
Bourbons is that a judicial or executive
officer shall be obnoxious to the col
ored race.
Accordingly the Bourbons of Rich
mond stigmatized the progI essive
whites and their negro allies as
'.Woodpeckers. the other party
called the Bourbons "Jaybirds. 1t
is short step in Texas from a quar-
rel OF words to quarrel of arms and
as long ago as December last the
"Jaybirds" shot and killed one Fan
ming, a white man and "Woodpeck-
err" Tanning was a Republican, but
most of the white "Woodpeckers' were
OF Democratic antecedents. By way of
reprisal James Green, white and
"Woodpecker, shot and killed Amos
Hefferman. white and ''Jaybird;" this
was on New Years day last Since
then skirmishes and fatalities have
been frequent The judge of the
County Court was a special object OF
hatred to the "Jaybirds," and a few
days Stree Volney Gibson and GrifI
Gibson, chiefs of that faction,
devised his taking off. The Judge
was too quick with his revolv-
er, and Volney retreated into
some bushes in which his brother
Griff lay as a reserve force. Al
this point the sheriff, ''Woodpecker, y
intarfered on behalf of the judge. and
after that the war became general in
Richmond. The sheriff was slain, and
so vas one of his deputies, while an
other was seriously, and it is believed
fatally, wounded. 1t would seem that
the ''NVoOdpeckers" were the best
armed and most aggressive The
Governor was appealed to and sent,
in the first place, a squad of ''rang'
ers," who were either unable or I'm.
willing to preserve the peace; later
on he sent eight companies of militia.
and for awhile order reigns in Rich.
mond.
1t is ridiculous to speak of State in
which such condition prevails as en-.
joyiug a republican form of govern.
ment. 1t is under an oligarchy tenn
pe~ed by fear of complete anarchy.
And but one remedy is in sight When
it is known that the National execu-
tive will protect all citizens of the
Nation in the exercise of those rights
with which the constitution endows
them there VIII be peace and pros
perity in the South.-Chicago Inter
Ocean.
IOWA'S GRAND EXAMPLE.
The Forces which Have Made the Hawk
eye state Rich and Respected.
The Republican convention lust held