The intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1887-1891, 1890-01-11

~
soldiers who followed its flag, because
Grand Army post IN Connecticut |
closed its doors TO u negro veteran, rs |
for you TO give racial significance to |
every incident in the south, or to accept |
exceptional grounds as the rule of our |
society. am not OF those who beclOud |
American honor withfs parade OF the
outrsges OF other sections, and belle |
American character by declaring them |
TO be significant and representative.
prefer TO maintain that they are neither, |
and stand Tor nothing hut the passion
and sin of our fallen humanity. IL
society like a machine. were no stronger
tiian It's weakest part, 1 should despair
III both sections. But, knowing that
Isefieiy iyss sentient and responsible In
svergf ff1ber, can mend aud repair unit
be " hole has The strength OF the best,
despair OF reiiher. These gentlemen
Who ess1ze oHllsssisane here, knit into
ieorgiass ibusg iifs rs they are. never
saw, dare tsesrt Bis outrage commit.
ed on negro And, II they did, no
pne OF you would be 20 prevent
or punish 1t is tflrols4l hsI9 rand the
men who think with hbeIHaHHking
niue-tenths OF every s0ufG4Fn cnueqA-
uitv-that these two races hi - tES..
carried thus tar with loss Of f{oience
than would have been possible any
where else on earth, And In their tair
ness and courage and steadfastness--
more than in all the laws that eau be
passed, or all the bayonets that can be
nustered-is the hope OF onr future!
But admitting the right OF the whites
TO mite against this tremendous
menace, we are challenged with the
smallness of our vote. This has long
been fippantly charged to be evidence,
| and has now been solemnly aud OFF,
cially declared to be proof of political
| iurpitude and baseDess on our part.
| Let us see, Virginia. state now under
fierce assault for this alleged crime
cast in 1855 70 pei cent OF her vote. Mas
| sachusetts, the state in which speak so
| per cent. of her vote. Was 1t suppress
lion In Virginia and natural causes In
| Massachusetts? Last month, Virginia
cast 50 per cent. OF her vote, and Mas
sachusetts, fighting in every district,
cast only 49 per cent. of hers. Ii Vir-
yinia is condemned because 81 per cent.
Of her vote was silent, how shall this
state escape, in which 81 per cent. was
dumb? Let us enlarge this comparison
The l6 southern states in 'SS cast 81 per
cent. of their total vote-the six New
England states but 63 per cent. oil
theirs. By what fair rule shall the
stigma be put upon one section, while
the other escspesI A congressional elec-
ton in New York last week, with the
polling place in touch Of every voter,
brought out only 5000 votes OF $4,000
and the lack of opposition Ia assign
ed as the natural cause. In district
in my state in which an opposition
speech has not been heard in 10 years,
aud the polling places are miles apart
under the unfair reasoning OF which
my section has been constant victim
the small vote 10 charged to be proof
of torcible suppression.
In Virginia an average majority ol
, 10000, under hopeless division Of The
minority, was raised to 1000; in lows
In the same election majority Of 81, >
900 was wiped out and an opposition
9 majority of 5000 was established. Tit
1 change of 42,O0O votes in Iowa 10 &C
cepted as political revOlution--in Vir
= ginia al increase of $4,000 on q sal
i majority is declared to be proof OF polit
o icai fraud. charge these facts anC
/
# science of the American people VIII
= will not assuredly see one section con
II demned for what another section
= excused
g i'll can drive them through the pre-
70 judice of the partisan, and have theI
10 read aud pondereG al the fireside
o the citizen, | will rest on the judgmer
II there formed and the verdict there rer
>f dered!
=, 1t is deplorable, sir, that in both se'
= tions larger percentage OF the vote
ic not regularly cast. But more inexpll
IS cable that this should be 30 in Me-
II England, than in The south. VIII
J. invites the negro TO the ballot box? L
le knows that of all men, IL has promise
> him most, and yielded him least. II
z. first appealt suffrage was the promi,
I'd of $40 acres and mule" His secon'
= the threat that democratic succe
ly meant his re enslavement. Both ha,
is been proved false in his experience. /
le looked tor & home, and he got u
ne Freedman's Bank. lie fought und,
o promise OF the loal, aud in victory W,
NJ denied the crumbs. Discouraged nj
er deceived, he has realized at last III
re his best friends are his neighbors wi
ar whom his lot is cast, and whose pro
,ir perity is bound up in his and that
ot has gained nothing in politics TO cou
IL peusate the loss ui their confidence Al
ut synpathy that is AT last his best Al
nj his enduring hope.
10 And so, without leaders or organic
TO tion-and lacking the res0lute herois
to of my party friends In Vermont th
In makes their hopeless march over I
RS, hills high and Inspiring pilgrimage
rs, he shrewdly measures the occasion
H. ayitator balances his little account w
OF politics, touches up his mule, and jC
res down the iurrow letting the mad wO
Iry wag as il will!
les The negro vote can never control
les the south, and il would be we'll II pi
cir tisans at the north would understa
of this. have seen the white people G
state set about by black hosts III
their fate seemed sealed. But, sir, 80
-, brave man. banding them tOgeth
my would rise, as Elisha rose in beleagu
=, ed SamsrIa, and, touching their Q
na with faith, bid them look abroad to
ve, the very air "fllled with the charioti
-: Israel and the horsemen thereof"
M " there Is any human force that can
, be withstood, il 10 the power OF
'ul % banded Intelligence and responsible
iou OF q free community. Against il, nj
nis bers and corruption cannot prevail.
CIV cannot be forbidden in the law
~ divorced in force. 1t is the matters
VI right of every free community
' as just and righteous safeguard agains
,ny ignorant or corrupt suffrage. 1t II
nss this, sir, that we rely in the south.
,"ru the cowardly menace of mask or 81
iern gun; but the peaceful majesty of In
ligence and responsibility, massed
vi unified tor the protection OF its no
oiso and the preservation Of its libe
iern i. That, sir, is our reliance and our b.
mug aud against i. all the powers of e
's'o shall not prevail. 1t was just as Ger
10 that Virginia would come back 10
sseu unchalleuged control of her white
run that before the moral and mat,
'ne power OF her people once more uni
oM' opposition would crumule until its
laih- desperate leader was lett alone va
peo striving to rally his disordered hos
one as that night should fade in the kind
ops, glory of the sun
,ass- You may pass force bills, but
r,v will not avail. You may sure
nao- your own liberties to federal elel
nr law-this old stste which holds II
ling charter the boast that 1t "ls free
Iitv? independent commonwealth
sida deliver its election machinery into
lave hands OF the government IL helpe
heir create-but never, sir. will 81
mar. state OF this union, north or souil
ipat. delivered again to the control o
- ignorant and inferior race. We w