The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-05-24
CLARKS0N ON THE SOUTH
AS WAS TO BE ExPECrED, He
PAINTS Us VERY BLACK.

nut Concerning the Suppression of
the Republican Vote.
BosToN, MASS. May 23.-Prominent
gentlemen from all parts of the state were
present at Young's this afternoon to meet
]. 8. Clarkson, First Assistant Postmaster
General, who was the guest of the Norfolk
Club. Prior to the banquet an informal
reception was given the visitors.
Lieut.. Gov. Halle gave Mr.. Clarkson q
hearty welcome on behalf OF the state.
Mr.. Clarkson spoke on the southern ques-
tiou, civil service reform and the tariff. A
curious figure, he said, sits at the door of
one of the departments in Washington.
He is a black man and stamped with Gods
evidences of manhood and courage, but he
is piteous with marks Of mans brutality
He was for twenty years a teacher in South
Carolina, and lived an honest life. He is
now MANNED and disfgured. One leg is
broken and he lies at right angles. One
arm is broken and is now paralyzed.
Whenever l hear of the chivalry of the
southern men, when I hear of the glory of
our superior Caucasian race, think of this
poor man, with his injuries.
WAS ABBEvILLE's POSTMASTER.
About year ago he was appointed post
master at Abbeyille. That night sixteen
members of our superior Caucasian race.
booted and armed, went to his home,
dragged him from bed, stripped him, beat
him with whips made of barbed wire, and
jumped on him one after another, breaking
one of his arms and one of his legs. They
wore no masks. The poor man knew
them all. His offense was that he
was republican, and that he
had been appointed under republican ad-
determined he should never hold. 1t was
an unequal contest sixteen of the superior
Saxon race, armed, to one poor member of
the African race unarmed After this work
deciination Of the Office was forged in his
name and sent to Washington and another
man was appointed. AS soon as he was
able he came to Washington on his crutches
to tell the story of his wrongs. All that
could be done was to place him as door
keeper.
AN ERRONEOUS ASSERTION.
This is but one of many instances in the
south where republicans are not allowed TO
hold office. Every sort Of terrorism is in
voked to prevent it. First, there is peace
full terrorism to prevent any one from going
on their bonds. Next there is terrorism Of
notaries and county clerks or officers with
seals to present them from certifying to the
sufficiency of the bonds If these means fail,
then open and overt methods are invoked
to prevent a republican from holding office
in democratic community. There are
hundreds of communities in the south
/ wherein no republican Of any kind is per-
| mitted to hold Office. There are Thousands
| OF communities where a republican, If he
| happen to be black, dare not take an office
| If appointed to it. Democrats may cast a
vote in peace anywhere in this land. In
thousands of places republican, solely
bof because vots he is at s sspu0cop' psy ai.g
not have his vote counted. A republican
| may be arrested and tried in any commu.
| nifty in any state. In hundreds Of commu-
| mites in the south democrat cannot even
| be arrested, much less tried and convicted,
| for any political crime Not only is the re-
| publican bill Of wrongs to plead now. but
| democratic defiance of the law and authority
| goes still farther.
COURTS MADE OUTLAWS.
The courts of the United States are also
made outlaws in certain states and denied
their authority and abridged of their
power, and their judges left to sit helpless
in their seats, unable to enforce the law or
| their own processes, or even to protect
| witnesses called before them. If the
first duties of the government are to
insure human liberty and protect human
life; then these are the largest questions
before the American people, So l come to
this traditional fountain of American intel
ligence and courage to ask why an Ameri-
can who is a republican has fewer rights
than an American who is a democrat.
TIME TO SETTLE THE PROBLEM.
1t is time to set up standards for fair play
all over this republic. The nation has
waited patiently ever since the war for the
south to settle this problem. 1t has now
been twenty-five years and the problem is
still unsolved. One mistake was that the
United States did not settle this question
Immediately at the close of the war,
for the war changed ell conditions of
citizenship. Before that time citizen
shipsswas a matter of state, and only
incidentally of the nation. The verdict of
that conflict changed the condition.
amended the constitution and made supreme
allegiance of the voter due to the United
States. The nation is now face to face with
the duty whether in its sovereign power it
shall allow Georgia. South Carolina or any
state to prevent an American citizen from
exercising his constitutional right to vote.
FEDERAL ELECTION LAW.
Let the states rule their own affairs The
north can concede that to the south. But
in all elections affecting the United States
of congressman of the United States, sena-
tors or President-it is the duty of the
Oulbb Othb6Ss duQ Cl6dIlJ WlOlllu DOWBT,
to set such safeguards about the voter that
he shall be allowed to cast his vote in peace
and have it faithfully counted. With the
Republican party having full power-con-
gress and the executive departments-it
will be as false to posterity as to itself il it
does not exercise its power under the con-
stitution to make American citizenship
equal and complete in all parts of the re-
public. There is a larger question in this
than that of politics. There is the question
of humanity and duty to God.
GRADY's SPEECH.
When Mr.. Grady came to Boston and
with speech as sweet as the music that fell
from David's harp asked the north to shut
its eyes and scar its conscience, and let the
south do as it pleased, he asked a great deal
more than the north could grant. Even if
the Republican party could forget its con-
science before God and no longer
seek to protect its members
in the southern states, aud no longer
seek to make the republic honest, still ther g
would remain the christian conscience of
the nation to prevent the petition being
granted.
So the answer must be made on conscience
by all Americans who believe In the hu-
manyty of man and the fatherhood of God.
that if the south cannot settle what is called
the southern question and give all
citizens a right to vote, the United States
must and viii settle it.
IGNORANCE OF THE NEGRO.