Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1892-07-16
SATURDAY. JULY l6. 1892.
Negro Population and the Force Bill


From the first day the question was
raised ss to whether the whites or the
blacks were increasing the more
rapidly in the southern States the DIS
paroH has secuted the story told by bo-
gus censuses and maintained that the
whites would hold possession OF the
South as certainly as the white race WAS
superior to the black: first. because the
mortality among the negroes is much
greater than among the whites second, be-
cause the negroes cannot compete with the
whites in any of the walks Of life above
that Of the humblest laborer, and third,
because, a. famous Georgia doctor once
said. you might as we'll count upon the
possible increase Of cats as the possible
increase OF negroes. Let the Federal
Government keep its hands of and the
whites will rule this southern land OF ours.
And when they desire to get rid of the
negroes they win do it. Hitherto they
have chung 70 the negroes as invaluable to
them.
The showing of the new census, as stated
In the papers of yesterday. that the ne
groes increased by only 13lE per cent. IN
numbers from 1890 10 1890 may or may not
DO true. II Is based upon the assumption
that the census of 1880 was correct one.
But il is an incredible story that the ne
groes actually increased by over 84ss per
cent. between 1870 and 1880 and only 1871
per cent. between 1850 and 1880. There is
no reason that can be given for the re-
markable difference between the increase
-. do and hQ i'm m
other decade. There IS nothing that we
know Of which can be referred to as rea-
son why the negroes should increase two
and half times as fast between 1870 and
1850 as between 1880 and 1890. The error
is ia the old census-that of 1870. we sus-
poet. Anyhow. we beg leave TO repeat
that if the Federal Government will keep
its hands off the South she will demon
strate 10 the world that even q minority of
Caucasians are abun iantly able to protect
themselves against majority of negroes.
But when We talk of the force bill We
IRE reminded that whatever may be the
relations now existing between the whites
aud the blacks. these relations will not last
long after the Federal Government inter-
poses its strong arm in behalf of the Re-
publican party. The southern whites do
not claim TO be able 10 manage their State
affairs in their own way, nor even credita-
bly, 10 themselves. If they are to be over
awed and kept down by the United States
army; and the United States army will
surely be called upon 20 execute the force
bill if such bill snail become law.
Have we forgotten the horrors Of recon-
struction days? j. l.. CARROLL. now of
New York, but who resided in South Caro-
lima in reconstruction days. catalogues In
the S,u, few Of the horrors of reconstruc-
ton. Read Carpet-bagism negro SUI
premacy: incendiarism; brandies, cigars,
&c. for State officials paid for out OF the
taxes; champagne flowing oil day long at
the tax payers expense; bills for printing
exceeding In a few years the like bills for
q century; every man and every boy
walking arsenal scoundrelism and ig-
norance reigning supreme; devastation by
war followed by desolation and almost
death by the hands Of organized govern
mental rascality; blacks shedding the
blood of blacks and whites, and whites
shedding the blood of blacks; poverty and
misery on every side. All these evils ex-
listed when the United States Government
had bayonets at the polls" and the
whole object of The Republican force bill
NAV be expressed in these few words
" Bsyonets at the polls"
Will the people OF Virginia lend their
assistance TO the party that proposes to
bring oil these h9rrors on our people
agaiu? OF course not. They will not DO
so directly and Intentionally. But they
must take care that they do not do so in
an indirect manner. They must not throw
away their votes. They must vote for the
party that stands for justice to tho South,
and against the party that stands fo- the
horrors Of force bill.