The Durham recorder. [volume] (Durham, N.C.) 1879-19??, 1892-08-10

The Lesson OF Alabama,
From the Philadelphia Times.
Twice within two years the
Southern States have been on
the very verge of political revo-
luton, and twice they have been
halted by the mad suicide of
the Republican leaders in
Haunting the Force Bill into the
faces of the Southern people.
Alabama was trembling in the
balance in the spring of 1890,
when the Farmers Alliance was
in its early vigor; but a Repub-
lican House rushed a Force
Bill through that body, against
the earnest protests of the Re-
publicans of the State, and ey-
cry industrial centre where
Northern men and capital do
minated, and where a majority
of the voters were Republicans,
voted next to unanimously for
the Democratic State ticket.
Before the National Conven-
tions were held, several of the
Southern States were admitted
ly in a most chaotic condition,
and with prudent, patriotic Re-
publican leadership would have
been doubtful in the Presiden-
tial battle; but the overwhelm-.
ing Democratic majority in
Alabama proves that from the
day the Minneapolis Convention
indorsed the Force Bill ana
nominated a candidate for Pre-
sident who had made the Force
Bill one of the aggressive fea-
lures of his policy, every South
ern Electoral vote was assured
for the Democratic candidate.
The South is now solid for
Cleveland, and none can ques-
tion the integrity of Southern
sentiment, as the colored voters
came to the front and made
open battle against continual
sectional and race disturbance.
Had the Republicans OF both
races bowed to party policy and
voted for the fusion ticket, it
would have. been successful;
but when such centres of North
ern citizenship as Birmingham
give overwhelming Democratic
majorities, and when the more
intelligent and influential col
ored voters take an open stand
and electioneer and vote the
Democratic ticket, it means that
sectional and race tranquility is
imperatively demanded by the
intelligent of both races, and
that there can be no Republican
victories in the South until Re-
publicanism means peace.
Such is the verdict of Alaba-
ma on last Monday, and none
will pretend that it was the re-
suit Of intimidation of the col
cred voters. II was the colored
voters themselves who led in
the revolt against their own
party and its Presidential can
didate; and today the colored
vote of the South has unalter-
ably anchored every Southern
State in the Cleveland column
for November.
The battle just closed i'm Ala
bama was made under the most
fayorable circumstances by the
fusionists. They had a defeat
ed Democratic candidate for
Governor, with all the earnest
ness and devotion of his friends:
they had the Farmers ALI.
ance whose favorite had been
unhorsed by the Democrats;
they had the Republican or.
ganization apparently warmly
enlisted to overthrow Demo.
cratic rule in the State; but the
Alliance voters steadily fell by
the wayside as they saw a pos.
sib!e victory for the Force Bill,
and on election day prominent
colored leaders for the first
time openly and zealously sup
ported the Democratic ticket.
They did it because they want
peace; because in every revival
Of race or sectional strife the
the colored people are the chief
victims, and because they pre-.
fer settling their own disputes
with all races. The colored
brother has finally risen up to
command peace; to forbid wan
ton sectional and race distur.
bance in which he is ever the
sufferer; to admonish the blat.
ant demagogues of the North to
cease their malicious libels
upon all races in the South, and
he has spoken with such EN-.
phasis that he who runs may
read. Such is the lesson Of
Alabama in 1892.
Lovers quarrels, like hot po.
tatoes, blister, but do not leave
n scar.