San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-09-28
Negro Voting in The south.

! Negro Voting in the south.
From the Globe Democrat.
the recent election in Alabama fur
nishes another Illustration of the fact
that the systematic suppression of
colOred suffrage Is not necessary to
insure the maintenance of white Gu
premacy in the south. BY reason of
peculiar local conditions, the negroes
were permitted to vote and to have
| their votes counted for the first time
in twenty years; and there is nothing
| TO show that the interests of society
| were in any way harmed or imperil-
ed. The election was unusually peace.
full and free from Objectionable me-
thods and influences. Whites anu
blacks went to the polls together ann
deposited their ballots in the same
boxes without any perceptibIe shock
10 the institutions or the state. The
negroes generally voted the Democra-
tic ticket, but a considerable number
Of them voted the other way. and no.
body interfered with their right to
do 30 Their power in the contest
was practically the controlling force;
they cast enough voi::ss to decide I'll Q
election. According co the theory OF
the danger of negro rule. this should
have been followed by some demons-
tration in that direction, but nothing
of the kind occurred or is likely to
occur. Negro voting had the same
effect as white voting, and there was
a total absence Of those scarifying ap-
pearances which have been predicted
as the inevitable accompaniment of
such p spectacle. Things are moving
along in the ordinary fashion, just, rs
If the votes had all been cast by white
men, and Alabama is no more peril
of negro rule than she it was previous
to this election.
1t will be remem bered that q SINH
lar thing happened not long ago in
Louisiana. The negroes OF that state,
like those of Alabama, were allowed
to vote, and their participation In the
election did not entail any mischie-
vious Consequences. These two les
sons should be carefully studied by
the whites of all the southern states.
They prove conclusivsly that the cry
of negro nomination is nothing but an
expedient of the politician to promote
their schemes OF selfish advantage,
and that as matter OF fact negro vOt-
ing does not involve any positive
danger of the political subsection OF
the white race by the black one. The
negroes are not disposed to make q
revolutionary use OF their power; they
will be entirely Satisfied with the pri.
vilege of exerting it in friendly Coop
Grafton with the whites and by direc-
ton of white intelligence to a large
extent. There is no foundation tor
the idea that they contemplate the
seizure of all political agencies for the
benefit of their own race and the in
jury of the other, and that they must,
therefore, be deprived of the rights OF
citizenship. 1t is not possible for
them to gain such con troll under any
circumstances even if they were thus
inclined. The superior sagacity of
the white race is an ample guarantee
against calamity of this kind. 1t is
not question of political safety, but
of common justice and simple hon
esty. The experience of Alabama and
Louisiana clearly shows that negro
voting does not produce any alarming
or dissgreeable results. AS further
experiments are tried this fact will be
emphasized, and it Is reasonable to
suppose that the familiar bugsboo of
negro rule will in that way gradual
ly lose it frightening quality and
cease to be effective as means of pre-
venting the whites from taking 8 RAJ
tiOnal aud practical view of a prob
lem tn At can be solved only by Them
selves!