Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-09-03
rwO FACTORS IN POLITICS.
The Prohibitionists and the Colored Vote in
North Carolina

North Carolina
Correspondence Of The Evening Star
RAIEisH. n. O., Sept. 2, 1884
A most uncertain quantity 10 the colored
vote in North Carolina this year. There are in
the state probably - many - 5000 colored
alliance men. They constitute what might be
regarded a. . brand-new factor in the politics
Of the state. For the most part they are in
telligent, well-to-do farmers, who own their
farms and are consequently Taxpayers They
are subscribers to and readers Of newspapers.
wear good clothes when they "come to town."
and about their homes may be seen such evil
dences Of prosperity and civilization As the
organ, the sewing machine, books, pictures and
the like.
Those Of this class who live in counties where
the white democratic voters are In the ascend
ancy In point Of numbers long ago refrained
from voting or identifying themselves with any
political movement. They adopted this policy
sensible one. II their votes were counted.
every one, nothing would be accomplished, ss
they lived in counties where they were in the
minority, and il they voted contrary to the
favorite views Of the democratic poll-holders,
as they would naturally be most inclined to do,
1t would tend. they argued, to create more or
less friction with the democratic citizens with
whom they had constant and considerable bust
ness dealings
They had thought the matter over with much
delibefation and had come to the conclusion
that IL was best to steer clear Of politics where
SO little personal gain was promised. II they
voted for republican it might put them in
bad favor with Farmer A., who sold them seed
corn. and on the other hand il they voted for
democrat they would very surely incur the
d'splessure and bad feeling Of their colored
friends.
But when the alliance movement began to
concentrate the white farmers of a township
into an organized body the colored farmers
began to display similar desire to show their
loyalty to what they looked upon as a trades
union, without a single thought Of politics. and
as result there are today in North Carolina
fu!ly f3.O0O negro voters organized and subject
to the directing influence of the white alliance
leaders. who are now by virtue of the recent
action also the leaders of the new party.
The white alliance men say the negro farmers
have made loyal and jealous members of the
order and have been, with only marked excep-
tons. faithful to every ukase sent ont from the
headquarters of the order. They declare that
fully $4,000 colorod alliance voters will WELD to
their direction and support the men the peo-
pies party nominate for the various Offices.
WHAT THE DEMOCRATS SAT-.
The democrats refuse to accept this view Of
the situation and declare that negro voters will
not desert the republican banner, under whose
folds they have been so faithfully marching
since that party conferred on them the rights Of
suffrage quarter Of a century ago. They say,
therefore, most positively that the alliance can
not hold the negro vote intact; that barely
per cent of the negroes Of the state ever voted
for any other party than the republican, and
that less than that proportion will this year re-
fraln from supporting the nominees of that
party.
REPUBLICAN INDIFFERENCE.
To make the situation as to the colored voter
all the more abstruse and perplexing his
former republican party bosses are not talking
themselves red in the face in their efforts to
keep him in line with one more republican
ballots in hand. On the contrary, some of
them are saying some very ungenerous and I'M
grateful things about the colored brother and
expressing an opinion to the effect that he can
60 to the demnition bow vows for all they care
that they are better of without him ANYHOW,
d-n him. With that sort of a peroration
they wipe the moisture from their forehead and
breathe q sigh of relief which tells plainly that
they are feeling the heavy burden Of carrying
him on their backs all these days since emanci-
patton. Then they say that republican state
ticket must not be nominated. because if it is
the "pesky negro voter from force of habit will
TALL INTO line and lubricate HE lungs for another
campaign in behalf of the G. o. r. That's Just
what they don't want him to do. and here they
reiterate their peroration with reinforced en-
phasis They say that il no ticket is put out
the colored voter, like a lot of black ants hunt
ing for the lump of sugar that has been re-
moved, will go wandering around in quest of
something to vote for and that in this rambling
search some will wander into the democratic
ranks. and a good many will bring up along
side Of the third partyites Them to pursue
the line of reasoning further this particular
set OF republican iOgicians will assert that with
the negroes all out of the way that next cleo
ton, by a sort of nature-abhors-a vacuum argu-
ment. tie discontinued white voters of North
Carolina will fall over each other in their mad
haste and eagerness to get into the republican
ice wagon from which the negro voters had but
recently been frozen out.
THE AUSTRALIAN BALLOT THE REMEDY
II an honest desire exists on the part of both
democrats and republicans to divide the negro
vote of North Carolina there is a way to do it.
The key to the situation is the Australian ballot
law. Let there be a secret ballot and the
negroes will divide their strength at the first
election that the new system goes into effect.
A prominent colored Presb yterian minister said
to me that many times he would have voted for
democratic candidates but for the fact that such
action on his part would cause unfav orabe
comments in his congregation that could lead
to nothing else but trouble. SO he either voted
not at all or put in the regulation republican
ballot.
This particular species Of thraldom from the
free exercise of the rights Of suffrage exists in
North Carolina to q far greater degree than
any failure to count the ballots after they are
deposited. Social ostracism among his race
ensues for the negro voter of the democratic
ticket, and the more intelligent negroes and
those who are actual taxpayers would like to
vote for the best men (who perforcc are domo-
Gratis. be they machine made or otherwise are
confronted with a less intelligent rabble who
run with the republican machine and who paw
little or taxes. BY this mob they are pre-
vented from voting as they would prefer. This
sort of bondage is worse than the slavery of old.
because it places shackles upon the mind and
the untrameled exercise Of the right of suffrage
vouchsafed by the amendment.
THE PROHIBITION VOTE
The degree of potency which will be welded
in the coming election in this state by the pro-
hibition people is an unknown quantity TO
every one, including the managers themselves
Of that party. but that they will more or less
effect the complexion OF the result cannot be
denied, and their growing influence but ac-
centuates the state Of uncertainty that Families
the whole commonwealth.
The growth of prohibition sentiment in North
Carolina has been persistent and steady, dating
back to 1882, when the great prohibition cam
patgn was fought to an unsuccessful finish so
far as the anti-liquor people were concerned,
The party lines were for the once obliterated,
and even the color line faded out to O mere
imaginary streak. when Rev. DIR. Price. black
as the ace Of spades but remarkably gifted and
eloquent in his oratOry, waged the crusade
against whisky from the same platform with
prominent white adherents Of the same faith.