The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1894-03-22

! L1lS lttLcE DN tic ptiliDIl dLlC pa pei o.
I-ED. CAUCASIAN.
Hendersonville, y. c.,
Feb. 21th, 1894.
Mr.. EDITOR the 5lst Con-
gress, pending discussion on the
Lodge election bill, | asserted that
no Republican IN this State, black or
white, was prevented from casting
his Jote. | further asserted that the
elections in this State were fair, with
the qualification that local returning
boards sometimes assumed to throw
out certain precincts for alleged ir
Iegularitiea, and in that way often
wrongs were done. l ditl not assume
to speak for other sections of the
South, but only for the State which
| had the honor, in part, to repre-
sent. Many Republicans in the State
took violent exception to tn state
ment and | was severely criticised on
account of it. At that time the pre-
sent election law was not on the Stat
ute books and there were no restric-
tions as to registration. | took oc-
casion to warn members of the SIS
congress that the attempt to pass the
sectional and unjust Lodge bill
would encourage Bourbon extrem-
lists to enact legislation that would
practically disfranchlse thousands of
Republicans who then had the right
to vote by legislation which would
stand the constitutional tests in the
courts of tae State" This predic-
ton was fully verified by the enact
ment of constitutional provision in
the State of Mississippi, which prac-
tically dis franchised four-tifths of
the Republicans of that State, the
passage of the Payne election law in
this State 10y the Legislature Of 1888,
and other adverse legislation to the
Republican party throughout the
South. The present election laws of
North Carolina have been bitterly
denounced, and it has been the wont
Of Republicans at every election since
the passage of these laws to ascrlbe
defeat to their operations. 1t is an
old saying that ''it is the hit dog that
hollers." We have been hit so often
recently that it is convenient to raise
the cry of fraud. But as matter
Of fact, careful study of the elec-
ton returns of 1884 06-S9-92 disclose
the fact, startling as it may seem to
Repu blicars, that there is even un
der the present election laws, COM
parativelv little fraud at elections
held in this State. Witnesses some
times lie; facts and figures cannot.
Let us 90 to the latter.
Take for instance the second con-
gressional district. That has always
been known as the "black district"
and was composed in 1854 Of the
counties of Jones, Craven, Lenoir,
Greene, Wilson, Edgecombe, Halifax,
Warren. Vance, Northampton, and
BERTHE.
These counties gave in 1884 the
following vote: York, Rep, 22,296;
Scales. Dem, 16,492. Total vote,
3S,7SS.
Comparing these returns with the
voting population of those counties,
Is evidenced by the census reports,
we find that IA full vote was polled.
1t must be remembered that at that
time the present election laws were
not in force.
From 1884 to 1890 inclusive, emf
grafton agents were busy in that Sec
tion of the State, in which the
black district was located, induc-
ing negroes to 60 west. Hundreds OF
voters left the State, to such an ex-
tent indeed, as to alarm the planters
of that district, who found it difficult
90 obtain the necessary labor for their
cotton fields.
But despite this exodus from the
district, we find that in the coun ties
named above the following vote was
polled in 1888: Harrison, 1858;
Cleveland, 1882. Total vote polled,
32,4SO.
1t cannot be said that the increase
IN the vote would balance the votes
lost by emigration. To illustrate:
Take the Democratic county of Will
son, IN that district. In 1884 that
county gave Scales, DEM, 2,l35. In
1888 it gave Cleveland 2,130 votes,
d decrease of five. Take the Repub-
lican county of Northampton: In
1854 it gave York, Rep, 2,311; in
1888 it gave Harrison 1896, de
crease of $50. The Republican
county of Vance in 1884, gave York,
Rep, l,Gl2, in 1888 it gave Harrison.
1929, a gain of 317. Lenoir, i'll
1854, gave York, 1899; in 1888, it
gave Harrison l,427, gain of rs.
To give the reader some idea of
the decrease in the population of
these counties from 1880 to 1890, the
census reports, 1890, show that III
Ha flax, the decrease WAS 1892; in
Warren, 3,259; in Edgecombe, 2,060;
in Lenoir, 465. As these reports
were made by Republican supervis-
ors, We are hardly IN a position to
impeach them.
In 1888 the Legislature passed the
present election law. Whilst some
of its provisions are unobjectionable,
It's most unjust and dangerous feat
ure is the power it places in the hands
of an unscrupulous and partisan reg
istrar to practically refuse to register
ignorant and unlettered voters. His
decision is absolute, and from it there
is no appeal. He is not even sworn
officer and it would be difficult to
sustain an indictment against him
for the grossest malfeasance in office.
But despite the unjust law and the
many distractions thrown in the way
of the Ignorant voters of the Repub-