New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-01-19
VECPO DOMINATION

IN. nublic has heard great deal ABOUT INC
tor,nr. of negro domination. The Deihocr"''
,,,,,,c.rs in the States from Virginia to Texas
h.,o rroclaimnd II rs the imminent peril of
thrir commonwcalhS. as an evil thlt WAS iih''
to suhmerge Christian civilization ana plunge
fine Sonih into barbarism like that OF interior
Uavti or even into the savagery or me 'oh9o'
In The name Of white supremacy and under pie'
II the ucrrssity Of protecting their wives III"
children the Bourbons have stolen elec'iohS'
moltr.afcd the negro. deprived him 81 MS V"l''
and generally carried on affairs with hlgh
hand Now and then some person Of tender
conscience protested. but an awful picture 81 the
results of negro domination was held up BEFORE
hin, and he retired from the field Of discussion
The Bourbon might be Il political lawbreaker'
hut he did have pride in his race and country
and would not consort with negroes. nor Use
Them 70 rule his fellow-whlies Republicans
might thus stir up the negroes against Their
bctrcrs. but no true Democrat would do such
a thing lie believed that politics was an occu-
patton for white men.
Most honest Southcrners were dcluded into
believing these proclamaions Of the dema-
goggles. and many Noriherners accepted the
professions Of the managers that they did not
against white persons of different opinions from
their own did not wish To be tyrannical rulers.
In, were only praycrfully and moderately siriv-
ing 10 do their duty by their race. People nigh;
sill 90 on believing these absurd tales did not
IN. history Of recent elections in Alabama show
their falsity. There as In other Southern States
ON. class Of Democrats ar" in revolt against
the oligarchy which has 81 long ruled over them.
t.t, IL In
the white sections of the State. and twice ma
iority Of the white vote has been east for their
candidate for Governor. The Bourbon strong
hold is in the fifteen counties which compose
the Black Belt" Their opponents. having had
experience Of the way the negro vote In those
counties was fraudulently counted. nj the last
election sent out word 10 the blacks not to regis
ter or vote. This request was generally obeyed.
vet when the ballots were counted the vote was
found In many places 10 be as large as II they
had all gone TO the polls Alabama has an Aus
tralian ballot system. which required some
cieycrncss on the part Of the ballot box suffers.
The law calls for three election inspectors only
two Of whom shall belong 10 the same party.
The Independents presented lists ~ proper per
SONS on their side for the third inspector In each
ease. but the BourbOns, who had the machinery
Of appointment. selected instead lot ot Tue
most ignorant and d.pravcd negroes 10 be found
in the Black Belle and credited them Ia he
opposition. These blacks were set mp behind
the ballot boxes aud put in the votes their asso-
ciatrS commanded As they could not read, ii
fc 10 The Democrats 10 mark all ballots for
illltciatrs. and they were as successful in doing
this 10 the advantage ~ their party a. have
been Tie special Democratic consiablcs who per-
form "A similar function in Virginia. with the
aid ~ these ignorant negroes. such ~ The Trlb-
une stan correspondent describes In another
column the Bourbons piled mp great fraudu-
lent vote oyrrcamc the white majority and
seated their candidate, oates. by force in the
Governors chair.
That = Bourbon Governor should hold his seat
wrongfth X nothing surprising. The country
Is used 10 that. What i remarkable Is that
for the sake Of pcrpciuaing their r,il" over peo-
Die ~ their own race and party the Democratic
leaders ~ Alabama should abandon the only
princple they ever dared 10 fall back on ~ an
excuse for their admitted frauds. They are no
longer the champions of white supremacy. They
have deliberately troddcn under foot their white
fellow ctiZenS by making tools ~ negroes They
have forced these negroes forward ~ the repre-
scniaiivcs Of white party which did not wish
their aid They themselves have established
nrgr, domination in the BLACK Belt AMI over
thrown The white majority IN Alabama. The In
cldcni shows The character Of the Bourbon