Evening star., 1895-06-12
THE NEGRO VOTE
Democrats May Call on It for Help
in Kentucky.
THE MONEY QUESTION THE issue
No Fear of Black Domination in
the State.
DEMOCRATIC SPLIT LIKELY

There are democratic leaders deriving a
certain comfort from the opinion that how
ever much their brethren in Kentucky may
now be warning over the silver question,
they will be brought together before the
day Of election by the negro question. 1t Is
urged that in Kentucky, as in the old slave
states further south, the fear of negro
domination may always be relied upon to
unite the democracy in an emergency.
A Good Deal of MisinformatiOn.
This opinion represents a good deal Of
misinformation. Those familiar with Ken
lucky affairs are unable, indeed, to under
stand how men could have been so very
much misled. The negro as a voter has
never caused the slightest alarm in the
bluegrass state He has never been denied
his political rights there. Election riots,
with the negro retreating before loaded
guns, or ninble manipulationS of ballot
boxes, or countings out after the closing OF
the polls have never been known in Ken
lucky. Until very recently the voter de-
clared his choice by word of mouth, in the
hearing of the election officers and all by
ISLANDERS, and could see the record made of
the choice announced This rendered fine
work. at the polls very difficult, If not I'M
possible. and it gave to election methods
In the state an openness that served good
purpose. The negro came up as did the
white voter, called off his ticket and saw
his name entered in the proper column.
There was no friction, nor even the charge
Of unfairness toward him.
Never n Menace in Kentucky.
Then the negro was never, even in slavery
days. SO numerous in Kentucky as in the
cotton states. The Kentucky crops were
not SO exacting as was the cotton crop, and
hence 1t was never necessary to herd him
by the hundreds and thousands on i'm
mense plantations to insure profit from his
labor. When freedom came, therefore, and,
following it, citizenship, the negro was not
considered a menace in Kentucky. He
voted, did his brethren in the cotton
belt, the republican ticket but he was not
sufficiently numerous to cause uneasineSs,
or to invite the Matching of bad schemes
through hope of his uninformed support.
No state ticket has ever been elected there
by his vote.
Led by Native Whites.
And in Kentucky the negro has always
been led politically by native whites-his
old masters, and men Of recognized ability
and the highest character and social stand
Ing. Gen. Bristow, Gen. Harlan, Col. Good
loe representing the top notch of social
possibilities, were republican leaders there
in days past, while Col. Bradley, the pres
ent leader, is a worthy successor to those
men and ranks among the best lawyers in
the state. The talk of negro domination
therefore, could never, had 1t been raised
have conveyed any sense of disquietude to
the minds of men able to see just what the
negro vote amounted to and for whom it
was being thrown.
A Sound Money Platform.
But there is an interesting feature in the
Kentucky situation connected with the
negro vote, and this is that 1t is expect ed
to be thrown Eext fall solidly in favor of
sound money. The republican state plat
form calls for the continued enforcement
of the republican financial policy. and Col
Bradley will stump the state on that ISSUE
So far as can now be seen he has his party
behind him. If there Is any detection it is
as yet concealed. He Is especially popular
with the colored voters. and there is the
certainty that great crowds of them will
hear him during the campaign. Can this
vote be divided on the money issue? And,
in case of serious democratic split, will
such thing be attempted? Can the issue
of more money be presented to the colored
voters so as to wean a portion OF them
from their long allegiance to the republt-
can party? If silver triumphs in the demo-
cratic convention, and sound money men,
bers of the party retire in the sulks to
their tents, can their loss be made good by
recruiting from the colored republican
vote, despite the effort Of Col. Bradley to
hold it together?
May Call on 1t for Help.
This sort of speculation has more point
to it than the other. Instead Of the solid
negro vote causing the divided democrats
to come together, it is thought to be much
more likely to cause them to make a raid
on it for help If their present distraction
keeps up.