The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-12-18
SUNDAY. ...... December IS, 1898.
THE lOulsIANA SUFFRAGE LAW HOW The
lGNUR .NT MICRO WAS ELIMINATED.

Washington. Dec. 17.-(Editorial
Correspondence -There is n majority
of negro voters in Louisiana and Yet the
Democrats carry every district and con-
troll the politics of the State. How do
they do it!
l called this morning at the Riggs to
see Judge Davey, who has long been a
leader of the Democratic party of Louis
lana and has for a long term represent
ed a New Orleans district in Congress-
He is one of the wise men of his State
and was one of the advocates of the
new Constitution of that State which
has recently gone into effect. He talked
freely about the conditions that con-
fronted the white people of his State. the
hell of government that prevailed until
1876 when the white people rose up in
their might and put an end to negro and
carpet-bag rule. No State suffered
more than Louisiana under Reconstruc-
ton. If there can be said to be any de-
gree in the political meanness that mark
ed the gang that controlled and throttled
the Southern States prior to 1876, the
louisiana crowd claim to lead in all the
deviltry that made government car
nival of crime and disgrace.
North Carolina had Il bad enough gov
eminent to arouse the people to the high
est pitch of indignation, and to be will
ing to follow Vance in expelling those
who had polluted the temple. But our
thieves and knayes We're guilty only of
petty misdeneanors in comparison with
the treason and wholesale pillage that
made Louisiana the fayorite resort of
the carpet-bag thugs, scalawag thieves,
and vicious negroes who thought they
could rob and humliate in perpetuity,
with none to modest or make them
afraid. After driving out the despoilers,
the united white vote gave Louisiana
peace, good government. quiet and or
der. Aside from the differences that
come in all parties composed of men who
think, no cloud appeared on the, politi-
cal horizon of that State until two diyis-
ions came that threatened to turn the
State back to the negroes and then
allies. In the sugar-growing section of
the State, the large planters became ar
dent protectionists and large number
of them broke away from the Democrat
ic party and joined the Repub-
lican party on national issues.
These men were educated, veal
thy, influential. Their detection threat
ened the success of the Democratic par
ty. About the same time, upon the or
ganization of the Populist party, in
Northern Louisiana, considerable num-
Der of farmers joined that party and
made Northern Louisiana, where the
whites have a majority and where the
big Democratic majorities had been poll
ed all the time, as doubtful as the sugar
planters made Southern Louisiana dan
gerous. In 1892 these defections made
the result very close and the Democrats
were able to carry the State only by
the employment of such means as the
Democrats used in Eastern North Caro-
lima in the late election In 1894, the
Republicans fused with the Populists
and voted for a Populist for Governor.
Up to these two elections the negro had
not voted, except in numbers that in
volved no danger to white supremacy
since 1876. The division among the
whites emboldened him to go to the polls
and help to elect the Fusionists TO Of
flee. The Populist candidate for Cover
nor got large white vote in the North
ern part of the State ana by appealing
to the negroes, got big negro vote, AID
came within a few thousand votes #
DelUS electeu. ANOlUlnS SdNtu tit bf1uO-
Gratis but the vote of the cities. In 1896
there was a considerable gold element
in the cities that voted for Mckinley,
but those former Democratic farmers
who had gone to the Populist party,
came back to the party under Bryans
leadership and the electoral vote was
safe. But the white mca saw that they
had escaped being North Caroina:ze1
only by the skin or their teeth. In fact
they would have lost the State as North
Carolina was lost in 1894 if there had
been as strong an old-line Republican
party in Louisiana as in North Caroline.
The white people of Louisiana, seeing
their close shave, thanked God and
took courage" They made up their
minds that the preservation of good gov
eminent and the civilization of the Sta e
depended upon removing for all time the
black mass of unlettered voters, whose
ignorant solidity was a constant tempta-
ton to demagogues to make division