The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-05-16

parish, which was in 1860 the rich
est parish or county in the South, eX-
cept the parish of Rapides. 1t is a
purely agricultural county and makes
$1,000 bales of cotton annually. be-
sides an abundance of peas and po-
tatoes. 1t has population of about
$4,000, chiefly negroes. No railroad
goes into the county. but it has trans
pOrtatiOn by means Of the Mississippi
River. To show the density of the ne
gro population, it is only necessary
to say that before the adoption OF
the amendment, the vote was nearly
5000 of which number only about 800
were white voters. From 1868 to 1876
it was one of the parishes Senator
McEnery had in mind when he said
that government in Louisiana was "a
hell-born dream" Government was
just as bad as could be. There were
negro sheriffs, negro clerks, a negro,
State Senator-negroes were in full
control of everything until it grew
intolerablc. 1t was only by an al
most superhuman effort in 1876 that
the white people were able to wrest
control of government from the
blacks, and it was accompanied by
what was nothing less than revolu-
ton. Think of it. 800 white men
and 400 negro men. The white men
were under military duress. but in
1876 they had a revolution not unlike
that in Wilmington. and from that
day to this this parish has been under
white rule. How have 300 white men
controlled 400 negroes? | do not
l., Int Ia ole rot
show that it has been done without
interruption. that it has been done in
peace since the withdrawal of troops
and without serious friction be-
tween the races. Up to the passage
of the constitutional amendment, the
vote was all Democratic. For eXam7
pie in 1888, out of a total vote of
4.74O. the Democratic vote was 4,627
whereas there were less than $50
white voters in the parish. Nobody
pretcnds that the election was hong
est. but it is openly asserted that.
after the bloody revolution of 1876,
the white people decided that count
ing the negro out was a less evil.
than controlling by the use of guns,
and that either was better than sub
hitting to negro rule. In 1896, about
5000 negroes registered and about
$50 whites. but the county went
Democratic.
I'VE became tired of both force
and fraud" said State Senator {. G..
Cordill. who has been member of
the Legislature for twenty-five years.
1T was demoralizing and debasing,
and that is why we favored a constitu-
tiOnal convention to regulate suf-
frage. The amendment works SPLEEN
didly and gives perfect satisfaction.
Our elections now are honest, peace
full and quiet. We protect the negro
in his person and property. He has
good churches and good schools.
There has been no exodus of negroes
from our county. The negroes are
well paid, well treated and are we'll
satisfied.
I'VE registered all native-born illit-
crate white people under section five.
/ registered under that clause my
self. Literate and illiterate alike are
on the roll. The registrars in many
instances went to see the uneducated
whites. explained the amendment TO
them, and induced them to register.
They went about to the saw mills
and wherever they were at work and
got them properly registered. But
for this, they might have overlook
ed the necessity Of registering by
September LIST. 1898. which neglect
would have cost them the loss of
their vote. There are few white peo-
pie, uneducated, who are not on the
permanent white roll under section
five. AS Il result of this the unedu-
1x-hi hat
the Democratic party is his friend
and guarantees him the right to vote
and the Republican orators can make
no appeal to the illiterates. They see
that with Democrats white folks are
white folks. In the disfranchisement,
the Democrats stood for them, and
would under no consideration agree
to their Acknowledgement.
THE uneducated voters in our
State are mostly the Arcadians. They
and their ancestors have lived in the
State since its earliest settlement.
They have lived a primitive life,
kindly disposed people, who are per-
fectly honest. 1T was to provide for
such men as these that section five
was adopted
Senator Cordill, who was member
of the Constitutional convention,
takes deep interest in the situation
in North Carolina. THE riot in Will
mington was just like our trouble
here in 1876. ] knew that it had to
come and was looking out for it. 1t
will come whenever the negroes resist
rule by white men,.
In the last election, the first State
election held under the new Constitu-
ton there were 1888 registered voters,
500 whites and IA negroes. The ne
gro being eliminated the election was
perfectly fair.
What is true of Tensas parish is
true of all negrop arishes. for this
is the black belt. In Concordia. the
registration this year was 521. of
which 4S0 were whites and Al negroes.
The vote stood: Democratic 80: Re
publican 50. About $50 white men
who registered did not vote, seeing
that there was no necessity for 1T.
In the old times. before the amend
ment, the vote of this parish was over
1000. In 1888, it was 4,219 Democratic
and 145 Republican, though the ne