The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-04-29

Since the election IN Alabama dlafranchia-
Ing the colored men was held. last week.
"A self-proclaimed Independent paper In the
East has criticised the Republican party
for abandoning the colored people In the
South. As "a representative OF that class.
the paper does not tell Republicans what
they should have done IN regard TO this
and other Acknowledgement by Southern
States. Doubtless. that infallibility which
the Republican administrator or party
could do TO prevent Acknowledgement.
therefore. IL Is content 10 bring the accu-
sation OF abandoning the race To which IL
gave. with citizenship. the right To vote.
unless States should see tit to deprive
them OF the franchise.
The DISTINGUISHING amendments have not
changed conditions In the South. In the
States In which the colored voters consti-
tute a considerable part OF the voting popu-
lation such voters nave lone very little
voting for years. because they have learned
that their votes are not counted. In the
black belt In Alabama thousands of names
were registered as negro voters, but on
election day a few Democrats voted the
names and counted the votes. During the
Harrison administrator the Republicans
considered a proposition TO have all the
elections of members of Congress put unde;
federal control entirely, but the independ-
ent press SO loudly denounced it as a meas
IRE designed to keep alive sectional strife
and race animOsities that the bill was
abandoned. Even the proposition TO re-
duce representation in Congress of the
States DISTINGUISHING colored voters, in ac-
cordance with the provisions of the Con-
stltution. was criticised a few months ago
by a considerable portion of the independ-
ent press. Thus, so far as Republicans are
concerned, they are Tanned If they do
and damned if they do not.
When will intelligent writer's and speak
ers on the subject of reconstruction and
the comforting of the right to vote upon
negroes learn the whole truth about the
matter. or state it If they know it? The
war over. Democrats, Johnson men and a
class of so-called liberals insisted that the
Southern States should be allowed to elect
senators and representatives to Congress
without any pledge whatever. The Re-
publican Congress thought otherwise, and,
having the power to do so. told those
States that they must adopt an amendment
to the Constitution recognizing the aboli-
ton of slavery. recognizing the freedmen
as citizens of the United States, pledgine
the payment OF the public debt of the
United States and repudiating the rebe
war debt. The legislatures i'm ell of the
then late Confederate States rejected these
reasonable conditions by emphatic votes
Every ex-Confederate could vote under
these requirements. and suffrage was left
TO the States, as it now is. except the
denial of hat privilege to any race reduced
that States representation in Congress
These moderate propositions being rejected
by the whites of the South. the Repub.
lear Congress. intent on having the State.
represented. ordered an enrolment of al
the males of voting age TO vote for mem.
bers of constitutional conventions. Under
this plan the whites could nave controlled
all but two or three States. had they en-.
rolled and voted; but they stood aloof, anC
the ignorant negroes elected dishonest anC
ignorant officers and legislatures. Not on,
of the evils charged upon Republican Con.
crosses and Presidents would have befalleT
the South If the whites. who We're in a larg,
majority. had accepted conditions which
must be regarded as just and moderate
the declaration of citizenship, equality un
der the laws. the s~acredness of the Unior
war debt and the Reputation of the rebe