The Lafayette gazette. [volume] (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921, 1902-01-11
BENEVOLENT ASSOCIATIONS.
/N.S/NCER/TY OF NORTH
ERN RADICALS.

In one OF MS interesting COntrl-
buttons to the political history of
the country. Col. A. X. Mcclure,
the distinguished Pennsylvania jour
nalist, shows the inconsistency of
the North in ITS efforts to force ne
gro suffrage down the threats of the
Southern people. 1t has always at
forded an exquisite delight to North
ern radicals to be able to throw i'm
pedlments in the way of white su-
premacy IN the South. They were
never happier than when infamous
reconstruction measures made it
possible for ignorant aud vicious
negroes to become governors, sena-
tors and congressman in the States
south of Mason and Dlxon's line
When . negro from Mississippi &C.
cupied the seat once honored by
Jefferson Davis in the United States
Senate, the extremists of the North
gloated over the apparent humili-
alton of the Southe IN people. The
right of suffrage was taken away
from the master and the slave was
clothed with the franchise in order
to establish Republican supremacy
in the South. But while the alleged
friends Of the black man we're so
solicitous for the triumph of African
rule in the South they would have
none of it nearer home. Speaking
of the enfranchisement of the ne
groes in the District of Colum bia,
Col. Mcclure says:
Universal negro suffrage was first estab-
iished in the District of Columbia, where
Congress has supreme authority, and a ter
ritorial government organized with legisla-
tive authority chosen largely by the enfran-
chised freedmen. A very few years made it
an imperative necessity for Congress to dis
franchise the entire people of the District of |
Columbia solely to escape the ignorant and
Profigate rule of the negro. I happened to
be present in the gallery of the Senate when
Senator Morton. the ablest all-around leader
OF the Republican party, made his final ap-
peal against the passage of the bill repeating
the right of suffrage in the District of Col
ambia. He was a man of broad, practical
ideas, and he told the Senate in plain terms
District of Columbia would be but the begin
nlng of the end, as thereafter Congress could
make no accusation against the Southern
States for taking the same action. His APP
peal was unavailing, as he well knew, and
the same Republican authority that had en-
franchised the negro under the very shadow
OF the Capitol of the nation was compelled
to declare that his Acknowledgement had be-
INN ]
erty and maintain order. The Southern
States which have, by ingenious constitu-
tional devices, practically disfra nchised the
the Republican Congress and President which I
him in the capital city, {
In the District of Columbia the ,
Republican party was given an op- 6
portunity to see the negro as a voter, ,
but, as Col. Mcclure tells US, the E
terrible results of encumberirg the s
electorate with the corrupt and ig-
norant element soon made it neces-
sary to undo the work of the over i
Jealous friends of the freedman. i
The Republican party could not at T
lord to meet the issue sQuarely and t
and decided to disfranchise p
he entire population of the district. i
But, with the insincerity and typo j
crisy which have always charact ter Il
zed the Republican policy toward n
he South, the leaders of that party c
to harass the Southern r,
people with infamous laws devised v
o perpetuate African misrule. never
Missing an opportunity to hold up
Southern statesmen before the world Ia
IS unreconstructed rebels, disloyal "
o the constitution and the flag. b
even now, thirty years after Re- c.
publican Congress d,sfranchised the tt
'egroes in the District Of Columbia, Al
he Crumpackers would chastise the 81
south because it refuses to be IL
uined and disgraced by negro suf- g.
rage. B
In his address recently delivered n,
New Orleans Capt. Hobson, of n,
dsrrimsc fame, said that the Mon c.