Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1903-02-13
WHY NEGROES ARE DLSFRAN.
OHISED.

o: granting the suffrage to the negro in the
South and protecting him in its enjoyment
have failed. And now, 80 or more years
after their enactment, the negro Is disfran.
chised in every State where he constitutes
any considerable portion of the population.
A writer In the New York Tribune under
takes 10 give history Of this dislranchise-
ment. But neither Secretary Root nor the
Tribune writer makes any mention Of the
reasons which led up 70 this movement In
the South 1t is well, In the interest of truth
and fair dealing, to have this in mind.
In the first place, 1t is recognized fact
that the amendments comforting political
rights upon the negroes were never regu.
larry adopted by three-forths Of the States,
as the Constitution requires. They we're
In fact forced upon the country by the mill.
tary power and against the will of the peo
pie. A law 30 enacted will never receive
the willing obedience of even the most law.
abiding citizens.
But, Notwithstanding this fact, the negro
enjoyed the unrestricted right TO vote dur.
ing portion of the administration of An
drew johnson and during the two admins
trations OF General Grant. II was the white
people OF the South who were disfranchised
for period OF more than 10 years, and the
negroes, backed by the United States Army,
had an ample opportunity TO show their
capacity for self-government and their fitness
for the exercise of the suffrage. Figures
may give some little idea OF some of the re-
suits Of unrestricted negro suffrage during
that terrible time. But neither words nor
figures can make an adequate description oil
the saturnalia Of grand and petty larceny,
Of violence, OF plumber, OF fraud, OF lust and
OF every crime in the Newgate calendar.
Not even the most law-abiding nor the
quietest citizen was safe from violence.
Thousands and tens OF thousands of citi
zens, upon the fiimsiest charges and without
particle Of evidence, were torn from their,
homes and families and cast into prison
In North Carolina the Legislature author
lied the Governor TO proclaim martial law
In every coanty, TO arrest and try by court.
martial. and the soldiers were negroes. In
South Carolina alone, according to the de-
claration of Governor Chamberlain, q Re.
publican Governor Of that State, when he
succeeded Moses he found that two hundred
trial justices were holding Office by execu.
tive appointment who could neither read
nor write. Negro majorities had complete
control OF the State governments, taxes were
multiplied and the money gathered from the
unfortunate whites was stolen by the negroe ca
and their white leaders from the North, who
had hocked to the South as vultures gat her
on q carcass
At the close of the war the debts OF the
seeded States aggregated $87.O00,OOO. Dur
ing the 10 years of negro rule $500, 900 900
was added. In North Carolina the State
debt increased $9s. 100000 and the assessed
value of property sank from $500 ,OOO, 900 in
1850 TO $3.50 100000 In 1870. The taxation
for State purposes in 1850 had been $643..
600 year. The negroes increased il to 81 :.
100000. The negroes Issued $4,000 900 of
bonds 10 aid railroad construction. II was
all spent and not one mile OF railroad was
built. School fund securities were sold TO
carpetbaggers at one third their value and
the money received divided among the ne
gro legislators. In two years there was not
public schoolhouso open 10 the who'll
State. The same story might be told OF
every State in which the 80 called dislran
chsement has taken place. In Mississippi
100000 acres OF land were condscated be
cause the owners were unable 10 pay tue
heavy taxes levied upon them, and whole
sale confscation took place in all the States
The land so conascated was largely given
TO the negroes. Ia short, there was reign
oil terror in the South, and the miscreants
were supported Ia every town and village
by United States troops, many of whom
were negroes themselves and lent willing aid
In humlliating, robb ng and insulting their
former masters. The local governments Of
cities, towns and counties were as corrupt
under negro rule as the State governments
Plumber and bArbarism were everywhere.
In 1877 President Hayes withdrew the
army from the South, and as the soldiers
turned their backs the negro governments
melted away and disappeared. Unsupport
cd by the bayonet they did not exist one
day. just SO soon as the white man again
got control the South began TO revive from
an affection far more costly than the Civil
War had been. Wealth has Increased aud
the owners Of that wealth have no mind to
permit It's spoliation by another period II
negro rule. And that such a rule would
follow unrestricted negro suffrage la those
States, counties and cities where the negroes
have The majority there can be no doubt.
But 1t may be said that in the thirty years
which have passed since the reconstruction
period ended the negro has become better
qualified for self-government and the use
Of the ballot. Unfortunately there is no
evidence OF this. In casting his vote the
negro is no more controlled by principle 10.
day than he was 80 years ago. He IL gov.
erned exclusively by race prejudice and
votes solidly In mass. "rhe teachings OF
the negro. in various ways, for the last 20
years." said Booker Washington 10 speech
delivered at Madison, Wis, shave teaded
too much To array him against his white
brother rather than TO put the races in co
operation with each other More than ouce
have noticed that when the whites were
in favor Of prohibition the blacks, led even
by sober, upright ministers, voted against
prohibition simply because the whites were
In favor Of II. If the whites vote to lay a
tax TO build school house 1t lie signal lor
the blacks 70 oppose the measure simply
because the whites favor IT," Thus, upon
the testimony OF the wisest OF their own
race, the negro lie still unit for the ballot
Secretary Root admits II when he says, &c.
cording 70 the reports OF bis speech Isl
the country has TO face the failure Of the