The broad ax., 1909-09-11

litical goods. When the election OF
managers Of Richmond county. the
one black belt county Of the Congress.
sional district, employed to annul the
votes Of the other several white coun,
ties voting majorities Cor Mr.. Watson,
these men were counting out native
Georgian who Is the peer In intellect
Of any man living or that has ever
lived in that commonwealth. His
honesty OF purpose and his patriotic
intent has only been equaled by his
superb courage in standing out against
the organized body of political high
waymen in his district and State who
have robbed him and his fellow citi-
zens of their manhood rights.
But why recount these political out
RACES Who is it that does not remem-
Der the election of Hon. H. Clay
Evans to the goFernorship of Tennes-
see in 1894 and how he was defrauded
by the "ofhcial" count when the face
OF the returns showed his election,
even after the election had been one
of highhanded corruption and fraud
upon the part Of the democracy" in
the counties Of the black belt Of that
State where the unserupulous ballot
box suffer could get in his work
The history Of Goebelism in Kentucky
is not ancient history, either, and the
nsgging of a free people there to al
most desperation, because OF the rev.
olutionary acts Of the oligarchy, forms
a chapter not soon to be forgotten.
The democracy" has much to say of
the murder of Goebel, but it overlooks
the crime of raping ''the goddess of
liberty" of which he, and his cohorts,
were guilty. Years will not efface
from the name Of this State of govern
mental outlawr" parading in the cloak
of democracy" the shame and dis
grace brought upon this common
wealth. II Goebel were assassinated,
Iynched, or what not. is it not de
to meet out summary pun
ishment for unspeakable crime? Why, |
then, this horror Of democracy" that
the "democracy's" own has come home
to them?
Is this a government of free men?
Is there not such a thing as the SOW
ereignty Of the people and the ma
of the citizen? 1t is said
by the patriotic orator upon the ma.
tionaI forum that this land is not a
despotism governed by king, but a
republic in which every citizen is
sovereign. What citizen has the right,
then. to deny to another the right he
demands for himself? The ballot is
the scepter of our sovereign citizens
kingly authority. It is the source OF
our governing power. To strike down
the ballot, therefore, is to strike
blow at Americas only king. 1t is
treason to our republican form OF gov
ernment. II is an insult to the nation
ality of the citizen, it is treason to the
nationl Does not the republic owe
Il to itself and do not its free men
owe it to the republic to protect
every citizen in his right by reason OF
his sovereignty and his nationality
Native white men Of the South, men
With blue eyes and straight hair, have
had their ballots thrown out, annulled
Majorities have been
,yerridden. seoffed at! The great
mass of voters in the South have
,een dashed back into sullen silence
md into hopeless acquiescence and'
,nder present conditions, they are as
,eipless as are the blacks upon whose
,ecks the bourbon heel was long
iince pressed.
Why nominate State and Congress 1
.ional candidates to oppose this re- /
ime? Their past record Jusunes lhe |
assertion that these oligarchists
would hold elections in hogsheads !
md STUFF ballots in with pile drivers. |
md then swear to the returns; and
urther, the local courts would be no l
error to their overt acts. this course {
,eing necessary to uphold their I
,articular brand OF white suprem- '
.cy.p Candidates for Congress who ]
upose the oligarchy are counted out
nd denied the certificate Of elec- I
ion and forced, if seated to in I
ugurate an expensive contest and I
reouently the taking Of the tesu- Z
aony is attendant with the risk Oh
mes life. The price is too great /
he experience of Hon. William T.
.ldrich. of the Fourth Alabama dis &
rict. the facts being upon records OF
bear out this conclusion.