Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1911-01-06

- YER and over again l have been
asked by my friends In the North
~ "Why don't you want the negro
:, vote? Why should Southerners OBJ
ject to a negro majority electing public
officers?" Over and over have given
che same answer, because we have tried
t."
Generally the man from New England
will listen to no argument; he sees only
,ac negro to the one hundred of popu-
istion in his part of the country and his
theory holds good Neither will the
man from Mississippi listen to argu-
ment on the other side; he sees fifty
eight and one half negroes to the hun.
bred, and theories vanish in the face OF
such a fact. If Massachusetts, had l.
61,127 negroes-or the same proportion
as Mississippi - Massachusetts, would
tave a condition. With only 1894 ne
groes Massachusetts, has theory:
Washington County, Mississippi, has
lz12s more ,,sgroes than the combined
States of Connecticut, New Hampshire,
Rhode Island, Vermont and Maine. The
South. with its condition, is in position
10 speak frankly to New England with
It's theory.
The experience of the District of Co.
iumbia will illustrate quite clearly the
seasons for the South's attitude. d.
vectly after the war, and sorely against
Ito peoples will, the natiQfal capital
was forced into an experiment with
negro suffrage, which from 1871 to 1874,
proved to be negro domination.
Such men as w. w. Corcoran, G. w.
Rigxs, Horatio N. Easily, Columbus
Alexander, and many others, pctitioncd
Congress to change the form of govern
tnent, so as to disfranchise them all and
get rid of the black voter. A Republi-
can administration, under General Grant,
wiped out the entire system.
The travesty of it is that Washington
furnishes the first instance it Anglo
Saxon history avhere zVhite men haze
voluntarily Surrendered their franchise
.iotts in order to take the ballot from
az negyo,s hand. This was no trivial
matter, nor did it receive hasty consid-
Grafton. The District of Columbia pays
more taxes than the citizens of any one
Of the following States: Alabama, Ar
South Carolina, Vermont. 1t has a
greater population than Delaware, Idaho,
Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North
Dakota, Utah, or Wyoming. By right
OF numbers, they would have been en-
titled to two United States senator's, and
one representative in Congress. Yet these
people prefer to violate the ancient prin-
ciple, mo taxation without representa-
sion," for which their ancestors fought
. bloody war.
Let US glance at the history of the
District of Columbia From the creation
of the District, about 1885, to 1872, tho
city council of Washington was elected
by the white males, who were possessed
Of certain qualifications, bit the mayor
was appointed by the President. In
y8I2 the mayor was made elective. At
lhis time there were about 600 free
negroes and 5000 slaves i'll the District.
The color line was maintained until
January g. 1867. when Congress abol-
sshed every distinction Of color and prop
<rty, except as to eligibility for Office.
This last distinction was obliteratcd by
ne Act Of March I8. 1869.
Meanwhile great changes had taken
:lace in the population and Importance
If the District Free negroes had i'll
creased 1900 per cent. while tie slaves
showed an absolute decrease, being in
1850 only four and one-half per cent
# the population Congress passed the
District Emancipation Act il 1852, and
appropriated money to pay loyal citizens
:or their slaves.
At that time tie people dreaded a
t!ack avalanche, and besought Congress
20 protect them against it. This was
aot done. Hordes of fugitives and con-
trabands came pouring in. Between 1860
snd 1870 the negro population increased
::om 1876 to 43,4o+ There was no
work for these people to do. 1t was
not the prospect of work which attracted
shem. Like the moth to the light, they
lev straight at the dome of the capitol,
and f1uttered helple.sly to the ground
beside it, The same fatal fascination
.rdures to this day: thousands of de-
:::ded negroes believe that their eternal
happiness is secure if they can get to
Washington. To do what? Nobody
knows 1t is part of the negro phe-
aomena. There are many traits of the
MICRO which must be accepted without
Argument, because no man can give their
seasons. But they came to Washing
t,l in focks and droves and they had to
i: cared for.
these were the general conditions in
::%s when the question of negro suf-
. ! !ge first arose. Bear in mind that
i. followed Immediately on the heels
e a successful war. when enthusiasm
s.: riot, and Lincoln's assassination wa