The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1912-08-19


al, commanding. registrations of voters
closed on the last day of August, 1867
Headquarters announced the result, 70,
74S whites to s2,243 freemen. This
report seemed to assure the new ma
tional republican" party, organized, as
we have seen, June 4, by Busted ano
swayne, in the capitol. convenient
majority of 15,495.
The white population by the census
of this decade was 526,481. The slaves
were $4,000. The free negroes were
$500.
large part OF the whites, who
persisted by the casualties of war, were
minors. large part of the negroes In
the upper counties, left the state dur
Der after the war. In 1866 and the
next year. while the registration was
in progress, many.-whlte voters moved
their families to Texas.
The result of the registration showed
Enthusiastically two effects; One a posi-
tive reduction of the white strength
at the polls by government disfran-
chisement and the other the unreliable
ity of the registration list of negroes
Here Initiated fraud in Alabama cleo
lions
We shall look a little into the mil
itary method of registration. The 60
counties were apportioned as AZ dis
tricts The registration boards for the
respective districts consisted of two
whites and one negro, everywhere
that negro could be obtained. The
military chose all the members.
The negroes were directly ordered
to register" The registers were d.
rectly ordered to exclude several classes
of whites, namely, all senators and
representatives. in the Congress of the
United States who gave aid and COM
fort to the rebellion all state officers
of every description who had at any
time supported the Confederacy; all Of
f1cers of towns and all officers of coun-
ties. mayors. councilmens coroners, sher-
ifs, constables, clerks of courts, etc,
who had sympathized with the Confed-
eracy openly.
The inside age limit OF the man COM
petent to register was FL years. To this
day throughout the black belt many
negroes who registered under General
Pope's command so to act, do not know
their ages.
The boards of registration as to the
two white men on IL were taken from
the local offices of the Freedman's Blu
reau wherever practical. These men, OF
course. were strangers in the commu-
nifty Northern men brought here and
uniformed for the occasion. They knew
nobody and were easily and conven-
iently imposed.
The process was an aggravated
mockery of the electorate. William III.
Smith of Randolph county, presiding
officer of the late Montgomery con-
vention. was made general superintend-
ent of registrations for the whole state.
merely a perfunctory position.
Thirty days after the registra ton
lists closed General Pope ordered an
election to be held on the LIST, I'd and Sd
days of October. All registered per-
sons were eligible voters and none
others All precinct boxes We're abol-
and that at the county seat. Voters
might exercise their right in any
county.
The election was called to deter
mine:
Shall a constitutional convention
assemble at Montgomery?
Q To chose delegates If convention"
wins.
The strategical points of the COM
manding general in the premises thus
far were, the registration of voters at
the precinct polls. convenient to ne
groes who owned no horses to ride
and the closing of precinct polls to
the election In order that all voters
might be corralled at the county seat
under easy instructions of the bureau
agents, who would attend for the pur-
pose. These two preliminaries estap-
iished the question OF convention
would surely be determined in the af-
firmative and the election of delegates
would surely be made by the ballot
already prepared and printed by the
bureau to be handed out to negroes by
bureau agent.
No little diversity of opinion still de-
veoped among the citizens of the state
touching a correct policy in the situation
Granted. the whole matter was not only
revolutionary but revolving to the ordi-
nary rules of decency, the voters had
been already qualified, the one poll al
each county seat would be opened. thou
sands of ignorant negroes would cast
their maiden ballots, one way or the
other The convention would be held
beyond peradventure and a new state
constitution would be made to displact
the new one made two short years be-
fore.
Should an effort be made by Genera
Clanton and his committee set up al
Selma, August 2 1866, to divide the ne
gro vote, so as to bring into the conven-
ton enough citizens of capacity to save
the state from constitution that, other
WISE would be reasonably certain to
revolutionize the entire structure of or
ganized state life?
The situation was appalling, No COM
munity of civilized people had ever be
fore been confronted with so porten-
tous a dilemma.
Some argued that no relief could come
from the connection of the state with
the military. Congress had set up the
military; Congress would reject any state
constitution that tended to relieve the
state OF the military. Why humble our
selves to participate in the degradation
of the electorate,
LET us look around u.s. many cried
white men cannot improve on the con-
stitution of 1865. that specifically secures
the freedmen in every right under the
law, possessed by while women ana min