The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-05-18
LOOKING FAR BACK.

ago. before any editorial writer for me Rtch-
rsond T4rptniap was born familiar 10 the
Danville Register whose venerable editors were
activeparticipants in that stirring time That is
one Of the few advantages age has over youth.
The Register is exactly right in correcting The
rirqin4nns account Of the part taken by Mr.,
Justice tBradley, Of the United States Supreme
court inathe Hayes,TiIden contested presidential
election Justice Bradley one Of commits
SION OF fifteen instead of nine as had It, and
tie vote >for Hayes eight to seven, instead
OF fve tosfour. With the general public of the
State. The 'Tirginiqn is indebted 10 the Register
for promptsand clear correction of an historical
error on an, important matter.
The recollection of the Register. good and ad-
mirable and well used as It is. errs on point
The majority Of the presidential election com
mission did not vote to stihe the expressed will
o. the people. The returning boards" the off,
ciai bodies of the States charged with the duty
OF ascertaining and reporting the results Of the
elections, decided for Hayes, the Republican
nominee for president Justice Bradley with
seven others of the commission, voted to accept
these reports as final and not to go behind the
a principle, of law; but the fact was that If the
commission had gone behind the returns and
undertaken to investigate the actual vote at the
polls and sas returned by the local authorities Of
the three disputed Southern States 1t would
have found and complication of fraud
and intimidation on both Sides riot OF repeat
ing lawlessneas and bribery which would have
naffsed and bewildered inquiry until now. The
state election laws framed by the Republicans,
were intended to make fraud easy and to put
and keep the control of elections in the hands
of the election officers and the representatives
OF the party In power The white people met this
condition by using their superior fighting ability
capacity for organization. their larger supply
of money and more capable equipment of fire
arms. They bought where they could bulldozed
where they could repeated audaciously and
hilariausly. Everything went The Republicans
did lilpwise where they had opportunity. Black
women dressed In mems clothes voted in
hattalions in the black belts and in the white
belts negroes chased away from the polls
or held frightened at home. The elections as
elections were roaring farces Nobody possibly
could know or ever will know what the results
would have been on a fair count Of the actual
legal votes cast There was no such count
or condition at single precinct OF three South
ern States 1t was the rule OF the strong hand,
To 60 back of the nominal results and sur
face figures, the country in that time endured
the penalties and dangers of correction of a
hideous mistake and reversal Of policy of lu-
macy and hate--the policy Of encouraging suprem
acy and control of white people by negroes and
attempting to establish negro ruled relationships
where States had been, The federal government
and the Republican party had been trying to
hold an impossible position, to force conditions
forbidden by reason, facts and the instincts of
the American people. The nominal forms of
elections in the three disputed Southern States
really were revolutions They were conducted
with federal troops at the polls ostensiby to
maintain the peace, really intended to overawe
the white people. Tie actual result that
the soldiers slipped away. while the officers
scanned the distant hills put on citizens clothes
behind the nearest fence and voted the Demo
cratic ticket at every poll they could get to. The
Law had gone wrong and been made wrong In
time of fanatical fury and grotesQue dreaming
and parties, united in repudiating and reversing
tire law and disregarding IT, The white people
of the states Immediately concerned openly and
boldly and on the floors Of legislatures proposed
to allow the electoral votes to the Republicans
and concede the election OF Hayes as president
II they were given control of their own States
That bargain really made somehow and by
somebody. The Southern leaders were for it
and had fairly good idea of what the result Of
the electoral commission would be- Mr.. Hayes
must have been informed of the agreement AS
president he lived up to ii faithfully. lie
took the troops away from the South, left the
white people free to take control of their own
affairs in their own way. gave us four years OF
peace which started the great Southern COM
psercial resurrection and boom of the eighties.
Casting back into profound and indefinitely
remote recollection Of events in which they have
been participants extending. for all we know. TO
4 the war OF 1872. our Danville contemporaries
i