The Free Suffrage
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Title
The Free Suffrage
Source
Chronicling America
Publisher
Indianapolis Journal
Date
1883-07-28
Scripto
Transcription
[PAGE 01]
THE FREE SUFFRAGE
The colored people of Indiana, in State convention assembled, , adopted a very sensible and dignified series of resolutions. Among other things they congratulate themselves that the shotgun and horsewhip of Southern bulldozers have given way to less violent and less brutal means of defeating the will of defeating the will of Southern colored voters. It is a step in the line of progress. But the present plan is no less effectual than were the old methods. What was long accomplished by a reign of terror and bloodshed is now arrived at by fraud, through tissue ballots, false returns, etc. So far as being factors in the government of this country is concerned the colored voters might as well be cheated in one way as the other, for in both are their wishes ignored and their will defeated. Against such injustice any class of voters, white or black, is sure to revolt. The right of suffrage thus changed into a farce is worthless. It is worse than worthless, because, while putting upon a citizen the duties of citizenship it gives him no part in exercising their accompanying privileges. He may and must pay taxes, and, if he needs be, take up arms in defense of the State and Nation, but has no voice in making the laws that place these obligations upon him. It is exactly the same form of injustice that precipitated the Revolution that resulted in the autonomy of the American republic.
[PAGE 02]
The colored people of Indiana are rightfully solicitous concerning the treatment of the colored men in the South. Not that they should be clannish, or attempt to hold themselves as a people different from the great body of American citizens about them, but that in common with all honorable and patriotic citizens they should seek by all means to secure to all men, white and black, North and South, the fullest and freest expression through the ballot. It was an outrage to use violence and intimidation to prevent the recently enfranchised slave from voting. It is only a less violent outrage to nullify his influence by fraudulent devices. The colored people are eminently right to take public notice of this palpable injustice, and it is in their hands to do much toward its correction. In no section of the country have the political rights of the colored race been denied or abridged except in the South. They would not be interfered with even there but for the fact that a solid South is essential to the life and existence of the Democratic party. A break in the Southern States from their old-time allegiance to the Democratic party will insure a more liberal treatment of men of all shades of political belief. There is no more need of a solid South than of a solid North. The idea of sectional solidity is repugnant to a united, patriotic people. But just so long as a solid South is made an issue by the Democratic party, and made a moving force in national politics by means of fraudulent elections, will it be necessary to maintain a solid North as a telling protest against such undemocratic practices.
[PAGE 03]
The South has given evidence of progress, and it is to be hoped that the bloodshed and violence of past campaigns will never again be resorted to. These have been abandoned reluctantly, and only because the great mass of the people of this republic condemn them at the ballot-box. It is slowly dawned upon Democratic leaders in all parts of the country that their party could never win a national campaign by intimidation and murder. The conscience of the people, as revealed through the ballot-box, has always spoken against them, and despite the fact that hundreds of thousands of Republican voters were kept away from the polls in fear of their lives being endangered, the supreme court of public opinion has always pronounced against Democracy on account of its crimes against popular suffrage. The national Democratic party is responsible for the tissue-ballot frauds that cheat Southern Republicans, black and white, out of their political rights. But that party will not relinquish the scheme until the force of public opinion indignantly compels it. This is sure to follow, if only the importance and justice of it can be made sufficiently plain. The colored race are already alive to the issue, and it is in their power to do much toward working the desired reform. A solid North can defeat a solid South. While this is in itself a very undesirable means of reform, it is imperative, in the view of the needs of good and impartial government. There is no danger of a solid North being unfairly
[PAGE 04]
perpetuated. The people in this portion of the Union are too free to be bound by prejudice or passion. Whenever fraud and intimidation release their hold upon the South, it will be time for the North to relax its vigilance in behalf of honest and free elections in the old slave States. The Democratic party, as the exponent of the past outrages there, and as the moving power of the almost undisguised frauds now practiced there, should be made to feel the force of popular condemnation until it be compelled to give up its unlawful attempts to steal the right of suffrage from legal voters. A vote against the Democratic party in the North is a tangible and effective protest against its illegal methods of maintaining supremacy in the South. It is the only means left to honest men to correct these election abuses, and ought to be exercised in such a way that the desired reforms will be secured. After prolonged and bitter struggle, that party has in a measure abandoned intimidation. Let it now be taught that the tissue ballot and like frauds must give way to honest and free elections, and one ballot cast and counted for each legal voter.
THE FREE SUFFRAGE
The colored people of Indiana, in State convention assembled, , adopted a very sensible and dignified series of resolutions. Among other things they congratulate themselves that the shotgun and horsewhip of Southern bulldozers have given way to less violent and less brutal means of defeating the will of defeating the will of Southern colored voters. It is a step in the line of progress. But the present plan is no less effectual than were the old methods. What was long accomplished by a reign of terror and bloodshed is now arrived at by fraud, through tissue ballots, false returns, etc. So far as being factors in the government of this country is concerned the colored voters might as well be cheated in one way as the other, for in both are their wishes ignored and their will defeated. Against such injustice any class of voters, white or black, is sure to revolt. The right of suffrage thus changed into a farce is worthless. It is worse than worthless, because, while putting upon a citizen the duties of citizenship it gives him no part in exercising their accompanying privileges. He may and must pay taxes, and, if he needs be, take up arms in defense of the State and Nation, but has no voice in making the laws that place these obligations upon him. It is exactly the same form of injustice that precipitated the Revolution that resulted in the autonomy of the American republic.
[PAGE 02]
The colored people of Indiana are rightfully solicitous concerning the treatment of the colored men in the South. Not that they should be clannish, or attempt to hold themselves as a people different from the great body of American citizens about them, but that in common with all honorable and patriotic citizens they should seek by all means to secure to all men, white and black, North and South, the fullest and freest expression through the ballot. It was an outrage to use violence and intimidation to prevent the recently enfranchised slave from voting. It is only a less violent outrage to nullify his influence by fraudulent devices. The colored people are eminently right to take public notice of this palpable injustice, and it is in their hands to do much toward its correction. In no section of the country have the political rights of the colored race been denied or abridged except in the South. They would not be interfered with even there but for the fact that a solid South is essential to the life and existence of the Democratic party. A break in the Southern States from their old-time allegiance to the Democratic party will insure a more liberal treatment of men of all shades of political belief. There is no more need of a solid South than of a solid North. The idea of sectional solidity is repugnant to a united, patriotic people. But just so long as a solid South is made an issue by the Democratic party, and made a moving force in national politics by means of fraudulent elections, will it be necessary to maintain a solid North as a telling protest against such undemocratic practices.
[PAGE 03]
The South has given evidence of progress, and it is to be hoped that the bloodshed and violence of past campaigns will never again be resorted to. These have been abandoned reluctantly, and only because the great mass of the people of this republic condemn them at the ballot-box. It is slowly dawned upon Democratic leaders in all parts of the country that their party could never win a national campaign by intimidation and murder. The conscience of the people, as revealed through the ballot-box, has always spoken against them, and despite the fact that hundreds of thousands of Republican voters were kept away from the polls in fear of their lives being endangered, the supreme court of public opinion has always pronounced against Democracy on account of its crimes against popular suffrage. The national Democratic party is responsible for the tissue-ballot frauds that cheat Southern Republicans, black and white, out of their political rights. But that party will not relinquish the scheme until the force of public opinion indignantly compels it. This is sure to follow, if only the importance and justice of it can be made sufficiently plain. The colored race are already alive to the issue, and it is in their power to do much toward working the desired reform. A solid North can defeat a solid South. While this is in itself a very undesirable means of reform, it is imperative, in the view of the needs of good and impartial government. There is no danger of a solid North being unfairly
[PAGE 04]
perpetuated. The people in this portion of the Union are too free to be bound by prejudice or passion. Whenever fraud and intimidation release their hold upon the South, it will be time for the North to relax its vigilance in behalf of honest and free elections in the old slave States. The Democratic party, as the exponent of the past outrages there, and as the moving power of the almost undisguised frauds now practiced there, should be made to feel the force of popular condemnation until it be compelled to give up its unlawful attempts to steal the right of suffrage from legal voters. A vote against the Democratic party in the North is a tangible and effective protest against its illegal methods of maintaining supremacy in the South. It is the only means left to honest men to correct these election abuses, and ought to be exercised in such a way that the desired reforms will be secured. After prolonged and bitter struggle, that party has in a measure abandoned intimidation. Let it now be taught that the tissue ballot and like frauds must give way to honest and free elections, and one ballot cast and counted for each legal voter.
Convention Minutes Item Type Metadata
Convention Type
State Convention
City
Indianapolis
State
IN
Country
USA
Start Date
1883-07-12
End Date
1883-07-12
Provenance
Library of Congress
Event ID
1883.IN-07.12.INDI
Citation
“The Free Suffrage,” Colored Conventions Project Digital Records, accessed October 22, 2026, https://www.omeka.coloredconventions.org/items/show/2284.