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The Bainbridge Weekly Democrat.
Published Every Thursday )-
'HKRE SHALL THE PRESS THE PEOPLE'S RIGHTS MAINTAIN, UNAWED BY INFLUENCE AND UNBRIBED BY 0AIN."
i Two Dollars Per Aiuna.
Volume "V".
BAUXBRIDGE, GEORGIA, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 38, 1876.
Number 50
Tlie VYeokly Democrat
BEN. E. RUSSELL, - Proprietor.
Mr- Bash’s Appointments
Hon. I. A. Bush will address the citizens
of Decatur county as follows:
Bell's District, Wednesday, September
13th; Wight’s Store, Thursday, September
Ilth: Higdon's Store, Friday. September
15th; Attapulgus, Saturday September 16.h;
Wbigbam, Wednesday, September 20sh ;
Lime Sink, Thursday, September 2ist;
Belcher’s District, Friday, September 22nd;
Fine Hill. Saturday, September 23rd; Face-
ville Wednesday, September 27th; Bain
bridge, Thursday, September 28th, Spring
Creek. Friday, September 20th, Rock Pond,
Saturday, September 30th.
WHAT VOTES FOR HAYES MEAN
A vote for Hayes is a vote for Robeson.
A vote for Hayes is a vote for Belknap.
A vote for Hayes is a vote for Delano.
A vote for Hayes is a vote against Re
trenchment.
A vote for Hayes ; s a vote for the Indian
Bureau.
A vote for Hayes is a vote for the
Freedman's Bank.
A vote for Hayes is a vote for Babcock,
McDonald and Joyce.
Every vote cast for the Republican
ticket at the State elections is a vote for
Hayes and all the swindles and swindlers
of Grant’s administration.
STATE ACADEMY OF THE BLIND
Macon, Ga., Sept. 21, 1876.
I have often heard of this Institution,
one of the greatest nenevolenctes of the
State, and was desirious to become
acquainted with its interior working. I
have taken occasion therefore, during my
sojourn in Macon, t ■ spend a day or two
here, that from actual observation I might
know how to estimate its value. Its ac
complished President, Professor D.
Williams, is in all respects the best adap
ted man for this place. With him, the
•(location and the physical and moral de
velopment of the children under his care,
is an all absorbing passion, their comfort
and pleasure appears never to be absent
from his th >ug »U. I have several times
seen him busily eugiged in reading or
writing, and the distant irregular sound
of the foot steps of cne ol the blind chil
dren, instantly turests bis ear and secures
his prompt attention. He moves among
them like a fat her, an 1 individualizing his
infectious, has a picasi..t word for each,
as from time to time they pass him in the
extensive lulls of litis inagniiicent builtl-
ittg.
I have spent several nights here, and
my window overlooks the boys play
ground. Here tire probably about thirty
boys of all ages, from those younger tiian
ittle Johnnie Bruce, to those who have
reached the age of young manhood. It
is the morning hour, and they are waiting
for the “prayer bell.” A merrier set ot
boys, I never saw ; some are exercising
■with gymnastic poles or dumb bells ; here
go two of the boys riding a third on a rail,
all in high glee ; there is a little fellow
creeping up behind a group and gently
tapping them on the legs with a wt oden
paddle which he lias picked up from the
ground, and then, though utterly bl.nd,
he runs off, soreamiu, with merry laugh
ter, feeling that they are chasing him over
the green lawu. One dear bright little
boy of probably 8 or l J years of age, is
scurring up and down the gravel work,
his bauds and arms making the motions
and his voice imitating tlie steam puff
and shriil whistle ot a locomotive, and all
this for his own pleasure, as he is utterly
unconscious that any one is noticing him,
and having as much enjoyment as though
lie has not been blind from his birth.
The prayer bell rings and we repair to
the school room. This is a large double
room with folding doors separating the
male and female departments of the
school; these were thrown open, and on
the invitation of the President I took a
seat at the opening to conduct the morn
ing service. I was greateiy impressed
with the general appearance of the chil
dren, all were neatly and cleanly clad.
Great attention seetns to be paid to this
part of the school regime, their hair was
well combed, faces aud hands clean, nor
untidiness of dress or person, they had
the appearance of a well-ordered family.
They were in all conditions of blindness,
some whose eye-lids were closed over
empty sockets, and some whose sightless
eyeballs rolled unceasingly in their sock
ets, and yet the atr of cheerfulness that
marked their otherwise expressionless
faces made it rather pleasant than other
wise to look at them.as in silent attention
they listened to the reading of the morn
ing lesson. After reading a chapter I re
quested a sacred song, and about fifty
voices burst forth into a rich volumn of
exquisite music. I have rarely ever heard
such singing, all the parts of music were
carried with a precision as to tune and
expression, and distinctness of utterance
that indicates the exceeding care of their
musical instruction.
1 remained to witness the reading les
son. Two of the pupils sit together; the
one who is the farther advanced, becomes
the teacher of the young beginner; dupli
cate copies of a large book, with raised
letters lie on the desk before them, and
the tips of the first fingers on the hands
press the letter, the one on the left hand
holding the line, and the finger of the
right hand tracing the letters, those who
have been here a considerable time, read
with great case and fluency, and the
teachers tell me they learn very readily
and with much interest.
I saw in the office an instrument for
writing letters. It looks like a small
printing machine; which indeed it is, but
arranged specially for the bl.nd,the letters
and figures are arranged like little knobs
which are connected with type, oy means
of springs, and on touching the knobs,
the type makes an impression on the sheet
of paper over a ribbon of printing ink. by
Ibis means, the children can readily carry
on a correspondence with their parents.
I enclose you a slip printed by one of the
little boys in two minutes, while I write
this letter. I may write more of this in
stitution in my next. My nephew is wait
ing to take this to the post office and I
in u.st stop.
I expect to leave in a day or two for the
Centennial. R. M. L.
pioyer In the tu ittor of education, the ♦ In regard to our elections, they have *
report of the State School Commission- been peaceable and quiet. In one or
er fot last year shows that the number two instances in the State, four or five
THE NEGRO IN GEORGIA.
HIS CONDITION AND BIGHTS IN
THE EMPIRE STATE-
Letter From Senator T J. Simmon's
—A True Statement-
[From the New York World.]
YYe are enabled by the courtesy of
Col. Snead, of this city, to publish the
following interesting letter on the ne-
g o in Georgia, and his treatment by
the whites. The writer, Colonel Sim
mons, is a gentleman of the highest
character, long a State Senator, and for
two years past President of the Senate
of the State of Georgia;
Col. T. N. Snead.
Dear SiK : Your letter of the 17th
inst., has been received. You ask uie
to give you some facts showing what
Georgia has done and is doing loi the
negro in the matter of education, in
semiring their political rights and fair
ness in the courts, etc. To gratify you I
will endeavor to give you brief auswers
to your questions, not that I believe it
will do any good if it were known to tfce
people of the North. Nothing that a
Southern man can say about the negro
Till, in my opinion, be believed at the
North.
At the close of the war the white
people of the South were the poorest
people, for a civilised people, on the
faee of the earth. The negroes, of
course, had literally nothing. For sev
eral years after their freedom a large
majority of thorn were like cuildreu
ju-t from school. They thought noth
ing of to-manow. To attend a political
meeting and join in the procession that
marched through the streets was their
greatest delight. Ah sorts of rumors
were circulated among them by design
ing men, and were implicit y believed
by a large number of tnem. That they
would get “forty acres aDd a mule.” was
firmly believed by them fur several
years. At one time I was at my farm,
thirty miles distant from Macon. The
•■news” came to them that, the Queen
had sent over a ship load of gold for
them, and all who were in Macon by a
certain day would get a cupfull of gold.
The next morning there was not a negro
on the place—all had gone, leaving the
crop in which they were interested to
take care of itself. I mention th^se
facts to show you how improvident they
were and how easily de uded. For the
last few years they have learned “better
sense,” as they express it. They are
now in a much more prosperous condi
tion, not so easilly led astray. They
investigate more than they Aver did,
learning to have confidence in them
selves and in their former owners- They
work cheerfully and well. They begin
to accumulate property, which makes
them conservative in their views. The
Comptroller General's report for the
year 1875 shows that they owned 396,-
65S acres of land valued at §1,263 902;
that they owned town and city proper
ty valued at §1,203.203; money and
solvent debts, §102,194 and other prop
erty aggregating §5.393,885. This
property has been accumulated within
the last five years.
By the act of February 24. 1873, of
the Legislature of Georgia, the negro is
fully protected in his labor. That act
givts him a “lien on the property of
hia employer superior to all other liens,”
and provides a su mrnary way of enforc
ing his lien. All he has to do is to go
before the magistrate and make an oath
to the amount and the fact of his lien,
and execution issues at once. The lien
for labor is superior to the homestead
lien of the wife and ohildren of the em- j
of children in the public schools last
year was 142,728. Of these 98.750
were whites, and 43,978 were colored.
The cost per month per pnpil was
$1.73.
Our Constitution provides that- each
male citizen shall pay annually $1 as a
poll-tax, and this tax shall go to sustain
the public scho -Is. In 1875 the ne
groes returned 80,950 polls, and ought
to have paid into the School Fund that
many dollars But about two-thirds of
them failed to pay, although the money
was to educate their own children. Of
course, to balance of the School Fund
not raised by the poll-tax must be rais
ed from taxation on property. In addi
tion to the a a >unt appropriated by tho
State for public scliuls, a great m my
counties have locai law for th§ir public
schools, and are allowed to levy an ad
ditional tax to carry them on. Under
these laws this county (Bibb) has for
the last few years levied §25,000 annu
ally for the support ol'the public schools
The negroes of the country do not pay
more tfiau $2,000 of this amount, and
yet they are allowed to share equally
with the whites in its benefits. It is
the same in other counties The Leg
islature appropriates annually $8,000 to
the State Aniversary at Athens. It
appropriates the same amount annually
to the colored University at Atlanta,
where doctrines abhorent to every
white tn..n in the State are daily taught.
In regard to their getting justice in
our courts, L have tills to say ; I am
free to admit that for a few years after
the war it was easier to convict a negro
before a jury than it was a white uiau.
1 say to you now, truthfully, that in my
practice, extending to a good many
counties in Middle Georgia, I see no
difference. The passious and prejudi
ces of race have died out in Georgia.
There is no conflict or antagonism be
tween us. \Ye live peaceably together,
and we are iu a fair way to solve the
great problem il let alone.
You may remember that during last
year there was considerable excitement
in the whole country in regard to a re
ported insurrection in Washington and
adjoining counties. The people iu f’nat
section oi the State were greatly exci
ted and incensed ever the threats ot
some disreputable negroes of killing the
men and taking their wives and daugh
ters for their own purposes. Go.'erum
Smith ordered out the mil'uia of the
county and took command of them in
person. He made a speech, and advised
against any act of violence or lawless
ness. His advice was taken by the
people; the leaders of the reported in-
surrec.ion were arrested. Judge Her-
schel V. Johnson, who ran for Vice-
President with Douglas, called a special
term of his court for the purpose of
trying the prisoners He gave to the
grand jury a charge which was univer
sally commended at the time by the
press, North and South, for its clear
ness, its wisdom, its moderation and
justice. He appointed the leading
lawyers of the circuit to defend the ne
groes, and out of thirty who were put
upon trial, nty recollection is that all
were acquitted but one This is notan
isolated case. I see negroes acquitted
at every court I attend. The benefitof
the doubt is always given to them by
the court and jury.
In a great many counties in Georgia,
negroes serve on the jury. Our Con
stitution provides that none but “up
right and intelligent” citizens shall
s.-rve upon juries. To carry this pro
vision into effect the law prescribes that
the Ordinary, the Clerk and Sheriff, to
gether with three citizens appointed by
the Judge of the Superior Court, shall
take the tax lists and select therefrom
the names of “upright and intelligent
citizens” to serve as jurors. Before
entering on this duty they are required
to take an oath that they will exclude
no one on account of race, color or pre
vious condition of servitude. Under
this rule the names of a good many ne
groes have been put in the jury box cf
this county. Some are excluded, and a
good many whites are also excluded
under the rule. I do not remember a
court in this county for the last five
years in which negroes have not served
u n the grand and traverse j uries. I re
member a year or two ago that I tried
a will case, and that the jury was com
posed entirely of negroes
years ago, there were difficulty* at the
poll:. But since that time there haa
been no difficulty, nor do I ever think
there will be again. The only difficulty
I now apprehend is one between the
negroes themselves—the Radical ne
groes are very abusive and violent to
ward the Democratic negroes. They
threaten the Democratic negroes with
all sorts of violence; refuse to allow
them to attend their churches or Sun
day-schools, and urge thetr-wives t. quit
them. This was much more comm >n
four years ago than it is now, I ap
prehend no trouble at oar next elec
tion.
These are some of the facts in an
swer to you. They are facts, and noth
ing else. I could write you much more,
but think the above enough.
Yours truly,
T. J. Simmons.
Macon, Ga., August 25, 1876.
MORTON AND THE POST OFFICE
DEPARTMENT.
[From Albany Argus, Sept. 6.]
The Republicans are using the depart
ments of the Government to further their
political ends. The post office is notably
one of their instruments, and is being
used as though it was a party machine
instead of an institution belonging to the
whole people. Jewell was turned out of
the cabinet so that Morton could run the
post office department in the interest of
his friends in Indiana. The ‘bloody shirt’
Senator’s favorites are now well taken
care of. Morton’s son, Walter, has a good
place. George A. Tyner, a relative, and
from Indiana, was given a position at the
Springfield, (Moss.) agency at a salary of
$25,00 a year. His salary has just bten
raised to $25,00. John A. Burbank, a
brother-in law of Morton,another Indiana
man, has been well taken care of, Bur
bank Was sotne years ago given the Gov-
norship of a territory, but he was not
capable of performing the duties of that
office and resigned. He was then made
Clerk of Morton’s Senate Committee at a
salary of sis dollars a day the year round.
During the past session he acted as Mor
ton’s private Secretary also, and could at
all times be seen about the Indiana Sena
tor's seat. On August 17th he was ap
pointed agent of the post office depart
ment at a salary of $1,300 a year. His
labors will presumably be in Indiana, and
will consist principally in acting as body
servant for Morton. This fortunate Bur
bank at present has three very paying
positions. His pay as Committee Clerk
runs on, while he draws his pay as a
special agent, and acts as Morton’s man
Friday in Indiana.
The late Speaker Kerr, one of Indiana’s
Democratic Statesmen, pursued a course
widely different Iroin that of Morton and
other Republican Raders. When Mr ;
Kerr w.is made Speaker it was suggested
to him that his son could have a good po
sition at. the Capitol, which would he a
financial help to him. “Never,” said Mr.
Kerr, “shall my sou hold a government
position while I am able to support my
family,”
A VASTLY IMPORTANT MOVE-
Governor Smith is just now consider
ing a matter that will be of vast import
to Georgia and the South, if he can
make it out-, A perfectly responsible
steamship company of England has pro
posed formally that, if the State ol
Georgia will give a bonus of $50,000 a
year for three years, it will at once put
a regular line of first-class steamships to
running between Savannah and Liver
pool, and keep them at it permanently.
They guarantee besides to land sev
eral thousand Germans* per month
(3,000 I-think,) at Savannah during
the first year.
The company is perfectly responsible,
and Governor Smith is very favorably
struck with the proposition. If he
gives his fine energy and rare common
sense to the working out of the direct
trade problem, he will do more for
Georgia tuan any other u>an has done
n the past decade. There is a statute
upon the books of the State authorizing
the Governor to make some such ar
rangement as this; but it was passed
before the war, and is not operative
now. The Governor says heartily:
“If that law wpre of force now, I should
close the arrangement in one week’s
time.”
I think he is in earnest about it, and
if so we shall hear of it again. It is
quite possible that in less than a year
we shall be shipping cotton straight
from Savannah to England, and import-
ing goods direct, whiles stream of hon
est, industrious Germans, swelling as
the time goes on, shall pour through
our seaport city and fill the waste places
oi the St ite G»d speed the happy
day.—H. G. W., to Ckmetitutumahist. ^
TO OUR COLORED FRIENDS
There are colors I people in Georgia as
well as every Southern State, who have
suffered under the bane of Radicalism,
and who seeing the wrongs they sre
subject to under that party have the moral
courage to come out on the side of right
and vote the Democratic ticket. Thera
are other colored people who are unde
cided between the two parties; they have
sense enough to knew their condition has
been made worse nnder the reign of Radi
calism, that their rights aud liberties,their
peace and property have been engendered
and they have suffered troubles. Yet they
don’t know whether to cast their lot with
the Democracy or not. To all such we
say, as you have tried the Republican
party aud found it wanting in honest
rulers and members, come over and try
the other party and help your white
friends throw off the incubus under which
the nation and all of the States are suffer
ing. The mission of the Democracy can
not better be explained than by quoting
what Congressman Lamar said of it, and
we want our colored friends to read it
and ponder over it with much thought .*
“The grandest inspirations of the Demo
cratic party is, and ita crowning glory
will be, to restore the Constitution to its
primitive strength and authority, and to
make it the protector of every section and
of every State in the Union, and of every
human being, of every race, color, and
condition, in the land.—Albany Neva.
WHY DON’T THEY ?
Why don’t the Republica ns answer the
facts of Tilden’s great letter f There isn’t
a single one of them that dares attempt a
controversion of Uncle Samuel’s charges
that during the past eleven years, the peo
ple of the United States have paid, in the
form of Federal taxes, no less than four
billions, jive hundred millions of dollars;
that within the same period fully t>co-thirds
as much more has been paid by them in
shape of local taxation, and that the ag
gregate of Federal and local taxation, to
which the country has been subjected
during the period named, has been
seven billions, five hundred millions, or more
than three times as much as the whole
national debt. Think of it, fellow-citizens
and then ask yourselves whether anything
else than the long protracted hard times,
through which we are passing, are any
thing else than a legitimate result? And
while you are thinking, please do not
forget the fact, that during those eleven
years, the Republican party has held un
disputed sway iu the Government of the
country.
DEMOCRATS WILL YOB SUSTAIN US!
HI OUR ENDEAVOR TO PUBLISH
i mi, mra wi in?
ALL m TO WORE
OUR NEXT CONGRESSMEN-
The Georgia Democratic Congressional
ticket was completed at West Point on
Friday morning. It read as follows:
First district—Julian Hartridge, of
Chatham.
Second district—Win. E. Smith, of
Dougherty,
Third district—Phil (look, of Sumter:
Fourth district—Henry R. Harris, of
Meriwether.
Fifth district—Milton A. Candler, of
DeKalb;
Sixth district—James H. Blount, of
Bibb.
Seventh District—Wm. H. Dabney, of
Floyd.
Eighth district—Alexander H. Steph
ens, of Taiiafeno.
Ninth district—Benjamin H. Hill, of
Clarke.
An epidemic of Congressional renomi
nations has prevailed this season; but we
doubt if any State has acted as wisely in
this respect as Georgia has, for our people
have actually renominated every one of
their 1874 candidates. And what is more,
they will elect all of them this year, which
will be one better than the result of two
years ago.
ENDORSING THE SMITHS.
At the Congressional nominating Con
vention, in the Second district, at Thom-
asville, immediately after the nomination
of Hon. Wm. E. Smith, Hon. W. A.
Harris offered the following resolutions,
which were adopted:
Resolved, That this Convention does
most earnestly, cordially and heartily en
dorse the administration of Hon. James
M. Smith, as Governor of Georgia, for
the past five years, and we commend the
honesty, integrity, energy and ability dis
played by him in the conduct of the af
fairs of our noble old State, to his succes
sor as an example worthy of emulation.
Resolved, That this Convention looks
with pride and satisfaction upon the
record of our immediate Representative
in Congress, who has remained steadfast
at the post of duty, sacrificing his own
interests for the good of his constituents,
and discharging the onerous duties of his
office with the zealous fidelity of a true
patriot and statesman.
Many reforms have been attempted by
Republican officials, which they would
not have dared to enter upon, if their
party had not been confronted by a
Democratic House of Representatives
which made exposures that compelled and
enabled Republican officials to punish
great wrongs.—[Governor Seymour’s Let
ter. —Albany A rgxte.
AND' HELP US TO GET BY
A HEAVY CAMFAIGW LISU
OF SUBSCRIBERS
We ARE PREPARED and f&'dy for the fray, but we must hav# tit’ preper
encouragement at the hands of the Dembdratic party. We hare entered upon! the most
important political campaign ever witnessed by the American' people, for it is honesty and
reform againBt venality and corruption',- intelligence and’ virtue against ignorance' ahd ras
cality. In this great battle for right, the DxmoCejm- purposes playing no unimportant
part, and in the carrying out of its convictions of right, in the' advocacy of the party of
its choice,- will endeavor to become an instructor of the people in the greitt lesson of poli
tics as enacted in the Union, in the State, and in the county. To that end we desire' at
full audience, and we here earnestly appeal to the Decatur Democracy, and to the friends
of the paper generally, to assist in extending its circulation. In this light a newspaper*
is of the most vital importance, and we Shall try to' maks the DzKocbat just such a paper'
as the people need and desire.
Advertisers should bear in mind the extensive circulation enjoyed by the Bmcockx'S
during the campaign and avail themselves of its advantages.
the democrat
fon THE CAMPAIGN
For Only Fifty Cents
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