DIFFERENT KINDS OF "PARTY LASH" CRACKERS.
The rank and file of Democrats in Alabama, until recently, have blindly
drifted along, neglecting every interest. Thinking of nothing else,
scarcely, than "machine boss" protection from the near approach of some
highly-pictured prospective woe, ever since before the late war, when
slaveholders waved the party lash and popped the cracker of "secession
or ruin,"--until now, when the sons of ex-slaveholders, and others that
form the "domineering bossism" in Alabama, pop the cracker of "Democracy
or negro rule." From the time when the "old plantation darkey," hat in
hand, stood humbly before his master to hear that he was no longer a
chattel slave, until now, the "bulldozing" ex-slaveholding lord has
"blowed" about the danger of "negro rule" and the sons of this class of
office-holding hierarchy have as blusteringly echoed the farce. They
failed to remember that it was the wrinkled hands of the old colored
slave that were stretched out in protection over his master's loved ones
when the deadly flash and quaking thunder of battle threatened Southern
homes, and they soon unkindly pictured them as demon clutches. There is
no reasonable ground for fear of "negro supremacy." It is the domination
of the man with the black heart, without special reference to "hide,"
that the yoemanry of Alabama must really fear. It is not the supremacy
of the negro that curses, or may curse the white productive classes, but
it is the supremacy of "machine bosses" who, through the fraudulent
manipulation of the ballot-box in counties with a predominance of
colored population, roll up fictitious and enormous majorities in order
to defeat the will of the white people of other counties. This
white-"hided," black-hearted class, which has always popped the cracker
of "negro supremacy" are now those who wrongfully dominate a majority of
the white people of Alabama on account of stuffed ballot-boxes
extravagantly based upon a negro population. The "antediluvian,"
ex-slaveholding Democrat has talked much about this or that party being
a "negro party," but for a certainty this Pharisaical set can now see in
their own "dear old Democratic party" in Alabama a full-fledged "negro
party." The Kolb-Jones election demonstrates this fact. Jones having
received majorities in no other than "black belt" counties. Be it said
to the credit of the "black belt" negroes, however, they protest that
they did not vote for Jones and are amazed that the country has palmed
the Democratic party of Alabama, and the responsibility for its
existence, off on them. The national election in Alabama, a fac-simile
of the state election, sustains the apparently dark complexion of that
party.
The "Force Bill" cracker is another very available "party lash" snap.
Democratic campaign orators never fail to picture, in their denunciation
of this hobgoblin, burly negroes guarding the polls with bayonets while
timid white men come trembling forward to deposit their ballots. "Unless
the Democratic ticket is elected, such a state of affairs will most
certainly exist," shouts the office-holder, and there are, even now,
voters in Alabama who are simple enough to believe it. No party
advocates or indorses a measure of any such provisions, yet the people
of the South are told that a vote against the Democratic party means the
support of just such a state of affairs, and if possible, something
worse. It is argued by Democrats, that under such a perilous
probability, no farmer could justly consider his empty pocket,
poverty-stricken home, overworked and shabbily-clothed family, and
poorly-educated children, "and go off to discussing the money question."
Until of recent years, the rank and file of the people in Alabama
usually "kicked up the dust" in their terrible display of hostility to
anything antagonistic to the Democratic party. In the meantime, the
"machine bosses" wielded the "party lash" and popped the snap crackers
over their heads; ingeniously playing upon their passions and
prejudices, and always holding the offices.