LOVE AND POLITICS.
Acting on his father's advice Bernard arrived in Norfolk in the course
of a few days. He realized that he was now a politician and decided
to make a diligent study of the art of pleasing the populace and to
sacrifice everything to the goddess of fame. Knowing that whom
the people loved they honored, he decided to win their love at all
hazards. He decided to become the obedient servant of the people that
he might thus make all the people his servants.
He took up hie abode at Hotel Douglass, a colored hotel at which the
colored leaders would often congregate. Bernard mingled with these men
freely and soon had the name among them of being a jovial good fellow.
While at Harvard, Bernard had studied law simultaneously with
his other studies and graduated from both the law and classical
departments the same year.
Near the city court house, in a row of somewhat dilapidated old
buildings, he rented a law office. The rowdy and criminal element
infested this neighborhood. Whenever any of these got into
difficulties, Bernard was always ready to defend them. If they were
destitute of funds he would serve them free of charge and would often
pay their fines for them. He was ever ready to go on bonds of any who
got into trouble. He gave money freely to those who begged of him. In
this manner he became the very ideal of the vicious element, though
not accounted by them as one of their number.
Bernard was also equally successful in winning favor with the better
element of citizens. Though a good Catholic at heart, he divided his
time among all denominations, thus solving the most difficult problem
for a Negro leader to solve; for the religious feeling was so intense
that it was carried into almost every branch of human activity.
Having won the criminal and religious circles, he thought to go forth
and conquer the social world and secure its support. He decided to
enter society and pay marked attention to that young lady that would
most increase his popularity. We shall soon see how this would-be
conqueror stood the very first fire.
His life had been one of such isolation that he had not at all moved
in social circles before this, and no young woman had ever made more
than a passing impression on him.
There was in Norfolk a reading circle composed of the brightest,
most talented young men and women of the city. Upon taking a short
vacation, this circle always gave a reception which was attended
by persons of the highest culture in the city. Bernard received an
invitation to this reception, and, in company with a fellow lawyer
attended. The reception was held at the residence of a Miss Evangeline
Leslie, a member of the circle.
The house was full of guests when Bernard and his friend arrived. They
rang the door bell and a young lady came to the door to receive them.
She was a small, beautifully formed girl with a luxuriant growth of
coal black hair that was arranged in such a way as to impart a queenly
look to her shapely head. Her skin was dark brown, tender and smooth
in appearance. A pair of laughing hazel eyes, a nose of the prettiest
possible size and shape, and a chin that tapered with the most
exquisite beauty made her face the Mecca of all eyes.
Bernard was so struck with the girl's beauty that he did not greet
her when she opened the door. He stared at her with a blank look. They
were invited in.
Bernard pulled off his hat and walked in, not saying a word but eyeing
that pretty girl all the while. Even when his back was turned toward
her, as he walked, his head was turned over his shoulders and his eye
surveyed all the graceful curves of her perfect form and scanned those
features that could but charm those who admire nature's work.
When he had taken a seat in the corner of a room by the side of his
friend he said: "Pray, who is that girl that met you at the door? I
really did not know that a dark woman could look so beautiful."
"You are not the only one that thinks that she is surpassingly
beautiful," said his friend. "Her picture is the only Negro's picture
that is allowed to hang in the show glasses of the white photographers
down town. White and colored pay homage to her beauty."
"Well," said Bernard, "that man who denies that girl's beauty should
be sent to the asylum for the cure of a perverted and abnormal taste."
"I see you are rather enthusiastic. Is it wise to admire mortgaged
property?" remarked his friend.
"What's that?" asked Bernard, quickly. "Is any body in my way?"
"In your way?" laughed his friend. "Pray what do you mean? I don't
understand you."
"Come," said Bernard, "I am on pins. Is she married or about to be?"
"Well, not exactly that, but she has told me that she cares a good bit
for me."
Bernard saw that his friend was in a mood to tease him and he arose
and left his side.
His friend chuckled gleefully to himself and said: "The would-be
catcher is caught. I thought Viola Martin would duck him if anybody
could. Tell me about these smile-proof bachelors. When once they are
struck, they fall all to pieces at once."
Bernard sought his landlady, who was present as a guest, and through
her secured an introduction to Miss Viola Martin. He found her
even more beautiful, if possible, in mind than in form and he sat
conversing with her all the evening as if enchanted.
The people present were not at all surprised; for as soon as Bernard's
brilliancy and worth were known in the town and people began to love
him, it was generally hoped and believed that Miss Martin would take
him captive at first sight.
Miss Viola Martin was a universal favorite. She was highly educated
and an elocutionist of no mean ability. She sang sweetly and was the
most accomplished pianist in town. She was bubbling over with good
humor and her wit and funny stories were the very life of any circle
where she happened to be. She was most remarkably well-informed on all
leading questions of the day, and men of brain always enjoyed a chat
with her. And the children and older people fairly worshipped her; for
she paid especial attention to these. In all religious movements among
the women she was the leading spirit.
With all these points in her favor she was unassuming and bowed her
head so low that the darts of jealousy, so universally hurled at
the brilliant and popular, never came her way. No one in Norfolk was
considered worthy of her heart and hand and the community was tenderly
solicitous as to who should wed her.
Bernard had made such rapid strides in their affections and esteem
that they had already assigned him to their pet, Viola, or Vie as she
was popularly called.
When the time for the departure of the guests arrived, Bernard with
great regret bade Miss Martin adieu.
She ran upstairs to get her cloak, and a half dozen girls went
tripping up stairs behind her; when once in the room set apart for the
ladies' cloaks they began to gleefully pound Viola with pillows and
smother her with kisses.
"You have made a catch, Vie. Hold him," said one.
"He'll hold himself," said another. To all of which Viola answered
with a sigh.
A mulatto girl stepped up to Viola and with a merry twinkle in her eye
said: "Theory is theory and practice is practice, eh, Vie? Well, we
would hardly blame you in this case."
Viola earnestly replied: "I shall ask for no mercy. Theory and
practice are one with me in this case."
"Bah, bah, girl, two weeks will change that tune. And I, for one,
won't blame you," replied the mulatto still in a whisper.
The girls seeing that Viola did not care to be teased about Bernard
soon ceased, and she came down stairs to be escorted home by the young
man who had accompanied her there.
This young man was, thus early, jealous of Bernard and angry at Viola
for receiving his attentions, and as a consequence he was silent all
the way home.
This gave Viola time to think of that handsome, talented lawyer whom
she had just met. She had to confess to herself that he had aroused
considerable interest in her bosom and she looked forward to a
promised visit with pleasure. But every now and then a sigh would
escape her, such as she made when the girls were teasing her.
Her escort bade her good-night at her father's gate in a most sullen
manner, but Viola was so lost in thought that she did not notice
it. She entered the house feeling lively and cheerful, but when she
entered her room she burst into crying. She would laugh a while and
cry a while as though she had a foretaste of coming bliss mixed with
bitterness.
Bernard at once took the place left vacant by the dropping away of the
jealous young man and became Viola's faithful attendant, accompanying
her wherever he could. The more he met Viola, the more beautiful she
appeared to him and the more admirable he found her mind.
Bernard almost forgot his political aspirations, and began to ponder
that passage of scripture that said man should not be alone. But he
did not make such progress with Viola as was satisfactory to him.
Sometimes she would appear delighted to see him and was all life and
gayety. Again she was scarcely more than polite and seemed perfectly
indifferent to him.
After a long while Bernard decided that Viola, who seemed to be very
ambitious, treated him thus because he had not done anything worthy
of special note. He somewhat slacked up in his attentions and began
to devote himself to acquiring wide spread popularity with a view to
entering Congress and reaching Viola in this way.
The more he drew off from Viola the more friendly she would seem to
him, and he began to feel that seeming indifference was perhaps the
way to win her. Thus the matter moved along for a couple of years.
In the mean time, Mr. Tiberius Gracchus Leonard, Bernard's old
teacher, was busy in Norfolk looking after Bernard's political
interests, acting under instructions from Bernard's father, Senator
------.
About this stage of Bernard's courtship Mr. Leonard called on him and
told him that the time was ripe for Bernard to announce himself
for Congress. Bernard threw his whole soul into the project. He
had another great incentive to cause him to wish to succeed, Viola
Martin's hand and heart.
In order to understand what followed we must now give a bit of
Virginia political history.
In the year ---- there was a split in the democratic party of Virginia
on the question of paying Virginia's debt to England. The bolting
section of the party joined hands with the republicans and whipped
the regular democrats at the polls. This coalition thus formed was
eventually made the Republican party of Virginia.
The democrats, however, rallied and swept this coalition from power
and determined to forever hold the state government if they had to
resort to fraud. They resorted to ballot box stuffing and various
other means to maintain control. At last, they passed a law creating a
state electoral commission.
This commission was composed of three democrats. These three democrats
were given the power to appoint three persons in each county as an
Electoral Board. These county electoral boards would appoint judges
for each precinct or voting place in the county. They would also
appoint a special constable at each voting booth to assist the
illiterate voters.
With rare exceptions, the officials were democrats, and with the
entire state's election machinery in their hands the democrats could
manage elections according to their "own sweet will." It goes without
saying that the democrats always carried any and every precinct that
they decided, and elections were mere farces.
Such was the condition of affairs when Bernard came forward as a
candidate from the Second Congressional District. The district was
overwhelmingly republican, but the democrats always secured the
office.
It was regarded as downright foolhardy to attempt to get elected to
Congress from the District as a republican; so the nomination was
merely passed around as an honor, empty enough.
It was such a feeling that inspired the republicans to nominate
Bernard; but Bernard entered the canvass in dead earnest and conducted
a brilliant campaign.
The masses of colored people rallied around his flag. Ministers of
colored churches came to his support. Seeing that the colored people
were so determined to elect Bernard, the white republicans, leaders
and followers, fell into line. Viola Martin organized patriotic clubs
among the women and aroused whatever voters seemed lethargic.
The day of election came and Bernard was elected by a majority
of 11,823 votes; but the electoral boards gave the certificate of
election to his opponent, alleging his opponent's majority to be
4,162.
Bernard decided to contest the election in Congress, and here is where
Leonard's fine work was shown. He had, for sometime, made it appear in
Norfolk that he was a democrat of the most radical school. The leading
democrats made his acquaintance and Leonard very often composed
speeches for them. He thus became a favorite with certain prominent
democrats and they let him into the secret workings of the electoral
machinery. Thus informed, Leonard went to headquarters of the
Democratic party at Richmond with a view to bribing the clerks to give
him inside facts. He found the following to be the character of the
work done at headquarters.
A poll of all the voters in the state was made. The number of white
and the number of colored voters in each voting precinct was secured.
The number of illiterate voters of both races was ascertained. With
these facts in their possession, they had conducted all the campaign
necessary for them to carry on an election. Of course speakers were
sent out as a sham, but they were not needed for anything more than
appearances.
Having the figures indicated above before them, they proceeded to
assign to each district, each county, each city, each precinct just
such majorities as they desired, taking pains to make the figures
appear reasonable and differ somewhat from figures of previous
years. Whenever it would do no harm, a precinct was granted to the
republicans for the sake of appearances.
Ballot boxes of varied patterns were secured and filled with ballots
marked just as they desired. Some ballots were for republicans, some
for democrats, and some marked wrong so as to indicate the votes of
illiterates. The majorities, of course, were invariably such as suited
the democrats. The ballots were all carefully counted and arranged;
and tabulated statements of the votes cast put in. A sheet for the
returns was put in, only awaiting the signatures of the officials
at the various precincts in order to be complete. These boxes were
carried by trusted messengers to their destinations.
On election day, not these boxes, but boxes similar to them were used
to receive the ballots. On the night of the election, the ballot boxes
that actually received the votes were burned with all their contents
and the boxes and ballots from Richmond were substituted. The judges
of election took out the return sheet, already prepared, signed it
and returned it to Richmond forthwith. Thus it could always be
known thirty days ahead just what the exact vote in detail was to
be throughout the entire state. In fact a tabulated statement was
prepared and printed long before election day.
Leonard paid a clerk at headquarters five thousand dollars for one of
these tabulated statements. With this he hurried on to Washington
and secretly placed it before the Republican Congressional Campaign
Committee, with the understanding that it was to be used after
election day as a basis for possible contest. Fifteen of the most
distinguished clergymen in the nation were summoned to Washington and
made affidavits, stating that they had seen this tabulated statement
twenty days before the election took place.
When Virginia's returns came in they were found to correspond in every
detail to this tabulated report.
As nothing but a prophet, direct from God, could have foreseen the
results exactly as they did occur, this tabulated statement was proof
positive of fraud on a gigantic scale.
With this and a mass of other indisputable evidence at his back,
secured by the shrewd Leonard, Bernard entered the contest for his
seat. The House of Representatives was democratic by a small majority.
The contest was a long and bitter one. The republicans were solidly
for Bernard. The struggle was eagerly watched from day to day. It
was commonly believed that the democrats would vote against Bernard,
despite the clear case in his favor.
The day to vote on the contest at last arrived and the news was
flashed over the country that Bernard had triumphed. A handful of
democrats had deserted their party and voted with the republicans.
Bernard's father had redeemed his promise of secret support. Bernard's
triumph in a democratic house caused the nation to rub its eyes and
look again in wonder.
The colored people hailed Bernard as the coming Moses. "Belgrave,
Belgrave, Belgrave," was on every Negro tongue. Poems were addressed
to him. Babies were named after him. Honorary titles were showered
upon him. He was in much demand at fairs and gatherings of notable
people. He accepted every invitation of consequence, whenever
possible, and traveled far and wide winning friends by his bewitching
eloquence and his pleasing personality.
The democrats, after that defeat, always passed the second district by
and Bernard held his seat in Congress from year to year unmolested.
He made application and was admitted to plead law before the Supreme
Court of the United States. And when we shall see him again it will
be there, pleading in one of the most remarkable cases known to
jurisprudence.