the sequel of appomattox-第32节

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d　was　practiced　without　concealment。　In　the　latter　state；　the　worthless　Hell　Hole　Swamp　was　bought　for　26；000　to　be　farmed　by　the　Negroes　but　was　charged　to　the　state　at　120；000。　A　free　restaurant　maintained　at　the　Capitol　for　the　legislators　cost　125；000　for　one　session。　The　porter　who　conducted　it　said　that　he　kept　it　open　sixteen　to　twenty　hours　a　day　and　that　someone　was　always　in　the　room　eating　and　drinking　or　smoking。　When　a　member　left；　he　would　fill　his　pockets　with　cigars　or　with　bottles　of　drink。　Forty　different　brands　of　beverages　were　paid　for　by　the　state　for　the　private　use　of　members；　and　all　sorts　of　food；　furniture；　and　clothing　were　sent　to　the　houses　of　members　and　were　paid　for　by　the　state　as　〃legislative　supplies。〃　On　the　bills　appeared　such　items　as　imported　mushrooms；　one　side　of　bacon；　one　feather　bed；　bustles；　two　pairs　of　extra　long　stockings；　one　pair　of　garters；　one　bottle　perfume；　twelve　monogram　cut　glasses；　one　horse；　one　comb　and　brush；　three　gallons　of　whisky；　one　pair　of　corsets。　During　the　recess；　supplies　were　sent　out　to　the　rural　homes　of　the　members。

The　endorsement　of　railroad　securities　by　the　state　also　furnished　a　source　of　easy　money　to　the　dishonest　official　and　the　crooked　speculator。　After　the　Civil　War；　in　response　to　the　general　desire　in　the　South　for　better　railroad　facilities；　the　〃Johnson〃　governments　began　to　underwrite　railroad　bonds。　When　the　carpetbag　and　Negro　governments　came　in；　the　policy　was　continued　but　without　proper　safeguards。　Bonds　were　sometimes　endorsed　before　the　roads　were　constructed；　and　even　excess　issues　were　authorized。　Bonds　were　endorsed　for　some　roads　of　which　not　a　mile　was　ever　built。　The　White　River　Valley　and　Texas　Railroad　never　came　into　existence；　but　it　obtained　a　grant　of　175；000　from　the　State　of　Arkansas。　Speaker　Carter　of　the　Louisiana　Legislature　received　a　financial　interest　in　all　railroad　endorsement　bills　which　he　steered　through　the　House。　Negro　members　were　regularly　bribed　to　vote　for　the　bond　steals。　A　witness　swore　that　in　Louisiana　it　cost　him　80；000　to　get　a　railroad　charter　passed；　but　that　the　Governor's　signature　cost　more　than　the　consent　of　the　legislature。

When　the　roads　defaulted　on　the　payment　of　interest；　as　most　of　them　did；　the　burden　fell　upon　the　state。　Not　all　of　the　blame　for　this　perverted　legislation　should　be　placed　upon　the　corrupt　legislators；　however；　for　the　lawyers　who　saw　the　bills　through　were　frequently　Southern　Democrats　representing　supposedly　respectable　Northern　capitalists。　The　railroads　as　well　as　the　taxpayers　suffered　from　this　pernicious　lobbying；　for　the　companies　were　loaded　with　debts　and　rarely　profited　by　the　loans。　Valuation　of　railroad　property　rapidly　decreased。　The　roads　of　Alabama　which　were　valued　in　1871　at　26；000；000　had　decreased　in　1875　to　9；500；000。

The　foundation　of　radical　power　in　the　South　lay　in　the　alienation　of　the　races　which　had　been　accomplished　between　1865　and　1868。　To　maintain　this　unhappy　distrust；　the　radical　leaders　found　an　effective　means　in　the　Negro　militia。　Under　the　constitution　of　every　reconstructed　state；　a　Negro　constabulary　was　possible；　but　only　in　South　Carolina；　North　Carolina；　Louisiana；　and　Mississippi　were　the　authorities　willing　to　risk　the　dangers　of　arming　the　blacks。　No　governor　dared　permit　the　Southern　whites　to　organize　as　militia。　In　South　Carolina　the　carpetbag　governor；　Robert　K。　Scott；　enrolled　ninety…six　thousand　Negroes　as　members　of　the　militia　and　organized　and　armed　twenty　thousand　of　them。　The　few　white　companies　were　ordered　to　disband。　In　Louisiana　the　governor　had　a　standing　army　of　blacks　called　the　Metropolitan　Guard。　In　several　states　the　Negro　militia　was　used　as　a　constabulary　and　was　sent　to　any　part　of　the　state　to　make　arrests。

In　spite　of　this　provocation　there　were；　after　the　riots　of　1866…67；　comparatively　few　race　conflicts　until　reconstruction　was　drawing　to　a　close。　The　intervening　period　was　filled　with　the　more　peaceful　activities　of　the　Ku　Klux　Klan　and　the　White　Camellia。　But　as　the　whites　made　up　their　minds　to　get　rid　of　Negro　rule；　the　clashes　came　frequently　and　always　ended　in　the　death　of　more　Negroes　than　whites。*　They　would　probably　have　continued　with　serious　consequences　if　the　whites　had　not　eventually　secured　control　of　the　government。

*　Among　the　bloodiest　conflicts　were　those　in　Louisiana　at　Colfax；　Coushatta；　and　New　Orleans　in　1873…74；　and　at　Vicksburg　and　Clinton；　Mississippi；　in　1874…75。


The　lax　election　laws；　framed　indeed　for　the　benefit　of　the　party　in　power；　gave　the　radicals　ample　opportunity　to　control　the　Negro　vote。　The　elections　were　frequently　corrupt；　though　not　a　great　deal　of　money　was　spent　in　bribery。　It　was　found　less　expensive　to　use　other　methods　of　getting　out　the　vote。　The　Negroes　were　generally　made　to　understand　that　the　Democrats　wanted　to　put　them　back　into　slavery；　but　sometimes　the　leaders　deemed　it　wiser　to　state　more　concretely　that　〃Jeff　Davis　had　come　to　Montgomery　and　is　ready　to　organize　the　Confederacy　again〃　if　the　Democrats　should　win；　or　to　say　that　〃if　Carter　is　elected；　he　will　not　allow　your　wives　and　daughters　to　wear　hoopskirts。〃　In　Alabama　many　thousand　pounds　of　bacon　and　hams　were　sent　in　to　be　distributed　among　〃flood　sufferers〃　in　a　region　which　had　not　been　flooded　since　the　days　of　Noah。　The　Negroes　were　told　that　they　must　vote　right　and　receive　enough　bacon　for　a　year；　or　〃lose　their　rights〃　if　they　voted　wrongly。　Ballot…box　stuffing　developed　into　an　art；　and　each　Negro　was　carefully　inspected　to　see　that　he　had　the　right　kind　of　ticket　before　he　was　marched　to　the　polls。

The　inspection　and　counting　of　election　returns　were　in　the　hands　of　the　county　and　state　boards；　which　were　controlled　by　the　governor；　and　which　had　authority　to　throw　out　or　count　in　any　number　of　votes。　On　the　assumption　that　the　radicals　were　entitled　to　all　Negro　votes；　the　returning　boards　followed　the　census　figures　for　the　black　population　in　order　to　arrive　at　the　minimum　radical　vote。　The　action　of　the　returning　boards　was　specially　flagrant　in　Louisiana　and　Florida　and　in　the　black　counties　of　South　Carolina。

Notwithstanding　the　fact　that　the　very　best　arrangements　had　been　made　at　Washington　and　in　the　states　for　the　running　of　the　radical　machine；　everywhere　there　were　factional　fights　from　the　beginning。　Usually　the　scalawags　declared　hostilities　after　they　found　that　the　carpetbaggers　had　control　of　the　Negroes　and　the　inside　track　on　the　way　to　the　best　state　and　federal　offices。　Later；　after　the　scalawags　had　for　the　most　part　left　the　radicals；　there　were　contests　among　the　carpetbaggers　themselves　for　the　control　of　the　Negro　vote　and　the　distribution　of　spoils。　The　defeated　faction　usually　joined　the　Democrats。　In　Arkansas　a　split　started　in　1869　which　by　1872　resulted　in　two　state　governments。　Alabama　in　1872　and　Louisiana　in　1874…75　each　had　two　rival　governments。　This　factionalism　contributed　largely　to　the　overthrow　of　the　radicals。

The　radical　structure；　however；　was　still　powerfully　supported　from　without。　Relations　between　the　Federal　Government　and　the　state　governments　in　the　South　were　close；　and　the　policy　at　Washington　was　frequently　determined　by　conditions　in　the　South。　President　Grant；　though　at　first　considerate；　was　usually　consistently　radical　in　his　Southern　policy。　This　attitude　is　difficult　to　explain　except　by　saying　that　Grant　fell　under　the　control　of　radical　advisers　after　his　break　with　Johnson；　that　his　military　instincts　were　offended　by　opposition　in　the　South　which　his　advisers　told　him　was　rebellious；　and　that　he　was　impressed　by　the　need　of　holding　the　Southern　radical　vote　against　the　inroads　of　the　Democrats。　After　about　1869；　Grant　never　really　understood　the　conditions　in　the　South。　He　was　content　to　control　by　means　of　Federal　troops　and　thousands　of　deputy　marshals。　For　this　policy　the　Ku　Klux　activities　gave　sufficient　excuse　for　a　time；　and　the　continued　story　of　〃rebel　outrages〃　was　always　available　to　justify　a　call　for　soldiers　or　deputies。　The　enforcement　legislation　gave　the　color　of　law　to　any　interference　which　was　deemed　necessary。

Federal　troops　served　other　ends　than　the　mere　preservation　of　order　and　the　support　of　the　radical　state　governments。　They　were　used　on　occasion　to　decide　between　opposing　factions　and　to　oust　conservatives　who　had　forced　their　way　into　office。　The　army　officers　purged　the　Legislature　of　Georgia　in　1870；　that　of　Alabama　in　1872；　and　that　of　Louisiana　in　1875。　In　1875　the　city　government　of　Vicksburg　and　the　state　government　of　Louisiana　were　overturned　by　the　whites；　but　General　Sheridan　at　once　intervened　to　put　back　the　Negroes　and　carpetbaggers。　He　suggested　to　President　Grant　that　the　conservatives　be　declared　〃banditti〃　and　he　would　make　himself　responsible　for　the　rest。　As　soon　as　a　State　showed　signs　of　going　over　to　the　Democrats　or　an　important　election　was　lost　by　the　radicals；　one　House　or　the　other　of　Congress　in　many　instances　sent　an　investigation　committee　to　ascertain　the　reasons。　The　Committees　on　the　Condition　of　the　South　or　on　the　Late　Insurrectionary　States　were　nearly　always　ready　with　reports　to　establish　the　necessity　of