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.