the sequel of appomattox-第26章

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en　representatives　to　Congress；　but　though　several　were　of　high　character　and　fair　ability；　they　exercised　practically　no　influence。　The　Southern　delegations　had　no　part　in　shaping　policies　but　merely　voted　as　they　were　told　by　the　radical　leaders。

The　effect　of　dishonest　government　was　soon　seen　in　extravagant　expenditures；　heavier　taxes；　increase　of　the　bonded　debt；　and　depression　of　property　values。　It　was　to　be　expected　that　after　the　ruin　wrought　by　war　and　the　admission　of　the　Negro　to　civil　rights；　the　expenses　of　government　would　be　greater。　But　only　lack　of　honesty　will　account　for　the　extraordinary　expenses　of　the　reconstruction　governments。　In　Alabama　and　Florida；　the　running　expenses　of　the　state　government　increased　two　hundred　percent；　in　Louisiana　five　hundred　percent；　and　in　Arkansas　fifteen　hundred　percentall　this　in　addition　to　bond　issues。　In　South　Carolina　the　one　item　of　public　printing；　which　from　1790　to　1868　cost　609；000；　amounted　in　the　years　1868…1876　to　1；326；589。

Corrupt　state　officials　had　two　ways　of　getting　moneyby　taxation　and　by　the　sale　of　bonds。　Taxes　were　everywhere　multiplied。　The　state　tax　rate　in　Alabama　was　increased　four　hundred　percent；　in　Louisiana　eight　hundred　percent；　and　in　Mississippi；　which　could　issue　no　bonds；　fourteen　hundred　percent。　City　and　county　taxes；　where　carpetbaggers　were　in　control；　increased　in　the　same　way。　Thousands　of　small　proprietors　could　not　meet　their　taxes；　and　in　Mississippi　alone　the　land　sold　for　unpaid　taxes　amounted　to　six　million　acres；　an　area　as　large　as　Massachusetts　and　Rhode　Island　together。　Nordhoff*　speaks　of　seeing　Louisiana　newspapers　of　which　three…fourths　were　taken　up　by　notices　of　tax　sales。　In　protest　against　extravagant　and　corrupt　expenditures；　taxpayers'　conventions　were　held　in　every　state；　but　without　effect。

*Charles　Nordhoff；　〃The　Cotton　States　in　the　Spring　and　Summer　of　1875〃。


Even　the　increased　taxation；　however；　did　not　produce　enough　to　support　the　new　governments；　which　now　had　recourse　to　the　sale　of　state　and　local　bonds。　In　this　way　Governor　Holden's　Administration　managed　in　two　years　to　increase　the　public　debt　of　North　Carolina　from　16；000；000　to　32；000；000。　The　state　debt　of　South　Carolina　rose　from　7；000；000　to　29；000；000　in　1873。　In　Alabama；　by　1874；　the　debt　had　mounted　from　7；000；000　to　32；000；000。　The　public　debt　of　Louisiana　rose　from　14；000；000　in　1868　to　48；000；000　in　1871；　with　a　local　debt　of　31；000；000。　Cities；　towns；　and　counties　sold　bonds　by　the　bale。　The　debt　of　New　Orleans　increased　twenty…five　fold　and　that　of　Vicksburg　a　thousandfold。　A　great　deal　of　the　debt　was　the　result　of　fraudulent　issues　of　bonds　or　over…issue。　For　this　form　of　fraud；　the　state　financial　agents　in　New　York　were　usually　responsible。　Southern　bonds　sold　far　below　par；　and　the　time　came　when　they　were　peddled　about　at　ten　to　twenty…five　cents　on　the　dollar。

Still　another　disastrous　result　followed　this　corrupt　financiering。　In　Alabama　there　was　a　sixty…five　percent　decrease　in　property　values；　in　Florida　forty…five　percent；　and　in　Louisiana　fifty　to　seventy…five　percent。　A　large　part　of　the　best　property　was　mortgaged；　and　foreclosure　sales　were　frequent。　Poorer　property　could　be　neither　mortgaged　nor　sold。　There　was　an　exodus　of　whites　from　the　worst　governed　districts　in　the　West　and　the　North。　Many　towns；　among　them　Mobile　and　Memphis；　surrendered　their　charters　and　were　ruled　directly　by　the　governor；　and　there　were　numerous　〃strangulated〃　counties　which　on　account　of　debt　had　lost　self…government　and　were　ruled　by　appointees　of　the　governor。

A　part　of　the　money　raised　by　taxes　and　by　bond　sales　was　used　for　legitimate　expenses　and　the　rest　went　to　pay　forged　warrants；　excess　warrants；　and　swollen　mileage　accounts；　and　to　fill　the　pockets　of　embezzlers　and　thieves　from　one　end　of　the　South　to　the　other。　In　Arkansas；　for　example；　the　auditor's　clerk　hire；　which　was　4000　in　1866；　cost　twenty…three　times　as　much　in　1873。　In　Louisiana　and　South　Carolina；　stealing　was　elevated　into　an　art　and　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　polic