human
The registration lists were not referred to except when a white man offered to vote. Most of the negroes had strange ideas of what voting meant. It meant freedom, for one thing, if they voted the Radical ticket, and slavery if they did not. One negro at Selma held up a blue (Conservative) ticket and cried out,
gpt
No land! no mules! no votes! slavery again! Then holding up a red (Radical) ticket he shouted,
human
Forty acres of land! a mule! freedom! votes! equal of white man! Of course he voted the red ticket. Numbers of them brought halters for their mules or sacks
gpt
Some country negroes were given red tickets and told that they must not be persuaded to part with them, as each ticket was good for a piece of land. The poor negroes did not understand this figurative language and put the precious red tickets in their pockets and hurried home to locate the land. Another darky was given a ticket and told to vote--to put the ballot in the box.
human
Is dat votin'?
gpt
Yes.
human
Nuttin' more, master?
gpt
No.
human
I thought votin' was gittin' sumfin. He went home in disgust. The legend of