And we shall have to leave it to those better informed than we to say to just what extent city and state politics in the South have been cleaned up since the Negro ceased to be a factor.  Many of the constitutions framed by the reconstruction governments were really excellent models, and the fact that they were overthrown seems to indicate that some other spoilsmen were abroad.  Take North Carolina, for example.  In this state in 1868 the reconstruction government by its new constitution introduced the township system so favorably known in the North and West.  When in 1875 the South regained control, with all the corruption it found as excellent a form of republican state government as was to be found in any state in the Union.  “Every provision which any state enjoyed for the protection of public society from its bad members and bad impulses was either provided or easily procurable under the Constitution of the state."[1] Yet within a year, in order to annul the power of their opponents in every county in the state, the new party so amended the Constitution as to take away from every county the power of self-government and centralize everything in the legislature.  Now was realized an extent of power over elections and election returns so great that no party could wholly clear itself of the idea of corrupt intentions.

[Footnote 1:  George W. Cable:  The Southern Struggle for Pure Government:  An Address.  Boston, 1890, included in The Negro Question, New York, 1890.]

At the heart of the whole question of course was race.  As a matter of fact much work of genuine statesmanship was accomplished or attempted by the reconstruction governments.  For one thing the idea of common school education for all people was now for the first time fully impressed upon the South.  The Charleston News and Courier of July 11, 1876, formally granted that in the administration of Governor Chamberlain of South Carolina the abuse of the pardoning power had been corrected; the character of the officers appointed by the Executive had improved; the floating indebtedness of the state had been provided for in such a way that the rejection of fraudulent claims was assured and that valid claims were scaled one-half; the tax laws had been so amended as to secure substantial equality in the assessment of property; taxes had been reduced to eleven mills on the dollar; the contingent fund of the executive department had been reduced at a saving in two years of $101,200; legislative expenses had also been reduced so as to save in two years $350,000; legislative contingent expenses had also been handled so as to save $355,000; and the public printing reduced from $300,000 to $50,000 a year.  There were, undoubtedly, at first, many corrupt officials, white and black.  Before they were through, however, after only a few years of experimenting, the reconstruction governments began to show signs of being quite able to handle the situation; and it seems to have been primarily the fear on the part of the white South that they might not fail that prompted the determination to regain power at whatever cost.  Just how this was done we are now to see.