In philosophical terms, the original value of man, an hypothesis promulgated by progressive society and religious doctrine, imposed an intellectual conundrum for the emancipated negro.
By 1924, some 90 years on, as legislative freedom from slavery in the British West Indies percolated like lumpy oatmeal through a impossibly fine sieve, the Bahamian negro—Britisher as was his identity then—still found himself stymied both economically and intellectually.
Whereas Britain legislated this revolutionary idea of negro emancipation, its social and economic implementation, post 1834, whatever equality it was meant to embody, was left to individual colonies.
Kwame Nkrumah, Former President of Ghana wrote in 1964, “An ideology, even when it is revolutionary, does not express the wish that a present social order should be abolished. It seeks also to defend and maintain the new social order, which it introduces.
At this juncture, in post emancipation history, a new type of noble class emerged. A new political class was born within former slave colonies, which was meant to effectively exclude the ignorant negro.
Political classes emerged alongside another revolutionary political model called democracy. Within the illusion of a democratic process —a feigned economic organisation of apparent choice meant to exploit the labour of the masses— a self perpetuating, over-arching societal class entrenched itself in small island nations.
“Our representatives, mark you, not the government, tell us that we are not educated up to it. Think of it. With freedom for 90 years, free education for fourscore years, not educated up to it! Surely they do not mean the descendants of the African race portion of, the citizens of this country; all history gives the lie to that.”
“Political Slavery” a letter to the editor
The Nassau Tribune 2nd August 1924
Fast forward, one hundred years on from 1924, there are pundits in the present day, who maintain that, in The Bahamas, political slavery still manifests itself in direct and innocuous ways.
And while the legislative and political dynamics have substantially changed for the negro over the preceding century; political association, ‘who you vote for and associate with politically’ still has an overwhelming influence within society. Political associations remain, a primary source of upward social and economic mobility.
Political Slavery 1924
Political slavery, for the Bahamian negro of 1924, meant that while he was no longer considered to be chattel under the law, nevertheless knew himself to be a bonded servant in an economic, social, religious and political system that only used him, profiting from his worth, for their gain.
“…we are celebrating the 90th anniversary of emancipation, from human physical slavery; notwithstanding the fact that slavery has been abolished these many years, it is not dead, though mortally wounded; watch the manifestations of its spirit today in the Church, in the State, in Society, in the Mart, and you will be convinced that it dies hard”
“Political Slavery” a letter to the editor
The Nassau Tribune 2nd August 1924
That is, the system only needed him to vote so that his betters could be elected to the House of Assembly. After elections, constituents never saw hide nor hair of their representative; that is, until, seven years had rolled by, and it was election time again.
In 1924, a voting negro was indeed an exceptional person. To vote, one had to be a landowner, paid taxes to a qualifying amount or if paying rent, the rent had to be over a certain threshold. And then, when voting, one had to stand in an open room and about the name of person you were voting for.
Under this open voting system, a voter was either rewarded with a bribe or ostracised for not doing as you were told.
A letter written 100 years ago, published in the Nassau Tribune, is perhaps as important today, as it was, in 1924.
Nassau 31 July 1924
Editor Tribune,
“Your leader in your issue of the 20th inst. is exceedingly apposite at this juncture when we are celebrating the 90th anniversary of emancipation, from human physical slavery; notwithstanding the fact that slavery has been abolished these many years, it is not dead, though mortally wounded; watch the manifestations of its spirit today in the Church, in the State, in Society, in the Mart, and you will be convinced that it dies hard.
The celebrations of tomorrow and following days will be confined to one portion of the community, descendants of ex-slaves —-why? Why not by the descendants of ex-slave owners as well! Ought not we all rejoice at the removal of this curse of the ages, of the foulest blot on the escutcheon of the nation?
Every Britisher should rejoice over that stupendous act of magnanimity of a nation unsurpassed in history.
But, sir, your leader deals with another phase of slavery, to wit political slavery. This too needs to be abolished if men are to reap the full benefits of physical emancipation.
The manacle of this form of slavery is the obsolete, perverting viva voce (living voice) system of voting, used by only one country in Christendom—- the Bahamas; thus literally putting us “‘behind the age”.
From time to time efforts have been put forth to introduce the modern and least liable to abuse system of voting by ballot, but without avail. Why?
Our representatives, mark you, not the government, tell us that we are not educated up to it. Think of it. With freedom for 90 years, free education for fourscore years, not educated up to it! Surely they do not mean the descendants of the African race portion of, the citizens of this country; all history gives the lie to that. I can take any member of our House of Assembly to a Lodge where the members display greater familiarity with Parliamentary procedure than us sometimes displayed in the House and where little children regularly elect by ballot.
No, sir, the real reason that our representatives have for opposing the ballot system is that under that system Jim Snooks, charcoal burner, will have as much voting power as Julius Caesar, Esq., M.H.A., while under the present antediluvian system Jim has but his one vote and may have to cast that as Julius intimates to him, and Julius has not only his one legal vote but as many others as men in his employ, men who owe him a dollar, men for whom he has done a favour and men who put a money or goods value on their vote; political slaves, manacled by viva voce voting.
How long, O Lord, how long?
I agree with you that “the best men in the Colony will not participate in local politics—-will not suffer to be identified with it—-because of the low degrading methods necessary (not necessary I say) to conducting an election as the result of the present system of open voting”.
The low degrading methods are not necessary even in the obsolete viva voce—-honourable men do not practice them; but low degraded men who aspire to the Legislature, not for their country’s good, but for their own, practice them.
There is an old adage which says, “ Where there are no thieves, there would be no receivers.” I say, if there are no bribers, there would be no bribed.
Do not say that “for the most part, the voters are illiterate and they are not prepared to humble themselves to “men who do not even possess the power of reasoning.” You mistake, very often the illiterate voter does the humbling and is possessed of a power of reasoning that is conspicuous by its absence in some full fledged M. H. As.
I agree with you that in view of the many years of free schools with compulsory attendance “absolute illiterates should not be given the power of voting” provided that no person already in possession of the franchise shall be deprived thereof on account of illiteracy.
A simple test of the literacy of the voter might be simple instructions for registering prepared to be presented to an applicant for registration which he must read and go by is registering himself in his own handwriting.
The ballot system is by no means perfection as nothing human is perfect, but it would be immensely better than the present screaming farce.
The Voter mean enough to sell his vote would not take the trouble to go to the polls where no votes were bought and the mean candidate who would buy votes would not buy when he would not know whether he got it or not; and no elections would be decided more by intelligent voters than by the purchasing power of the candidate and a candidate who had nothing to recommend him but his purchasing power would withdraw from the field.
I have been a voter for more than half a century, and a candidate more times than most members so know whereof I speak, and I stand uncompromisingly for the Ballot Box.
Now let’s get busy, down with the sex bar in our franchise, set up the Ballot Box and let us ere long celebrate our Emancipation from Political Slavery.”
Yours for Liberty,
A FREE MAN
