At first few Negroes asked for offices, but soon the carpetbaggers found it necessary to divide with the rapidly growing number of Negro politicians.

No Negro was elected governor, though several reached the office of lieutenant governor, secretary of state, auditor, superintendent of education, justice of the state supreme court, and fifteen were elected to Congress.* It would not be correct to say that the Negro race was malicious or on evil bent.

Unless deliberately stirred up by white leaders, few Negroes showed signs of mean spirit.

Few even made exorbitant demands.

They wanted "something"-- schools and freedom and "something else," they knew not what.