The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1865-10-18
zansing State Republican.
Colored Suffrage Question

agefnst H. and the adverse majority Wa
SAP In vote taken on the same que--
ton eight years ago. only 800 votes were
cast for the proposal while the negative
vote was 1913. This certainly shows "a
considerable advance in 20 snort q time. j.
not success, this is progress. L. this as ID
other matters. Radicalism, sure n final
success. can afford 10 wait. The state il
very nearly evenly divided between the po-
litical parties. Lincolns majority 10 l1si
being 2,4O6; and a. every Democrat would
be extra jealous Just now, against 'theniS-
ger" the result is quite as favorable 10 The
Radicals as they could expect.
We notice that the Ann Ar5or Argus Is
pleased a. this result, and also az the facts
that Colorado has adopted q state Const.-
tuition rejecting colored suffrage By vote
Of FIVE 10 one, and that Idaho has refused,
by q large majority, % confer this right up
on negroes. Well, suppose they havei and
in those States. in consequence, the small
portion OF colored people who may live there
will be debarred OF this right for the next
hundred years, what Of H., Who is bene-
fitted by the result, What good grows ont
OF II 10 anybody
We have a sort Of respect for the Aryus
and are sOrry 10 see il 50 committed on the
wrong side Of q question as wide spread a.
the American Empire, and lasting through
several generations. The Arg1,s has not
abounded in the slang and coarse vulgarfy
OF lts party contemporaries: il protested
against the attempt 10 force on Is party tle
treasOns OF Yallandigham and PendieiOn.
which ensured its defeat; and 10 those days
Of terrible fighting in the Wilderness. when
the Democracy were out in loud cry thai
Grant was humbug and we Were defeated.
II had the courage 10 say in substance. I'VE
wish our armies might De better conducted ;
but as it is. We hope TO hear OF their sue
cess" This may seem now very small
installment Of patriotism; but in those days
II was more than could have been squeezed
out Of all the Democratic exchanges iu the
Argus Office.
This suffrage question is but renewal in
this form. OF the old struggle OF Nigh;
against X ght. OF Power against Weakness.
ofthe Plebeian against the Pa,rician. Of Scri-
dom against Feudallsm. All over the earth.
where man feels wronged, he strives 10 a.
sert his rights. and in doing so calls out the
opposition and hatred Of those who wish 10
keep him down. II Is in this point Of view
that this crusade against co0rel suffrage
looks 10 Us 80 pre-emnently mean. The
cOlored people are sought 20 be excluded
not on the GROUNDED incapacity orunworthi-
ness. but because of their descent from men
OF another color There Is no more sense
or reason in this than there would be in eX-
GLIDING from the polls all men with red hair
To show how utterly mean is the opposi-
tion 10 colored suffrage. we may suppose
that the people of Michigan are 10 vote on
this question to-day, and the argus man
in going 10 the polls, falls in with 4 laborer
who cannot read a word, neither could his
ancestors clear back 10 81. Patrick's time
and who has lived here thirty years and has
not saved 500 worth OF property. lis not
uncharitable TO suppose that the following
conversation might ensue:
Our friend OF the Argue begins Pat,
do you hate niger"
''Yes-sir-ee. and always did"
"The niggers never had any business 10
come TO America, had they9r
mo. sir. and wish every soul OF them
was sent back where they came from"
But II they are contrary, and will stay
here, We white folks will govern them and
keep them down. and they shall not DO any
thing only just as We say. We will let
them know this is thewhte mans country.
and if a niger will live in it, he's got 10
walk mighty straight, just as the white man
tells him.
"Thats the talk, your honor; like that"
pat, you are going to vote 10 day: how
would you like to have 4 Niger come 10
the polls right side Of you, aud vote against
you?"
Like 1t; | wouldn't let him: I'd FIGHT
him and drive him or -
"Well. they are trying to alter TO law
so as TO let niggers vote, and here IS "a tick
ct 10 put in against il. We will let them
know that niggers are not going to run
over white folks in this country
That's the doctrine your honor: / should
ike to help drive every soul OF them out OF
the country"
So Pat puts in his vote. and goes home.
and tells his children what talk he has
had with the great man who has been to
the Legislature, and thus poisons their ig-
norant minds with this political catechism.
and prepares them 10 hate the niger. and
vote against him when the question again
comes up in the next generation.
But suppose the Democracy TO succeed
In their mean crusade against all the other
races and throughout this great American
empire. teeming. centuries hence with its
hundreds Of millions, every person deScen-
ded in the remotest degree from the red
brown. yellow. or black races should be
carefully marked and excluded from every
political and civil situation. and kept down /
socially and financially in the community
as a secondary and servile class. and pure /
white blood should reign supreme. and be /
the badge Of nobility. Who would gain
anything by the process. Would the white
people! Would it benefit the servie class
Would the community. as a whole. be a
gaineri We have no space TO enlarge on
THIS; but if history teaches any one lesson
more plainly than another, it is that the
longer and more deeply any classes are
wronged in community, the greater and
more disastrous will be the discomfort.
resistance, violence, and perhaps ultimate
revolution which viii surely result from
those wrongs
A vote taken in the Free States on Col
ored Suffrage would not probably show any
great change in public opinion, for the sim
pie reason that there is none TO be shown
BOW should there be? First, every Demo-
erat would vote, of course. against the MO
ger; great pains would be taken 10 brine,