Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1866-01-24

preme. The law can be passed, and if it is
found to be bad a majority can repeal 1t.
The colored race is too small IN numbers
here to endanger the supremacy of the
white people, but large and loyal enough to
counteract to some extent disloyal procllvl-
ties,
Why, then, should they not vote?
Because, say the opposition, that IS ne
gro equality Equality in what? In mind,
stature. morals, or wealth? If these much
coveted qualities. can be SO easily bestowed,
is any man mean enough to withhold them?
The objection is contradictory. First, he.
shall not vote because he is the white mans
inferior; and second, because he will make
him an equal Do you mean by equality,
personal friendship and social intercourse
Why, sir, If there is anything free In this
country, or any country, 1t is the right OF
each man to select his own associates. Com
panionship is free now, and will be then.
1t is your constitutional right to associate
with men of color now, if. you are so lnclln-
ed, while you are not forced to associate
with nor even speak to white voter now.
nor will you be with black voter in the fu-
ture. On the other hand, it is the consti-
tutional right of the colored man to shun
you now, and his right would neither be en-
larged nor diminished by his enfranchise-
ment. The equality so much dreaded and
so fercely denounced, must mean, if it
means anything, that a colored man vote
viii count one toward the election of mayor
and councils for Washington city, and
| white mans vote will count one also, and
no more. That is all. And why should
they not be so counted What do the may
or and councils have to do that none but
the aristocracy can Judge of their fitness
| Simply to mend the roads, look after the
poor, and take care of the schools. Ger
| tainly these are subjects of deep interest to
men of color as well as white men, and not
above the capacity of the lowest. Colored
men do the work on the streets; they ought
to understand what repairs are needed as
well as how to make them. You say they
are peor-they ought to know the poor
mans wants. You say they are ignorant
then give them chance to vote against
mayor who loads them with school tax and
| deprives them of schools. In this District
no vote is cast for President, member of
Congress, judge of the courts, nor any Off
GER except the administrators of local affairs,
in which all citizens. however ignorant in
national matters, are necessarily well in
formed. This action is not altogether an
experiment. In Boston the colored people
vote, and in the best governed city in the
United States. But it is to be considered
an experiment altogether, then, as [ said
before, there is no better place in the whole
country in which to try it than the District
of Columbia.
Again, it is said it will lead to amalgama-
ton. This cry has been too often raised to
alarm even the most ignorant When the
Democratic party endeavored to establish
slavery in the territory acquired from Mexi-
co, the arguments In opposition We're met
by the cry of 'amalgamation. Negro
equality was their covering cry, during their
long struggle, through fraud and violence to
force slavery on the unwilling people of Kan
sas When slavery was abolished in the
District of Columbia, ''Amal gamation and
negro equality" was beloved by that party
all over the land. When the great and good
President issued his proclamation of eman-
cipatlon, they again screamed "Amalgama-
ton and negro equality )" and the cry came
still again in terrible shrieks when slavery
was forever prohibited by amendment OF
the Constitution This is a standing argu-
ment with the opposition, and is brought
out on all occasions when any legislation is
proposed touching the interest of the color
ed population. Even on so trifiing an occa-
sion as the passage of a law at the last ses-
sion allowing these people to ride in the
street cars in this city, a cry of horror was
startle the whole Anglo-saxon race to its
feet in defense of its blood, but I soon saw
that nobody was scared, and we all now see
that nobody was hurt. Let our sensitive
friends compose their nerves and try to tell
US how little enlargement of the elective
franchise, over small and purely local mat
ters In this District, will result in marriage
between the two races. 1t is a fright that
makes you mistake ballot for billet doux.
1t cannot be possible that any man of COM
mon sense can bring himself to believe that
marriages between any persons, much less
between white and colored people, will take
place because celored man is allowed to
drop little bit of paper in box, thereby
intimating who he considers the fttest per-
son to be mayor of this city. 1t is too tri-
Hing for argument.
We are again told that their average abili-
ty is below that of the white race. How do
you know that? The colored man has new
er exhibited equal ability, to be sure. but
he has never had equal opportunities. The
forbidding statutes of the South attest the
capacities of the negro. If they really be-
ieved his mind was so feeble, why bind it
with such heavy chains? If it was incapa-
BILE OF learning, why prohibit it with the
penitentiary? Their theories proved he
was weak, but their legislation acknowledg-
ed he was strong. They debased him by
law to fit him for slavery, and justified sla-
very because he was debased So in this
District the Withholding opportunities of
improvements is justified on the ground of
his inferiority, and his inferiority is shown
by the lack of Improvement But suppose
the white race is superior, does it follow
that the inferior race should be deprived of
any authoritative mode of making It's wants
known to the Government? If mind is to
be made the test of suffrage, great many
noisy declaimerS against the nenro will Lose