Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1867-09-11
who shOuId Vote.

who Should Vote.
This question is now before the PEG
pleOf Ohio, and upon it they are Il
render q decision In October. As the
law now is, q class of men are disfran,
chised, and while they are responsible
and amenable to sll the laws, to the
same extent that the enfranchised
classes are, they have no voice directly
or indirectly, In making the laws un-
der which they must live. It is not
claimed that these men have forfeited
their right to vote by crimes commit
ted, nor that they are foreigners, alien
ated by sympathy for some other gov
eminent from this, for they, them
selves, have proven their devotion to
the land of their birth, to the princi-
pies Of liberty. to the land that gave
freedomto all men, save themselves.
This class of men, whose fathers were
with Washington in tho struggle OF
the revolution; who we're with Jack
son in the. war of 1872; men who
fought herOically at Port Hudson,
NilIiken's Bend and Petersburg,-Eho
have always been on the side of the
country, and against all its foes-this
class of men are set spArt as unworthy
to be invested with the full prerogstive
of citizenship. And why? The pri-
mary, principal, and almost total OBJ
lection their opponents offer, is that
they are men of black complexion,
and have been for long years
debased by servituds to white
men. The avariciousness of cruel
white men made these blacks slaves,
kept Them in slavery and ignorance,
and We fszr would do SO now if the
higher christian civilization of the age
did not SO emphatically and overHhelm-
ingly condemn It. The spirit Of light
and liberty are at war with the theory
and practice of slavery, andarea at work
seeking to eradicate it root and branch
from the American soil. The body and
branch of this upas has been cut down.
and the Union Republican party seek
to destroy the roots from which may
spring up new shoots of the same tree
whose deadly shadow wa for years
cast over the land. Liberty and JUS
tice, an unobstrueted privilege to pur-
sue happiness in the common channels
of human life, giving sill men, of all
colors and conditions a free, fair chance
in the struggle Of life, is the essence
of Republicanismsnd pure Democracy.
Where these principles have free
course, slsEery can not exist. There
fore, in answering the question, "Who
Shall Voter We say every man, I'M
convicted of crimes which forfeit the
right, without regard to color, should
be made equally free before the law,
and to do this, he must have an equal
right to be heard in the government
under which he lives. This privilege
gives him influence, eleFstes his man
hood, calls into activity ais full energy,
inspires him with higher hopes, q no
bier ambition, and makes him better,
because q more interested, citizen
The opponents of negro suffrage admit
that if it is granted, its tendency will
be to elevate the black and places him
higher politically, socially and morally.
Yet, strange to say, they oppose his en-
reimbursement for this very reason
They wish him kept dehased and igno-
norant, strippedof all influence and all
power. Is an element of ignorance,
sunken in moral and social debase-
ment, 80 desirable to have in 8 repub-
lican government Does not all expef-
fence prove that the safest government
is that fcrnded on justice and liberty
and enlightenment2 The democrats
say the black is ignorant, and they
would keep him in that condition; ne
has ever since the organization of the
government been denied equal rights,
and for that reason he should forever
be deprived Of that republican boom
They say, give him 8 vote, andheis cur
equal Whose fault is it that the diff
ference Is so very slight a to exist on:
" by virtue of 8 human law? Willour
democratic friends reprosch the crea-
tor of of almen7 They are willing to
let white men, ignorant IS horses, vote.
They do not, then, object really on the
basis of intelligence, to colored men
voting. Then what is the ground of
their hostility? We opine the control
ling reason is that the votes of the
black men will be almost universally
thrown with the Republican party, and
against the Democratic party, keeping
it out of the Offices. and places Of hon
or and profit in the goTernment.-
That is the true key to Democratic OPP
position to negro enfrsnchisement-
Could they only hope to use them, it
not be long before they would
be courting their goodwill. and sdVo-
their aus We believe, in re-
gard to this suffrage question, igno-
rance and prejudice rule the Democrat
&c masses, but policy and party neees-
ities rule the course of the leaders.-
They would rob 3 Glass Of men Of
heir just rights, fearing to trust them
elves 70 their Judgment at the polls
And such mea call themselves Demo
sratsi
"a From present indications, the