The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1868-06-14
STATE TICKET.

Electors a, Ldyge,
GIL, GLASGOW. of Wayne County.
J. B. YOUNG, of Linn County.
assi1fants,
]. b. GRlNNELI., of Poweshiek County
T., n. INGERSOI4L, of Muscatine County |
THE pEMoBn.eY AND NEGRO suF- |
FRAGE.
The great distinctive principle of the De-
mocra,ie party, the source from which
polticai capital has been drawn,
is the oppression Of the ne
gro race. For years they advocated aud
sustained slavery. and sought to extend 1T into |
all the Territories of the United States, and |
to concede certain privileges to the Southern
shareholders, even in the Northern Free /
States. The abolition of slavery forced upon |
Them against their will, and their.efforts at the
ballot, and by the sword, is very reluctantly
accepted at this day as an accomplished fact
Bnt recognizing the inevitable, to q certain !
extent, they seem to take that for granted, |
and now try to keep the colored men under
their heels by denying them the freeman
right Of suffrage And in the Northern
States they propose 10 go into the approach
ing political canvass upon the issue that the
four millions Of colored people in this country
shall have no voice in the choice OF its rulers
Bnt in the reconstructed States colored men
will have the right to vote, and will vote in
spite of the Northern Copperheads, and the
main plank Of lha Democratic platform, the
chief principle recognized by the party lead
era, will be mere sectional principle, whose
operation viii be confined practically to
few Northern States and few scatt cred hal
BACKED representatives Of the colored race
To insure the slightest hope Of success the
party is constrained 10 make desperate
effort to obtain share Of the negro vote OF
the South, even while opposing the right OF
the negroes 10 vote at oil. And the bitter an
tagonism ofthe Copperheads Of the North to
the concession Of suffrage 10 the eolored men
while it will fail to carry single State for
<heir Presidential candidate that they would
not carry any how, viii interfere very effectu-
ally with the efforts Of the Southern wing Of
the party to obtain the colored vote OF thf
South, which is matter Of life or death with
them in that section.
1t is on account Of the embarrassing sitnas
ton in which the party has thus placed itself
that s6me of its cooler and wiser heads pro-
pose to 90 outside of the party to obtain
Presidential. candidate. 10 deliver them from
the destruction which demands the utter aban-
donment of the great principle and chief
plank of their party platform, or their hope
less surrender to the exigencies of the situa
ton and the assured progress OF Republican
principles, not only in the overthrow Of sla
very, but in the establishment Of the equal,
civil and political rights of the colored peo-
pie.
The only hope for the party hangs upon
hair, as to the best, and strange as it may
seem, the hair is that of the kinky woody
head of the race, by the abuse of which the
perry expected TO make all its political cap
ital.
The New York HTorld recognizes the stu
alton and sees the point, as is clear from the
following, which we clip from recent edito-
tial Of that political organ OF the Democracy:
What is once established can be nptnrned
only by some positive action. Il is too eyi-
dent for argument that Negro Suffrage can
not be uprooted by the Federal Government,
even under Democratic control IL the Dem
ocratic party makes any declaration on this
subject in the approaching National Conyen-
ton. it can only affirm the principle that the
kpdpral hos
right to prescribe the rules of suffrage in
State. The reiteration of this sound princi-
pie, while 1t would retrospectively condemn
The Republican party, would prospee.ively
restrain the Democratic party from initiating
is example. The bearing and effect of this
principle is to recognize the status quo OF the
suffrage in every State and to preclude inter
ference 10y the Federal Government TO change
IL: Is we'll from changing it from had to good
as from good to bad. When the Democratic
party comes into power, Negro Suffrage will
be the existing rule in the Southern States.
rule which can no more be rishifuliy abra-
gated By Federal authority than il was right
fully introduced by Federal authority. If,
then, we rsassert this principle III our nation
al platform. II will be pledge not to disturb
the existing state THE suffrage in the South
for, if the Fedefnf Government cannot inter
fere at all, it cannot Interfere for the com
mendable object CT rectifying abuses All
that the Democratic party can promise the
South on this subject is its inactivty--its for
bearance TO thwart The States ia any changes
they may hereafter choose to make. We sap
pose NE have made ii clear enough that, If
Negro Suffrage is ever abolished inthe South,
II will not be By The Federal Government
Under Democratic control, ii would not ia.
Ierfere at all: under Republican control, 4,
would mt Interfere IN flat si,ia gzHs