Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1869-03-31
NEW SERIES--V0L. 8, NO. 96.

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property, trial by jury, haJods corpus
education and all the other great privi
leges won by the Saxon and perpetu
ated in our institutions are freely nc
corded TO the negro. Beyond this tb,
people Of this Commonwealth hav,
never gone, and, believe, are unwll
ing TO 60. The political power Of th,
State has alwas rested in the whit
race, and it should remain there.
The Greater has distinctly marked
the line of difference between the two
races. The elevation of the one tC
the privileges and society Of the cthel
is the degradation of the superior
The attempt TO alter the order OF ma
ture will bring upon the negro Tho
resentment of the white. Prejudice,
founded on nature are ineradicable il
their character The attempt of the
negro TO go TO the polls with the white
man will produce difficulties between
them, and the law will be invoked tC
enable the negro to exercise the right
you give him This will but serve tC
increase the prejudice and arouse still
more keenly the feelings Of passion.
The interest and well being of the
white man in this Commonwealth arc
more important than are those Of the
negro, for if suffrage be the great test
Of happiness aud Of progress, how
much more important that four mill
ions Of whites shall be protected
thereby than seventy-fye thousand
negroes
In what respect do We benefit the
white race by this amendment, and
in what is the negro so largely bene-
fitted Z Will the votes Of the negroes
add to our prosperity, our happiness,
or our national progressl Can the
admixturs Of the inferior add TO the
value Of the superior, or viii it dete-
riorate and reduce its qualityy The
benefit TO be attained is purely parti-
san. The proposition is born Of the
necessities of the Republican party.
Nine thousand majority at the polls
in October last, with an the prestige
and popularity Of a military ehieftain
TO aid you, demonstrated the necessi-
~ for more votes, and in this you hope
to obtain them. The right Of voting
and Of being voted for have always
gone together in Pennsylvania, but
this proposition is a negation Of that
principle. Il says TO the negro, "help
US to power and place, but you shall
have none Of il"
The practical working fthis amend
ment viii be prejudieial TO the best
interests Of the State. Many OF the
best class Of white citizens now refrain
from voting because of the difficulty
Of access TO the polls and the waste Of
time consequent thereon, aud If the
secret workings Of the minds Of many
Of these were discoverable. il would
be found that contempt for the system
and the character OF the means used
IN political struggles largely inter into
the motives Of these citizens. viii
this be improved or rendered worse
by the further debasement of suffrageg
l do not pretend to justify such senti-
ments, but we would be foolish 10 IL.
more their existence, especially in the
large cities and more populous locali.
ties. There, too, often are found lines
of voters a square in length, in which
each must take his turn, and every
arlifce and trick is resorted to to EN-
barrass the right and delay its cxer.
else, and citizens must remain for
hours in order TO vote. These are
some of the reasons why many Of cur
best citizens refuse 10 vote. Will we
increase the number Of this class who
visit the polls by wiching them
on warm October afternoon between
two stalwart negroes
II is our duty TO protect the inter
ests OF the whole people and not sac
ridce the settled policy of the State
for the benefit of few. Negroes
never were electors in Pennsylvania.
and take distinct issue with the
Senator from Erie Mr. Lowry upon
that point Judge Agnew. of the Su.
premo Court, in the Pennsylvania
Convention Of 1888, said:
"Ths history Of Pennsylvania prores that n,
African race never were considered a part of he
sovereignty of Pennsylvauia. They were not
looked upon as being part Of the community at
AL and consequently they could have no right to
vote"
Mr.. FIsHER. Does the Senator denv
that the Africans did vote in this
Statei
Mr.. WALLACE. ] did not deny that
in some counties Of the State they
were occasionally permitted to vote.
but that they had a right TO do SO is
expressly denied by Judge Arnew
aud Chief Justice Gibson, 10 Hobbs
VS. Fogg, 9th Watts, expressly de-
cided that they bad no such rights.
The law Of Pennsylvania, and the
policy of its people, have always treat
cd them as an inferior race. and as
such they are recognized TO this dav.
This position is fully ro-asseried in
The case Of the West Chester and
Philadelphia railroad company vs..
Miles, in 5th p f. Smiths reports, in
which Judge Agnew declares:
"The natural separation Of the races is thcrc. I
'ors un undeniahle fact and al social orrnniia-
lions which lead to their amalramation are re- l
nuruaut TO the law Of nature
Tho law OF l7S0, which abolished
slavery in Pennsylvania. conceded to
the negro the protection Of the laws,
but il gave him in express terms but
b part of that freedom which the
white race enjoyed.
Under the rule of suffrage establish. I
ai by tho people in this Stale. one
nan votes for six people. the rights OF
ivo are ignored. and but one is rcoog /
nizcd as a political power -Four
millions Of people reside within our
limits, yet but 650,000 men control ]
he State, and less than $4,000 OF
hose spoke the voice of our people in /
october last Universal suffrage is a /
myth, and the siokly cant upon that /
uhieci, so common in these days, is 1
Irruut humbug. IL never has existed /
u j