The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-03-31


afternoon dispatches of the Associated
Press will appear.
THE CONSTITUTIONAL AMEND
MENT.
The official promulgation of the ratification
of the Fifteenth Amendment by the requisite
number of States was issued yesterday For
q quarter of q century the politics of the
nation has hinged on the negro question
and it remains to be seen whether the negro
in the abstract will not be practically taken
out of politics. by giving to the negro in the
concrete all the political privileges that were
formerly monopolized by the white man.
This consummation is devoutly to be wished,
and we hope it may be confidently anticipated
It is of more Importance to the substantial
interests of the Union how it is governed
than who governs it; and when the at
tention of the people is distracted by con-
stitutional or personal questions, they rarely
have time to pay sufficient attention to the
practical workings of the complicated gov
ernmental machinery. The negro, oppressed
ON the one hand, has been made an object of
sympathy on the other, and while Democrats
and Republicans have been quarrelling about
his destiny, they have not stopped to scan
closely the conduct of their public servants
on the innumerable measures of deep i'm
portance which are net connected with the
leading issue. Henceforth, however, as the
negro will be armed with the ballot, he may
safely and properly be left to take care of
himself, and as he will cease to be an object
of special soicitude, all voters, without dis
1nction of color, can confine their attention
to the public questions which deeply
affect their welfare. The President, while he
rejoices in his proclamation over the new ex-
tension of the right of suffrage, dwells mainly
upon the necessity of ga more general diffu-
sion of knowledge, and an enlightenment of
public opinion. These admonitions might be
proftably needed by many white voters, as
well as by the freedmen. The American
habit of typifying, for popular purposes, all
political differences in the creeds of two lead
ing antagonistic parties has caused immea-
surable evils. 1t has facilitated the election
of thousands of infamous rascals, and it has
led to the tacit approval, by well-meaning
men, of an infinite number of measures which
they secretly knew to be unjust, but which
they defended in public under the mistaken
conviction that this hypocritical champion
ship was partisan necessity. Parties may
be indispensable in a free government, and
they may, in some ways, render service to the
public interests, but if their machinery is not
remodelled they will soon become an un-
mitigated curse, for their present tendency is
to furnish at once.the agencies by which plum
derers gain power and horde of apologists
for public sins of omission and commission
For these evils the remedy on which the Pre-
sident dwells so strongly is perhaps the
best that can be devised. The people
of Philadelphia have no ground for
the hope that they will cease to be misrepre-
sented and betrayed at Harrisburg, or that
their interests in any other political centre
will receive more jealous and patriotic atten-
tion, on account of the addition of colored
men to our registry lists At the best, the
colored men will increase the Republican
strength, but if this strength is not wisely used
in the selection of good nominees, the bur-
dens of taxpayers will be increased instead
of being diminished, and the betrayal of
the true interests of our citizens
will become more notorious than ever. The
BI0hI u66u Ol Iuo Uiul65 Is u pOW6rIul luIu-
sion of intelligence and honesty into the
primary organizations of the two parties. If
they are to be left to the control of selfish
schemers and ignorant dupes, the sooner they
cease to exert commanding influence over
the action of the mass of voters the better
will it be for the nation. The admonitory
passages of Grants message may have been
intended merely as lecture to the negroes,
but his advice may be proftably needed by
all classes.
THE DISAPPEARANCE or FICREN.
The case of Richard j. Ficken, who was in
dicted some weeks ago for shooting Arthur
Curran, young lad, was called this morning
in the Court of Quarter Sessions. Young
Curran and the other lad who was one of the
objects of Ficken's murderous assault were
in attendance, the former on crutches and
limping badly from his wound. When Ficken s
name was called he did not put in an appear
ance, and the Court declared his bail, amount
ing to $17, 800 to be forfeited, and the Judge
issued O bench warrant to the officers of the