Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1870-08-30
THOUGHTS FOR THE ooLoRED
MAN.
The Fall Elections.

be the probable course pursued by the Demo-
cratic party of this county in the coming cleo
tions for county officers.
The Radical party, having, heretofore, the
exclusive privilege of saying who shouldv vote
and who should not, were enabled by abuses of
the suffrage law unknown and unpracticedin
this country at any period of our political
history, succeeded in carrying almost every
county office. If an abuse of the law was
not likely to make them succeed. they stopped.
at no raseality known to these licensed prac.
titioners of that damnable art. Men who had
no interest in our county were placed in power.
When these did not understand, or failed to
do what was expected of them, they were at
once beheaded, and others who had lived lives
of open defiance to law were substituted in
their places. They held their places only SO
long as they could be trusted to do the villain.
GUS deeds demanded of them by the Office
seekers, and those who wished by villainy to
retain places to which they never had been
chosen by the voice of the people. Loyal
men by hundreds were stricken, without au-
the roll of voters. At every election, this
was done, until these acts incensed the people
to such degree that, upon one occasion, not
yet forgotten by the presiding Judge, it was
near ending in tar and feathers
These acts have not been left Impractical.
They are still endeavoring to retain power by
adhesion to their original plan of successful
operations. Even the poor negro is not moo free
to cote as he p1cases IF he will declare his
intention to. go for the Courthouse clique, it
is all right, they 60 for him; but, if he says
inadvertently 81 will not commit myself" soft
nit his head. So much for Peterson" The
negro must be a SaUe to the Radical party
or he cannot vote. Thus saith Underdonk-
the Chief of radicals. They must be un3er
donktes; Jackasses all their lives, if they dare
to kick in the radical traces. IF Peterson
had been radical-in favor of the Court
House clique, and its left bower in Harpers
Ferry-Butt, Davies & Co., there would have
been no difficulty. He would have been reg
istered. The white donkey wanted the black
donkey to vote for him. The black donkey
could mt see it. That was the only trouble.
Peterson, if he had been Peters son, could
not then have been registered. He must be-
,S2avc again, SlaUe to the Radical party;
or-in tShcpherdsto'cn where these vipers most
do congregate-he cannot cote.
How long will the colored men Of Jefferson
county play .S!ave to these rascals? What
good have they ever done them Have they
forgotten Charles Warner? whostripped them
of every dollar he could get out Of them, and
then was forced to leave by these same Shep-
herdstown radicals because he could no longer
stomach their rottenness.
What have Chaplinc, and Ridenour, and
Chase, and Koonce, and Butt, and Davies, and
Stubs, and Ingles, and Un8erdonk, done to
promote their happiness, or place them in fat
Offices And yet these men fawn upon them,
and in the same breath tell them they ''arc
not fit to hold o6ice"-"cannot fill any Office"
especially the Clerks, Sherif's, Recorders,
Magistrates, Commonwealth Attorneys; only
fit, like Yves. Lowry, to be special constable
to Sam. Ridenour, to bring "niager APP for
trial." Well now this is strange doctrine
Quoth the Radical, "You, my colored friend,
have been badly treated by your rebel masters.
They whipped you. They kicked you. They
cuffcd you. You are better than the white
man. They shall not vote. You ShaH We
will place gov above your former masters. IF
we do this, you must vote for rs" Did the
colored man ever ask why? Ifyou are better
than the white man, and good enough to vote,
a0hy are you not good enough to hold office?
If you arc better than the white man, the
black man should have all the Offices. Turn
the white man out. Put the black man in.
If you are good enough to vote, you are good
enough to hold Office. The Fifteenth Amend
ment gives You the right to vote and to hold
office. Why then should you not vote for
your own color? Why vote for those who
say they are not as good as the negro? 1t is
a race, SO far as county offices is concerned,
between white radical and black. No Demo-
crat can hope to be elected in this county
Why, the black vote alone is 300 more than
the whitc-radical and democratic combined.
OF course, in this situation of affairs, no Demo-
crat will run for any county Office. This is
our belief. Why not run your o,en color then,
for all county offices i? Why, by your votes,
place this Uuderdonk faction in power again
Can you tell US If you do, you acW remain
their .SLaycs torerer. Think of this, and de-
terminc what, under all the circumstances, is
the best course for you to adopt. You rciW
ncver hare tie chance again.
There is one other course for you.
Wait till the r Gals make their nomina-
tons. You will then see who they expect
you to vote for. If you do not like their
nominees, and think you cannot nominate men
of your own color. call q Conuention Of col.