The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1870-12-23
NEGRO SUFFRAGE.

.sazis7 ss. sNs
- The .0reoonian a few days ago pub
lished an extract from the 1Sssousi
Republican which seemed to accept
negro suffrage rs one of the inevita-
bles, and urged Democrats to conform
to the new order of things by recog-
MIXING negio voting as settled fact,
and, by mo- longer attempting to op-
pose, the. policy Of the Fifteenth
Amendment, make Ibid for share
Of thessotes of those beings whs were
enfranchised by its provisions. And
the Oregoa,an wants to know if the
Democracy OF Oregon are willing to
accept this new order of things pro-
mulgated by the Missouri Republican.
>. We apprehend that this question is
easily answered. By reference to the
platform adopted in this city last March
by the Democratic State Convention,
it will be readily seen how the Democ-
racy OF. Oregon stand upon the suf-
frage question. Section of that
platform calls the ratification Of the
18th Amendment irregular, arbitrary
and unlawful;" and Section II favors
the adoption of an amendment to the
Constitution Of the United States re-
scinding both the 14th and 18th
Amendments.
As for ourself, we hold that the
giving the right of suffrage to the ne
groes of the several States is uncon-
stitutional, it having never been le-
gallys ratified by two-thirds of the
States-some of the Southern States
having given their consent to its promuL
CATION under duress and not with the
free will and consent Of majority of
their voters. And, even if it had been
adopted by lawful number of the
States. we hold that its provisions were
sgross invasion of the sacred and re-
served rights of the States, and were
i'subversive of those principles upon
which the perfection and endurance
of our political fabric depends"
It certainly is not necessary to the
existence or even success of the great
Democratic party that it recognize q
.damnable heresy which has been
forced upon the country by fraud and
by bayonets; and it would appear to
Us that we were losing our identity as
q party by acknowledging this grossest
Of outrages upon the white people
OF the American Republic and by tame
ly submitting to this basest of meas
ures for the perpetuation of Radical
ism IN the land.
That sort of Democracy which de-
stroys the inherent rights of the
States to regulate the qualifications OF
their own electors, without federal
interference, may be good enough for
the. Missouri Republican, which saved
its Office from the ravages OF mobs by
pandering to the Administration dur
ing the war, but it will not go down
with those who have ever believed that
to advocate the vital principles of the
party under all circumstances was the
highest duty of its adherents, and that
to endorse the doctrines promulgated
by the enemy, only for policy's sake,
was . crime of the highest mag
nitade and deserving of the Sc
verest' condemnation by all true
lovers of the great principles upon
which the Democracy profess to
The Democratic party can succeed
without the negro vote-the late cleo.
tions fully demonstrate that fact-and
they were not honest did they attempt
to secure power by means which they
really despise and contemn.
The reader may set it down as a
fact beyond contradiction that the
Democrat who talks of accepting ne.
gro suffrage as settled fact is either
. demogogue bidding for ilIegitimate
votes or else he has really departed
from the ancient and reyered land
marks Of his party; and such an indi-
vidual will bear watching from both
parties. =.