Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1870-07-12
A New Issue..


"Shall a man be deprived of the right of
suffrage because his skin is of q different
color from that of yours ?" ado long heels
render man unfit to associate with men with
short heels r' sis thick skull to be pro-
scribed Pr care thick lips crime ?" sis
awoolly head incompatible with intelligence"
These and many similar questions have been
the witty arguments with which the Radicals
beat down opposition to the establishment of
negro suffrage. The fifteenth amendment was
ratified by men who couldn't stand such humor.
1t was too much for them.
All we ask of the Radicals now is that they
shall stand to their guns. Let them not faint
or finch in the hour of trial II required no
courage to force negro suffrage upon the
South, the northern States having no negroes
worth speaking of. But it will require good
deal of genuine courage to enable the Radi-
Gals to advocate-frst, the right of the Chi
nese to immigrate to this country, and, second
ly, their right to the ballot. Senator Wilson,
we grieve to say, has already taken the back
track. So has John Russell Young And
so have also we know not how many more of
the brightest lights in the Radical party
This will never do. They speak and write
like vile Copperheads. They are no better
than Democrats. In fact, they are worse than
Brick Pomeroy or the New York Day Book,
and not much better than the editor of the
brotherhood of man ?" What about "human
rights ?'' What about "the birth>right of
every son of Adam ?" In fact, how can a
Radical dare to intimate that any man of
woman born, whether he be black, or yellow,
or red, can be justly deprived of the right of
suffrage?
The New York Tribune threatens the Long
Island laborers, who ask three or four dollars
day for cutting wheat, with the competition
of the Chinese. 1t swears that there is work
in the harvest fields for the "hundreds of
laboring men who crowd the corridors Of the
City Hall, and who tell the Mayor" so and
SO. The Tribune forgets that this work of
harvesting will last for only few days, and
that the ''laboring man" cannot rely upon
that sort Of employment. He wants work
that will pay him from January to December.
The IribWne'S statement is a sort of argument
to prove that there is room in this country
for the Chinese. But it will hardly deceive
the thousands and tens of thousands of white
mechanics and laborers who are utterly unable
to obtain situations.
We say again, let the Radicals be true to
their history and to their teachings heretofore.
Let us test the sense of the people of the
United States. Let us make a square issue
upon this Chinese question. All those who
hold that Mongolians are not as good as Cau-
casians-who believe that the white man is
superior to the man of any other color, and
has the right to withhold certain high priv
ileges from the inferior races, and to legislate
for the protection of his own race-who wish
this country to be settled all over not by yellow,
red, or black 1hen, whose descendants to the
remotest generation will be an alien element,
but by Caucasians, whose descendants will all
be of the highest human type-let all these,
we say, vote together. And let all who hold
the Radical doctrine that Chinese or a negro
is as good as white man, and entitled to all
the privileges and rights of white men, vote
for the Radical candidate for President We
are willing to bide the result.