Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1870-05-21
Reading Matter on Every Page.
SayIes j. Bowen's Opposition 10 Man.
hood Suffrage

Perhaps the coolest effrontery displayed by
Sayles j. Bowen, in his endeavors to make the
colOred people believe that he Is their special
friend, Is In his claim to preeminence in the in
auguration of manhood suffrage here. The
truth is that Mr.. Bowen, true to his Democratic
instincts and training, when he saw colored suf-
frsge in some shape was inevitable, at first adj
vocated restricting il to the colored soldiers,
then abandoning the soldiers he proposed to
apply an educational restriction. At that time
he published an article in the Chronicle relative
TO taking the vote on the question of suffrage in
this city, in which he argued that suffrage might
be gwen to the residents of the different States.
who held offices or were merely sojourners in
washington, and to the colored soldiers who had
iOught In defence Of the Government. There
was not single word in the article advocating
universal manhood suffrage
Subsequently,. in his famous serenade speech
which was a carefully prepared, written affair.
ne discarded the colored soldiers altogether. and
proposed to confer the elective franchise only
upon educated colored persons. He utterly
rePuuated manhood suffrage. The first allu-
SION to suffrage in that speech was as follows:
expect soon to see that inalienable right,
the right or suffrage, secured to every man of
lawful age, and Of proper education and inteIii-
eeHoe, that resides within the ten miles square,
Whatever may be his color or race"
little further on in the same address SEEM
ing determined not to be misunderstood, he
more emphaticslly expressed his opinion As to
the class OF persons upon whom the boon of
suffrage ought to be conferred. Referring to
the article published by him in the Chronicle. he
said:
SIN that article designated certain classes of
men VINO would be certain to vote, but did not
state, or intend TO be understood as insinuatiny,
that no others OF our citizens would participate
IN the election That many good men, Repub-
cans, voted, Is undoubtedly true. But they did
so under the Impression that Congress intended
70 grant the boon OF suffrage to cOntrd6dads and
all, without any qualification whatever, tcien
an fact, nothing Of the kind, so far as know and
believe; IS intended or proposed by Congress.
That these men are generally in favor of per-
denied"
And yet a little further onward, in the same
article, he reiterates his sentiment in favor of
educated suffrage. The following are his words;
"NO matter what course the citizens of this
District may pursue, the people of the loyal
States demand that the national capital shall be
frage because they believe the fatSIJi1sat colo.5
NAN justly entitled to it."
Educated suffrage was the extent to which
Mr.. Bowen was willing to 90 in this direc-
ton He specially repudiated the idea of con-
ferr1ng suffrage upon the Ignorant masses"
or upon "the contrabands.' They were to bide
their time until qualified By education.
The truth Is that Mr.. Bowen throughout his
career has had an ill-concealed contempt for
the mass Of the colsred people, and instead of
seeking unselhshly to put them in the way of
progress, andof securing permanent and honor
able employment, has left them in idleness and
rags for eleven months OF the year in order that
their poverty may compel them to do his bid
ding on election day for the consideration of a
four weeks job at gutter-cleaning. When cleo
ton day comes around he claims to be the repre-
sentative Of Simon-pure Republicanism; but a
man is known by the company he keeps. and
Mr.. Bowen can hardly pass muster a. a Repub-
hcan when ii is notorious that ali his intimates
and associates, his workers and strikers are con-
perheads and rebels,-men like 10. Williams,
who did yeoman service in the rebel cause at
fredericksburg; Himber. the notorious First
Ward Commissioner, who fought and bled (but,
unfortunately for this city did not die) in the
rebel cause; Hanna, and English, rebels fresh
from Richmond and who seek Bowen by nat
tural affinity Major Morse, who d-ns the mig
ger with such fsrvent good will when out of
their hearing; VIM. A. Cook, who tore down the
I!acards for negro lecture; Surveyor DON
cyan, Of rebel notoriety IN New Orleans, and
the whole crowd OF eopperhead and rebel ward
contractors, &c, sc.
And while Mr.. Bowen has surrounded him
self with this crowd of rebels, copperheads and
negro-haters and Is giving them all the patron
age Of the Corporation, enabling them to live
in gorgeous style, drive fast teams, tight the
tiger, or bet on their vital religion "a la Cook,
the POOR colOred men are kept in squalid power
ty, condemned to live In filthy alleys and their
existence is only recognized by the Bowen gang
when the June election is approaching.
In ID