Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1870-10-01
Colored Democrats.

Colored Democrats.
The Baltimore Gazette Of August 3lst
reports the proceedings Of a mass meeting
held at Zion Church, in that city, BY col
ored Democrats. Jonathan Waters, the
Chairman, said that this was the first meet
ing oc the kind ever held in Baltimore,
ADD he proceeded to give his reasons at
length for leaving the Radical and joining
the Democratic party. He said: IL
would ask what did the Republicans do
for you when they held the power in Ma.
ryland? They did nothing, but promised
a great deal" And further:
Let me tell you that Massachusetts was the
hot-bed of slavery the place where it was fos-
tered by the Radical whites, who afterwards
transp!anted them to Virginia and other parts
Of the South. The speaker never in his life
Jared SO badly a. when with the Radical party.
The colored men in North Carolina are begin
ming to understand their position, and the for
mer slaves know there is no hope for them bat
through their old masters and friends, and by
adherng to the old Constitution. We have a
colored man here in the Custom House, named
Saunders, who attempts to keep the colorcd
men in check, but h can't interfere with or
intimidate me. Without the promise of dol
lars reward or dollar in my pocket at this
moment, am proud to acknowledge myself II
Democrat, heart and soul. loud cheers.l--
! ask no reward for my humble services; u ask
| a cent from no one, and yet while others here
may exceed me in the weight Of their pocket
books, outrank them in principle. -,
There is nothing more certain in the
future than that the negroes Of the South
will eventually vote almost entirely with
the Democratic party. They are becom.
ing satisfied that their interests as we'll as
their natural sympathies are with their
old masters, and not with the carpet.bag-
gers aud adventures; that their enfran.
chisement was not procured for their own
benefit but to make them instruments for
the subjugation Of others and to promote
party domination. Democrats are, aud
always have been, the only true friends of
the negro race; they opposed their enfran-
chisement for the same reason that they
oppose the enfranchisement of women and
minors of their own families; believing
that their happiness and protection were
better secured as wards than they would
be as citizens and electors; and because it
would be introducing into the politics of
the country incongruous and conflicting
class elements in which the weakest would
inevitably fare the worst. The Democratic
sentiment is, to protect those who have not
the natural or acquired means of protecting
themselves. The Rauical idea is, to reduce
the common people to common level,
"without regard to race, color, or previous
condition." and then let the smartest win.
and the weakest take care of themselves.
Thus having placed the negroes Of the cot
ton plantations Of the South upon foot.
ing of equality with the white labcring
men Of the North, they DOW seek to food
the country with the hordes from Asia,
that all may be reduced to Chinese
standard. Whenever a negro is wronged
or oppressed, he naturally seeks the pro-
lection Of Democrat, who better appre.
ciates his needs than does one who would
force him into position where the odds
are all against him, and then leave him to
his fate. 1t was cruel wrong to the great
mass Of negroes to force upon them the
elective franchise and enveigle them into
its exercise, at a sacrifice of all their claims
upon the governing race for that special
care and protection which their helpless
condition demanded, and the only remedy
for that wrong is for them to cooperate
with their natural protectors, who sought
in vain to save them from the infliction,
and that the negroes Of the South are gen.
orally doing.