New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1874-07-02
Protect Suffrage.


The effort Of the Democracy in Congress,
to place an educational qualification upon
the right to sit on juries, was in exact keep
ing with the policy proposed by that party in
some of the Southern States in relation to
suffrage. We are not out of the woods yet,
at least not so far out as to be able to throw
of allegiance to the only party in the land
that will not strip us of the exercise of rights
and privileges already obtained. We wish
especially to direct the attention of those
colored men who claim to be leaders, and are
rushing around denouncing the Republican
party, and calling upon colored men to aban-
don it, to the situation respecting negro sutl-
rage in some of the Southern States.
The failure to pass the civil-rights bill was
an outrage upon colored American citizens,
and we feel that those Republicans who were
the cause of its failure should be defeated at
the polls. Indignant as we are at the
treachery of protested Republicans, we do
not propose to lose our balance and to carry
our indignation to the extent of killing the
goose that laid the golden egg. We know
that proceeding in that way would make an
end to golden eggs for the negro.
If the Democratic party obtains control OF
any of the Southern States for instance, OF
Alabama, it will set itself to the work of un-
doing, as far as it has the power, all that
has been done by the Republican party for
the advancement of justice and liberty for
the negro. We have been informed that the
Democrats of the State of Alabama are OK.
erting themselves for success in the Fall
election. Their intention is to so construct
the election laws of that State as to render
inefficient the votes Of colored men, or to
strike direct and fatal blow at colored suff:
rage. 1t is contended that this can be done
without violating the letter of the Fifteenth
Amendment. In such condition of affairs
the black mans duty to himself is to leave
nothing undone that will make more secure
his hold on the elective franchise. All the
talk about abandoning the Republican party
is criminal nonsense in view of the fact thai
the defeat Of that party will be the certain
exposure of all that has been gained. by the
war and reconstruction, to the Ingenious. de.
vices of the friends of the "Lost Cause" ant
their allies - the Democratic party of the
North.
The Democratic party in its negrO-hatine
policy remains the same as it was in 1850
That party, nor no member of il, has evel
proposed any measure in Congress, or in any
State Legislature, that had for its object
justice TO the negro. On the contrary, thai
party, before the war and since the war has
furiously opposed every measure calculated
to make the freedom of the negro secure.
We put the right to exercise the elective
franchise above everything. 1t is the weapon
with which we can most effectually defend
ourselves. In States where equal suffrage is
not secure, our people must turn their sole
attention to strengthening their hold upon
the ballot. This is Of the first importance.
There is no issue that can be raised in the
coming campaign that can compare in import
ance to the negro, with the protection Of his
right to the ballot. Even the civil-nghts bill
dwindles into insignifcance as an issue by
the side of the question of protecting the
elective franchise in the hands of colored
men. Our people may depend upon it that
extraordinary efforts are now being made in
certain Of the Southern States to have so
manipulated the suffrage laws as to render
the elective franchise powerlcss in the hands
of the negro. 1t is to defeat that object that
we urge our people all over the South to be
yigilant 10 their support Of the Republican