The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1874-09-04
SHOW YOUR coLoRs. WHITE MEN :

\
Republican platform approving and
endorsing the Civil Rights bill now
pending before Congress. nvain have
we watched the utterances of leading
Republicans for expressions ofapproba-
tions of this, the most prominent, feat
ure in the platform OF the Republican
party: the grave itself is not more
eloquently silent. No doubt it is Dit
ter pill for white Republicans to
swallow,-this thing of negro equality.
They have cajoied and honey-fuggled
the negro, and have subsisted upon MS
blindness and incredulity. That, we
suppose, they would say Is "lesltl-
mates" as who wonld not make an easy
living and control an ignorant class OF
voters for the country's good?
But now comes, at last, to these white
Republicans, the question-Shall we
admit the negro to be our equal? Shall
we subscribe to the dogma that the
white and black races are equal, and
that all distinctions of caste, intellect,
natural endown1ents, color and anc"s
tEy ultlSL OS oOlllSI"SSus N'AA%sAA w
stand before the white men and women
of the land as the pronounced advocates
of the equality of the negroes with the
whites?
This vital question, our Radical OPP
ponents, as we have said, do not, and
dare not meet. But this is the question
of the campaign, made SO in solemn
form by the Republican party in its
platform, and it is question upon
which Republican must see they have
openly to take sides. The veritabie
slast ditch" has been reached; pride OF
race has been insolenty trampled under
foot; there is no longer p middle
ground.
The pursuit Of false issues will not
avail Republican journals or leaders in
his conflict. 1t is cowardly, neither t"
approve, nor to condemn the Civil
Rights bill, and not to say TO the negro,
we either do, or do not approve that
measure.
papers like the Louisiana Intelligcnccr,
and the Radical leaders i'll the State,
place themselves in, when, in defiance
of the Equality feature of the Republi-
can platform, they say, in effect, to the
negro, We arc opposed to the elevation
of your race to an equality with the
whites, and we are now using all our
efforts to stavc Off that issue, and to
saddle upon the whites the odium which
we charge attaches to those who make
the issue IF race in politics?
But Republican leaders must under
stand that they will not be permitted
to enjoy the fruits ofnegro rule, and, at
the decisive moment, skulk out of a
responsibility which necessarily attaches
to their acts. There can be no good Re
publican in Louisiana, who, whatever
he may say to the contrary, does not
approve the equality of the blacks
with the whites, so long as he adheres
to the Republican party and its plat
form. Oil and water will not mix
Republicans must take Il position =
either, for or against, Negro Equality
1t is, we know, Il hard test; but the con.
sequences of bad teachings and false
theories arc not ours. The test is bound
to come-llas already come. Whether
the election in November goes one way
or the other, will not settle the question
between the white and black races
This is Il white mans Countrywide
country of white civilization, with white
boys, girls and white families, forever
1t is not, and will never be, a kingdom
for the African. Entertainments may
come in the way OF Equality, but time
and the little boys and girls now grow
ing up will strangle the monster, ant
the boys will doubtless end the dispute
in lesson worthy of their parcntase.
THE BATON ROUGE TICKET.
hn lifftr,ltins no Can