Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-07-16
THE NEGRO AND THE REPUBLICAN
PARTY.

pOrtant FACTOR IN the politics OF the country
than he has heretofore been, especially at the
South. This is shown almos; daily by ex-
pressions from the Republican press and
from leading Republican politicians. While
they seemed to regard the colored men as
their especial and exclusive property few
years ago, never suspecting his allegiance
to the party, they now begin to see that
their hold is relaxing, and as consequence
we hear sneering remarks and read abusive
about the negro race that would
have been regarded as treason to the party
five years since.
1t cannot be denied by any careful OBJ
server that the hold of the Republican party
upon the negro vote has very sensibly relax
ed of late years. While the fact of negroes
voting the Democratic ticket would have
been heralded lar and wide short time
since, it has now become so common as
scarcely to excite remark. The reason is
obvious.
When the war closed and the negro found
himself free man, the Republican party
claimed the credit of being his emancipation
and at once set about Installing in his mind
a hatred of his old master and of the Demo-
cratic party. For few years the negro vote
was solidly Republican, but it soon became
manifest that they had but ey changed one
form of slavery for another-that they were
in fact but the property of the Republican
party leaders, and were bought and sold by
the wholesale. This CONSCIOUSNESS creased
month by month and year by year, as it be-
came evident that any person of their race
who chose to vote otherwise than as told to
vote by the party dictator was speedily driven
to the wal. Intelligence began to increase,
and the younger men became voters. They
naturally looked upon citizenship as involv-
ing something more than a simple blind
obedience to the dictates of a party leader.
When they began to think for themselves and
to act in accordance with their convictions of
duty, they found themselves ostracised and
subjected to prosecutions almost as unendur-
able as those they had suffered while in bond
age. The natural result followed revolu-
ton commenced and is now in progress
having for it's object the emancipation of the
race from the thraldom of the Republican
party. 1t has required a degree of heroism
in the leaders that is only surpassed
by the heroism of the first advocates
of emancipation, for it has involved
social and business ostracism, and
often personal torture and death. Many
of the negroes of the Southland perhaps a
majority mostly the older ones, however,
still cling to the idea that they are indebted to
the Republican party for their freedom.
Their places are being taken rapidly by the
younger and more intelligent portion
of the race, who have learned the
lesson that the Republican party loves
them only SO long as it can control their
votes, and that the policy of the party is one
of antagonism to labor and laboring men.
The awakening has been gradual, but it
gives every Indication of being thorough and
permanent. As intelligence spreads, it is
leaned that the principles of the Demo-
cratic party are most conducive to the well
fare of the laboring men, and that its policy
is calculated to subserve the best interests of
the whole country and every citizen, rich or
poor.
Since the change of heart has commenced
among the colored population it is amusing
to note the change in their treatment that
has taken place among Republicans. For
years they we're fattered, cajoled, and incit-
ed to labor for the good of the cause. They
we're noble though abused race, and should
be constantly watchful lest their liberties be
wrested from them by the terrible Demo-
Gratis, who were only awaiting the opportu-
nifty to re-enslave them. All this has
changed of late, however. and they are spo-
ken of in terms of the supremest contempt,
referred to as an ignorant and debased peo-
pie, easily led into error, and thoroughly I'M
reliable as citizens. But even abuse will not
stay the revolution now in progress, as fiat
terry and misrepresentation failed in prevent
ing it. As intelligence becomes universal
among the colored men, just SO fast will
Democratic principles spread, and we predict
that within decade the negro race will be
as reliably Democratic as it was reliably Re-
publican in the immediate post bell,tna days.