Brenham weekly banner. [volume] (Brenham, Tex.) 1877-1907, 1880-10-28
To the COlOred Voters of Washing.
ton County.

great, because on that day the
people select officers of every
grade from president down to
constable. There are two great
political parties contending for
these Offices, the republican and
the democratic. The republi-
can has had control of the ma
tional government for the last
twenty years, the democrats of
the state for the last six years.
The cry has been unjustly made
that if the democracy got into
power your rights and privi-
leges as citizens would be taken
away, and you put in bondage
again; which, the sensible ones
ofyou know to be an impossi-
bility.
Why is it, if such is the de-
sire of the democracy that the
colored voters of Virginia,
South Carolina, Alabama, Mis-
sissippi, yes, all the south, are
voting the democratic tickct.e
And why is it the democracy
have for their candidate for
president one of the great gen
erals of the northern army, w.
S. Hancock, who helped whip
the south and thereby give you
your freedom Why is it the
democratic legislature of Texas
appropriated money to estab-
lish free schools for the educa-
ton of your children? And
why have they built up a nor
NAL school at Prairie View to
educate colored teachers to
teach your children2
Does these things look like
the democracy wished to OPP
press and keep you in the back
ground2 Does it not show you
that they are anxious to elevate
and bring you up to standard
of equality in usefulness and
knowledge? Where does the
money come from to keep up
your free school in BRENNAN,
but from the pockets of its ctr
zens? Now open your eyes,
look around you and see who
are the property owners in
Brennan, who vote this tax
upon their property to keep up
this school? Is not the largest
amount of tax paying property,
both in town and country,
owned by the democrats Who
is it gives you homes and en-
ployment, keeps up a poor
farm for your afflicted and
needy, and to whom do you go
tor advice and assistance when
in trouble? Who do you con-
slider your friends in your gen
eral intercourse and business
transactions?
Should a man be against his
friends, is it just, right or hon
orable? And are you not
crushing out the good feelings
that does and should exist be-
tween you and your best
friends, the democrats, by
voting against them2 The re-
publicans and greenbackers are
il favor of banks and paper
money; the democrats want
gold and silver. Are you in
favor of paper money, that can
be and is counterfeited, and
with which you can be imposed
upon by rascals, and have no
coin? The republicans are in
favor of a high tariff, which
makes domestics, calicoes,
wooden goods, shoes, hats, iron,
salt, sugar, coffee, ETC., cost you
more. Look how they wasted
the peoples money yours and
mine) some years ago, when
they had control of the state
government. What became OF
the $4,000 taxes collected to
build a jail and was never so
used? Why is it the present
Jail cost SO much (about $751;
900, when a better one could
have been. built for half the
money! What become of the
heavy school and school house
taxes? (As much as rs of one
! per cent. was collected in 1871.
The teachers were not paid.
Who made appropriations and
paid one hundred dollars mile
to work the roads when there
was not one dollars worth of
work done in places? Who
were the county commissioners
when these heavy taxes were
collected and misappIied? The
republican magistrates who also
made the county pay them
large office rents, wood and
stationery bills. A thing never
done before or since. The re-
publican congress were equally
as wasteful with money on rail-
roads, banks, whisky rings, In
dian agencies, rock quarries,
pavements, &c. Allowing the
bondholder mlllionaires to go
untaxed, while the farmer had
to pay on his lands and its pro-
ducts. Who got allthese mon
ies7 The republicans. And |
where did it come fromP Out
of the pockets of the people.
Do you want them in power |
again? Can you blame any
one for being democrat, and |
opposing such wasteful extrava-
gance?
Ought you not to be a demo-
GRAFT too, you who have prop
erty to pay taxes on, and help
keep those high tariffs, paper
money, wasteful men out of
office? Certainly you should,
and vote with and for your best