Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1880-10-22
TIE uROTTOM RAIL. y

The colored Republicans of this district
have given the Readjuster and Funder
Democrats surprise, but it is surprise
that will cost them more than it GENES to.
The complaint heretofore has been that
the Democrats drew the color line. Let
us see who is drawing it now. We pub
lished last week an extract from remark
able editorial in the Virginia POST" Re-
publican paper published in Harrisonburg
by two colored men. In this they said-and
we take it for granted that they expressed
the opinions held by the voters of their
own color-that Henry Allen was to be OPP
posed because the represents the white
mans party" Following this announce
ment and close upon its heels we see in the
Shenandoah VALLEY" an account of an
other utterance in another speech for the
colOred men, which bears too close re-
semblance to the Harrlsonburg announce
ment to be overlooked. On Tuesday the
18th inst, there appeared at New Market
colored orator, named Peter Blackwell.
He hailed, he said, from Rockingham
county and his mission, according to the
same authority, was to speak for the
fright man." That right man proved to
be Capt. John Paul and in celebrating
that gentleman g qualifications for the po-
sition he seeks, Mr.. Blackwell said that
we would see whether 1.-THE bottom rail
won't be on top after awhile" This
| speaker announced his intention to sup
port Hancock and at the close of his adj
dress distributed Republican, Garfield,
electioneering, campaign documents. and
4 ;organized Garfield club.''
What evil genius, what hair-brained adj
wiser could have put it into the heads of
the color ed Republicans of this district to
disclose their intent SO early we cannot
tell, but that the result will be to restore
the color line fight is without question.
The white men of this district whether
they are voting for one Hancock ticket or
the other are not in the hunOr to hear
! that the negroes of the district are COM
bining to give solid vote for Garfield and
Paul. Such a combination will drive from
Mr.. Paul every Democrat who is no pre-
pared to go with the ''bottom rail. y There
may be good deal of excitement in the
Readjuster mind just now, but no leader
is safe who strives to take advantage of
the melee and vote Democratic Readjus-
tiers alongside of black Republicans. 1t is
a fatal mistake to rally the negro vote of
the district to one man because the other
man is the representative Of the white
mans party" This s'white mans party
for the occasion. There has been no an
nouncement to that effect from the white
men. The first has come from the colored
men-in other words it is the rallying OF
the ''black mans" party. Why should
these people 60 into this madness again,
Haven It they, and the white men too, had
enough of this division on the color line?
Haven't both the top and bottom rail
learned long ago that this fight for supre-
macy of place in the fence is settled by
character and not by politics. Why should
these colored men be pushed forward in a
1 political fight as colored men when their
interests are not and cannot be different
from those of other citizens. Why should
they be made to court the opposition Of
| white men by drawing anew line which
is, we trust, fading out. 1t can have but
one result and that is massing the MAORI
ty against the minority. The "faithful
allies" in the Seventh district cannot out
vote the white men of the Seventh district
and if this test is persisted in-every black
man for Paul, the polls will show that the
white man has G one to the other side.