Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-07-22
The Dissatisfaction Among the Negro


There are strong indications that the col-
| ored voters are preparing to bolt the Re-
publican ticket this fall and IN future. on
| account of the unjust treatment they have =
| received from that party-gO0d at pronis
ing, but slow IN performing The st. Louis
Ad5Gncs of this week has several very sig
| nffclnt articles, which are given below:
"After fifteen years Of voting the negro is
beginning to learn the true policy of SUI
/ frsge and the proper use of the ballot He
has discovered that among other things it
| means participation In government, that its
| use is to correct public evils, protect general
| interests and elevate himself in the scale of
| political knowledge, usefulness and citizen
| ship. That to vote is patriotic duty, with
/ privileges and responsibilities affecting his
| own personal condition, as well as the gen
eral welfare. He must protect himself By
/ the ballot. He must resent indignities and
denounce wrongs and repulse political mis-
treatment by the direction Of his vote. The
nation has given the negro the ballot
| as to all other classes, as a public
weapon of defense. It is a Jupi-
ter iulmina, a thunderbolt in his hands,
that he may hurl at any giant wrong,
by which he may strike down any enemy Of
hsjpolitical, industrial or educational eleva-
tion, and 'it executes the freeman's will as
lightning does the will OF God" He is
learning that men who desecrate his
churches with political uproars must be
voted down; that men who seek his vote but
do nothing TO remove his wants or educate
his race must be denounced that men who
would subOrn his vote to personal revenge
are public despots that men who make a
brokerage of his suffrage are knsves that
men who use him to pack meetings and
carry torches and elect themselves to lucrs-
tive places, never caring for him but to
use him when his vote is needed,
are perhdious tricksters, danger
Gus not only to himself but
to the integrity and honesty of the govern.
ment. Ii the colored man will vote down
these men and WELD his ballot with some
degree of combination and intelligence, he
can remove his own wrongs, and serve all
the consideration, respect, emolument and
office which, under reasonable proposi-
tion, may fallto his share He Is becoming
emancipated from the bossism that is cor
rupting our public service. The genius
that leads, the interest that directs, and in
telligence that informs will soon make the
negro, like other classes, thinking, pains
taking voter"
ga movement to hold conncil of repre-
sentative men in the interest of the negro
vote of Missouri, started by the AdvGnCe
has been taken up by prominent negro men
throughout the Safe, and we shall have
significant gathering of intelligent men at
Jefferson City within the next thirty or
forty days"
"The negro voters of the county seem
somewhat discontented. They count ,000or
of the entire Republican vote, and
have voted at all times solidly for their ticket.
The result has been the appointment OF but
one negro to office, IL you may call ianitor
an ONCE. They intend to resent this treat
meht oy either staying away from the polls
OF Votlng Tor candidates who VIII extend
them some reward for their support. We
have sent one Of our reporters to the county
and will mex week publish an enlarged ac-
count Of their grievances, which win he
continued from time to time''
"There is evident d scontent among the
negro voters of st. Louis county. Qaite a
number of communications have been re-
ceived at this Office complaining of the uni
formity with which the Republicans ignore
the colored voters of the county. All we
have to say is that the means of correction
Is in the hands of the negro voters them
selves. II the white Republicans will not
vote for the black Republicans let the black
men absent themselves from the polls on
election day, and leave the white Republi-
cans to elect themselves. It will only be
to defeat them once. II voter
would have his vote respected he must first
respect it himself"