The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1882-08-23
The Devotees Of the Color-Line Can
didate Reckoning Without Their
Host.

didate Reckoning Without Their
Host.
Relying upon massing the eolored
vote in this District, as of yore, the
followers of James Hill, the color-line
candidate, are calculating strongly on
his election, but failing to carry it at
the polls, they boast loudly that Mr..
Barksdale, if elected by the people, will
be counted out at Washington. >
These deluded followers of Hill are
reckoning without their host.
To begin with, the color-line on which
they are relying to put Hill through, Is
a myth-a thing of the past. 1t has
faded away before the practical opera
ton of sound and benefcent democratic
government. The decisions under which
the colored people were once induced to
rally in solid mass at the polls ON cleo
ton day, no longer exist. They are no
longer swayed by the fear that if Dem
ocrats and Conservatives obtain control
either of the State or Federal Govern
ment, their rights will be endangered.
They have had halfa dozen years of Dem
ocratic rule in our State, and they have
experienced that it means equal
rights" for the colored race and the
white race-that it means peace and
good-will-low taxes, public schools,
and prosperity for all.
If anything beyond actual expert
ment could be needed to prove that
Democratic-C Conservative administration
means this, it is abundantly furnished
by the antecedents and present position
of their nominee for Congress. Early
in the memorable reconstruction era, he
braved the passions of the hour to urge
prompt acceptance Of the constitutional
amendments which were designed to Sc
cure to the emancipated race the enjoy
ment of their civil and political rights,
and during all the eventful years from
that period down to the present time,
he has adhered to the position which he
then took, in full accord with such men
as Alberto. Brown, Amos r. Johnston,
William Yerger and Fulton Anderson
of honored memory, and of Wiley P.
Harris, E. c. WalthalI, George w,
Harper, Robert Lowry, w. S. Feather
ston, w. L. Nugent, T. J. Wharton
and S. S. Calhoon, who still live tC
realize that in crisis of doubt and per
plexity they took the wiser and the bet
ter part-the safe, middle ground.
As for counting out at Washing
ton" it is the sheerest nonsense. The
supporters Of the Democratic-C onserya.
tive nominee are not to be driven from
their propriety by any such scare-crow.
They expect to elect Mr.. Barksdale by
a good, wholesome majority of the white
and colored voters of the District, and
they expect that Congress will respect
the sovereign will of the people as they
express it at the polls. 1t is an lmpugn
ment of a Republican Congress to say
it will trample upon the laws of the
land and deny to the people the right tc
be represented by the man of theil
choice because he happens not to be in
accord with a majority of the House
upon the assumption that if the Dis
trict did not elect a color-liner, it ought
to have done 50, and that it will reverse
the decision But here is one little fact,
that lies like a lion in the pathway OF
these sanguine devotees of James Hill
They forget that there is almost a posi-
tive certainty that the Democrats vii
have good working majority in the
next House of Representatives. Half
dozen changes will give them the con,
troll of that body; and it is safe pre-
diction that these gains will be made
and then what will become of the boast.
full anticipation of the color-line devo
tees?