Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-08-15


To the Colored Voters of Knox County:
| take this method of presenting a matte
OF great importance TO the eolored voters O
| Knox county, most OF whom cannot b
| reached by other means. / hope my brie
circular will not be lacking in good counse
| and will serve TO interest men of my race II
| their own welfare; and l must beg you TO re
| member that what / shall say is'said from
| the best motives, inasmuch as / have no a.
| 10 grind and ask nothing of you in return
but that you take more interest In yourselves
| as it will be my reward 10 see my race bet
l tered.
| You well know that we are free citizens O
the greatest liberty-loving country on th'
| globe. We have been calling ourselves
| freemen for twenty years and for fifteen years
| we have been allowed the privilege OF voting
| l have no time nor space to recount the
| wrongs of my race in other sections of the
Union since they were freed, and shall con-
| fine myself chiefly to Knox county and to
| such matters as you are well acquainted
with. Our Republican brother is the man
to whom would especially call your atten-
| ton and of whom 1 will speak at length
First, 1 want it understood that / believe in
the colored man settling all OF his dues as he
goes, let it be with what party it may-let ii
be his private debts or his political dues.
The Republican approaches the colored
man IO-Qdy, dB ne mas uOL CtdEeu 10 10 lOI
fifteen years, and says to him, 81 freed you,
and you must vote for me and my party "
Scarcely without exception during that long
lime has q majority OF colored voters ceased
to cast the straight Republican ticket. Col
ored men have been satisfied that such was
tue right course to pursue, and they have
seldom stopped to consider for whom they
we're voting, except that they were voting
for men who claimed to have delivered them
brat :.
reason in all things, as in this. Ii you ever
owed this debt-which at some time 1 can
show you never have owed the Republican
party, but to the Union army, full of good
Democrats, and to yourselves, many of whom
fought for their own freedom-I say if you
ever did owe this debt solely to
the Republican party, have we not
about paid it? Now, let US look at it this
way. A man who is not allowed to think as
he pleases and to act upon his own conyic-
tons is the worst sort of a slave. He is
such slave as should not be found in the
great land of political and religious liberty"
such az is claimed for the United States
How has that man bettered your moral and
social standing if, in throwing off the old
shackles of physical labor, he still holds in
bondage your mind and all your social
rights, guaranteed you only through your
votes at the ballot box? Ii he comm lands
your vote he commands not only your mind,
bat body, and wherein are you better off in
serving this man than serving those OF old?
1t is degrading, and the time has arrived
when we should prove who our friends are
by demanding of them some material recog
milton.
Now, I cannot say how we'll colored men
have been satisfied with the offices they have
received in other sections, but do say that
in Knox county they have never received
anything for which they need thank the Re-
publican party. When we go into conven-
ton we are given come little temporary
office for the hour, in which there is neither
profit, power or money. This is done with
view of fiAttering us, that We may got de-
mand any thing in the election. When we
have succeeded in getting nomination, what
has it amounted to? We have been beaten
at the polls by some independent candidate
The good Republican absolutely refuses TO
allow us to come into Office. He makes a
pretext of regarding our interest, but when
he has fair opportunity of making good
his word he "goes back on u.s." As an in
stance cite you to the case of Manson and
John Reeder in race for constable. Man
son, a colored man, got the nomination, but
the Republicans all voted for Reeder at the
polls and dropped Manson, after agreeing 10
support him.
We not only want to be nominated, but we
nominate US are sincere and intend voting |
Tor US at the polls. We will not suffer that |
rick any longer. There are enough of COL |
pred voters in Knox county to demand one
,r two good county offices every year if the /
Republican party would but give us what |
,ur numbers entitle US to. Let US look at l
he matter this way: In round numbers |
here are 5000 voters in the county; $500 are |
aid TO be Republican, and of this Republic |
vofa OF oolo h.
nave faithfully voted Tor the Republicans i
or fifteen years. Thus you will see that /
,ne-fourth OF the Republican vote is of col
,red men. This should entitle US TO hold one
ourth of the Offices of the party all the 4
ime. That is, We should get one-fourth of /
he amount paid 10 these officers in salaries.
We are willing to let back salaries go if we |
AN only begin now to hold Office and get our
lues.
The sheriff, it is said, makes $4,000 every
ear. He employs four deputies who make
$500 each. The Office is thus worth $4,000.
The Criminal Court clerk makes $2500. The
;ircuit Court clerk makes $500. The regis
er makes $1,000. The trustee makes $1,000
The whole amount is SIS, 800. These offices
ave all been filled since the war by Repub-
leans, with few exceptions, and the colored
nan has been voting for them straight along.
By his numbers he is entitled to one-fourth,
/
1926. This will entitle us to hold one OF
be Offices all the time, or at such times rs
re come in for our pro rata representation
/ would, of course, be foolish to ask for
lch Offices unless we not only deserved
nem, but were capable of filling them. We
ave men among US in every way as well
iucated and otherwise qualified to fill these
hces as the men who now ell them, or as
lie law requires. There is no pretext for
eeping us in the background any longer.
In a short time nominations are TO be made
,r the Legislature. We have men of our
ice who are better educated, better orators,
nd otherwise better qualified to represent us
the Legislature than either of the gentle
en-elect from Knox county at present. We
ave never had a colored representative in
le Legislature in Tennessee except where he
as been elected by colored voters.
The leading Republicans have told as
at there were great many milk-and-
der men in their ranks, and that it would {
Vt do to nominate a colored man on that
count. That pretext is worn out. 1t had
tter never have been made. We want to
sert our independence of the milk-and- /
der men.
There is every prospect now OF being able
force the white men to terms. We have a !
fficient number of voters to hold the ball
ice of power between the two parties, so |,
eply are they numbered in this county.
ither want you to become Democrats or
spublicans. Upon those two subjects think J
,ely, like white men do. There is no reason L
Gods world why a set of men whose skins
e all of one color should think alike in a
litics any more than they should think
Ike on religion or other matters. The in S
tests of your race lie closer to you than | s
ose of either party. We have no disinter- n
ed friends. Neither party will take US up s.
pure love. / ask you to be independent;
organize and give our strength TO the !,
rty which will give US the best recognition v
freemen and citizens. 1t has been the 4
stom of few men who wished TO secure q
pointments TO Federal Offices to fall in q
tn colored men, to court their favor
d get up the appearance of having great
iuence with US. They can get appoint !
.nts under prete1t of being able to control q
many colored votes which they can turn y
the support of the one appointing them.
e should be careful when politicians APP =
zach US on any subject to see that they do :;
t m axe tools of US for their own uses.
must say that colored men have been uni
rsally true to one another and wherever Il
e has run for Office he has usually got q
cd support. At some time in the future / II
all have something more to say upon the n
uaiion, which is by no means uuhstteriDg Z
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