The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1882-09-06
Democracy and the Colored Vote.

DcinVCIiicJ anu lne OOIOTeu tODes
The Democratic politicians have al
ready begun an effort to ALLEVIATE the
colored vote from the Republican party,
on the plea that, by giving the people
an opportunity to vote on the prohibit
ton question, them personal liberties
are endangered The utter nonsense
of such a proposition is so apparent
that it is simply too ridiculous to
receive serious consideration. But
what must be thought of that
party making such an appeal? Are
they so solicitous of the liberty of the
colored man? Are they fearful lest his
privileges be circumscribed? If they
are, how long has such philanthropic
feeling warmed their unselfish heartsp
The political record tells different
story. History pronounces their claims
of friendship to the colored man as hol-
low as bubble. Let us see. On the
10Th of February. 1864, in the National
House of Representatives, the following
resolution was offered:
Resolued, That the Constitution should be so
amended as to abolish slavery in the United
States wherever it now exists, and to prohibit
its existence in every part thereof forever.
1t was passed by vote of 7S
yeas Gall Republicans save one),
two). The Democratic delegation from
Indiana was unanimously opposed to
the resolution, and the Republicans
in favor of it. In the Senate, February
10, the joint resolution embodying the
provisions of the thirteenth amendment
was passed by vote of 38 yeas
Gall Republicans but two), to 6
nays (all Democrats, including Thomas
A. Hendricks, of Indiana). This reso-
luton coming up in the House May 81,
Mr.. Holman objected to its second read
ing, and the vote on rejecting the reso-
luton was 55 yeas (all Democrats
save one, including Daniel w. Voor-
hees), to 76 nays (all Republi-
cans). On the 31st of January, 1865,
this amendment was passed in the
House by a vote of 119 yeas Q6
Democrats), to 56 nays Gall DEM
ocrats). Eight Democrats, including
Mr.. Voorhees,, were conveniently alb
sent.
When the Fourteenth amendment
came up in the Senate on the Sth day of
June, 1866, it was passed by a vote of
33 yeas to II nays. Every one
who voted affirmatively was Re-
publican, and z of the II mega
tive votes were cast by Democrats. In
the House the amendment passed by
vote of 13S to Sc. Every affirm
ative vote was cast by a Republican,
while every vote in opposition was cast
by Democrat.
When the Fifteenth amendment came
up in the Senate on the 26th of Febru-
ary, 1869, it was passed by a vote of 80
yeas to Is nays. OF the 80 votes in fa-
vor of comforting suffrage on the col
Orad Tlonr1lo hx-
Republican, while IL of the Is mega
tive votes were by Democrats. In the
House the measure passed by vote of
LA to A. Each and every one of the
IA voting in the affirmative was Re-
publican. and of the A negative votes
all were Democrats except B. Senator
Morton was among those who worked
for the amendment, while Senator
Thomas A. Hendricks did all he could
to defeat it, and voted against its adop-
ton. Among the Indiana Congressman
who opposed this measure were William
S. Holman and William E. Niblack, both
good Democrats to-day.
On the 4th day of March, 1869, the
question came up for ratification by
the Legislature of Indiana, whereupcn
II senators and 81 representatives, all
Democrats, precipitately resigned
and broke the quorum of the
two bodies to endeavor to pre-
vent such action. That they were in
dorsed in their revolutionary action by
the Democratic party at large. is at
tested by the fact that they were all
reelected, with the understanding that
they must exert every influence to defeat
negro Suffrage. The Legislature met in
special session on the Sth of April, when
the question was Immediately sprung.
But it was not until the 14th of May
that vote could be had, when it was
carried by Republican votes, seven
Democratic Senators resigning for the
second time to defeat the passage of the
amendment.
It is apparent, by this brief look at
the record, how great the sympathy of
Democrats for the colored man must be.
Not n Democratic vote is enrolled any
where, at any time, in favor of placing
the ballot in their hands. The Demo-
cratic party of to-day is the same organ
ization that Systematically fought
against all efforts to free and to enfran-
chise the colored man. Yet its leaders
are short-siehted enough to believe that
these facts are forgotten, and that the
colored voters suffrage can be won on a
specious plea. 1t won't work. The
colored mans allegiance is to the party
which delivered him from bondage and
conferred upon him the privileges of
free and equal citizenship with the most
favored of the land. 1t will require
some better reason than that now adj
vanced by Hendricks and others to cause
him to forget his true friends, and cast
his lot with the party represented by a
man who, while Senator, voted not only
to keep the ballot from his hand, but to
continue HMM abject slavery. Indian
dpotis Journal