Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1882-07-06
The Colored Man in Politics. . n


The Colered Man in Politics. 81 . ! i
/ Tie altitude Ut ne scofofedF man ID
I American politics is q subject of perpet-
ttual interest and remark. 1T is NOT a sat.
lisfactsrys attitude, either to him or tho
public; and yet almost nothing has been
done to improve it. 1t is claimed thai.
the colored people have made notable
progress since their emancipation; that
they are more intelligent, sef-reliant,
methodical. and Industrious the as
sertion is. strongly supported by facts.
Still they are not what they want to be-
what they ought to be. and what they
were promised they should be. They are
| voters only-~and not. independent and
intelligent voters atsthat-ii H,they wera.
they; would be something else, They are
not allowed to bold Office True, there
is no statute which forhids them to hold
office; But neither, ~ there one that for :
bids them visiting the moon; and an ,es-'
say sof the lunar 'enterpsdse would prom
ises about as suecessful results as the a
| ern States the coIofed people are habit
pally prescribed ana deprived Of their
political rights eGAml. yet the SoutlierA
Statesare the only psrtlof this country q
where. they. are. permitted to hold office,
and figure conspicuously in juries. In :
| the North, they are galed sumptuously'
upon the tieshless4 and fiAvUrless bones
of nofninalsrigh butE they know flittfe
Of the sap and substance Of that equality,
with their. white brothers which their
white brothers are meyer weary Of sound
ing as the fnevitable chorus or N ortkefn
politics. Northern laws Gll0spthe colored
man to hold office il he can be. elected
to it,; but Northern people take particu-
| lar care that. he shall not be elected,
nor even nominated. In Missouri the
Republicans sometimes nominate cole
Ored man for ahs0fice, lint they never
carry their affection for him SO tara to +
elect him, even. when they carry. the
rest Of their ticket. PennsyIyania has
d acolored population Of 81, 600, 30, 600 Of
whom ft IS ESTIMATED are avoters;a and
New York hasta similar spopulation sof /
60, 900, 20, 600 of whom. are said 10 pa
| voters; yet. celored men are not allowed
to hold Office in either Pehnsy vania Or
New York. They are not taken ac-
count Of, at all. in politics, th6ugh both
Pennsylvania and NaMasX ork- are claim
ed nhe sRepubhcaa. StQtesa and thsir
colored- people are tar sppHriOTt0 those
of Mississippi sanda Suntha Garolina. A
colored man sat in the Massachusetts,
Legislature - few syears ago,a and the
fact was spointedsat as, an illustration of
the superiority Of q the, yeultured and /,
liberal people OF that commonwsalth to
the unreasonable preiud ices that encr,ista .
the less fortnnatea inhabitants 0ffsothef :
States. But There unjust, shage sheen az
good deal Of cant and e.aR-tTapaho the
~
Ill is not probable that taiiot herswin be SEEN
there in the next three generationsa@ ast'
Perhaps it is the snagro's misfortune.g
and it may be that she. will overcome it,
by holding meetings and Demanding the 4
rights that are Withheld from him. He
will never get office by Fsdemah dingit.
If he is ever to secure the, recognition.
he covets, il will be by deserving it and
becoming qualified first. Then It WIN
| follow as AN inevitable .consequence..S
The things that command respect and
difference from persons and parties in
this country are~~xirtue, intelligence,
llpublic spirit and last. sh1ts not least,
IEproperty. The colored people must ac-
camulate property, even if they shaYeto
neglect politics to, do it, il they would
command the. recognition which the
possession 81 II almost lHeStiabiy inI9'
Ivolvesw Asslong asathdya Iare'DOntent asa
a. class 10 beshaWers1of oWood md .dEaWar,
Ierse of water in the social kiYes SO lone |,
will they be allotted these tasks .excl6s
Isiyely, IN the apportio ntnent' Of politfcaf
Ifavors. 9No spafty viii 'eDra can hit fhoa
negro ups He must lit Aimselfsup.sor tsps
main where he issr+s! Zeoasis ReDHbk ieHas,,,
aaoi A cheap PoIitiaai Ffstenass.,i Is
/ -sI1s=slsIa agEfu hl&7 liisu aflasia Il ,MuSy
The cheapestofgall. political preteneess
is that of the o,caned Independent Re-.
publicans 81 Penhsy lvama, that ffi6frs
movement is in the interest Of genuine
Civil service reforms orr general form
within the party There's sraamAny who.
are acting and. act With the ,bolting,
faction, who honestly believe that It
represents whatit prof ssegtof PRESENT. }NeSse iit,i
simply because sifr order tol acctNnplishd
it's purposes il has Shad, tc4ihkeak Iaway.
from the tyrannyof GamerQniaAd ictsrs
Efinn. nd of 70 hoe lodi ono