Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1883-08-23
Creatures of Imitation.

| As rule the negroes are creatures of
imitation, and, whether taken collect
lively or separately, it is the vices instead
of virtues that are initiated. The white
people hold conventions and resolve,
and in humble imitation thereof the ne
groes feel called upon to do likewise.
1t matters not whether necessity
arises. for the assembling of themselves
together and passing resolutions, it
must be enthusiastically done lest
they be charged with want of enter
prise and progressiveness. Two negro
conventions have recently been held,
! one at st. Louis and the other at Gall
veston-the former National and the
latter a State affair. These conventions
were not unique but may be considered
unusual. In the main good sense
marked the Texas convention. The adj
dress issued showed that the writer's
| were close observers of current events;
| and advised the negroes to quit rowing,
/ to try to become owners of their homes,
to learn trades and better fit themselves
for the avocations of life; but with all
this good advice they took particular
pains to indicate that the negroes of
Texas were solid for the Republican
party.
But the St. Louis convention goes
still further, and, being composed of
politicians, endeavored to impress the
country with the Importance of the
negro race in political affairs. In the
course of the resolutions adopted they
advised the negroes to do something for
themselves in political matters, and
cease being controlled in mass by any
particular party, which was humiliat-
ing to their manhood. They pledged
the Colored Press Association to ''hence-
forward influence, under all circum-
stances, the colored voters of the coun-
try to exercise their right of suffrage,
untrammeled by party claims, to sup
port measures and principles as they
conceive them to be for the best inter
ests of the country and the race, to de-
mand recognition commensurate with
the strength of the colored voters of the
country from that party to which they
may see fit to- become allies"
Now this is all very well. and the
colored people could not take more
decided step in advance than by becom-
ing Independent voters. They have been
bullied and cajoled by the Republican,
garded and they have been made the
tOol VI oChCI1IuN IoI puI.
poses of private greed. Notwithstand-
ing this fact the resolutions 60 on to
state that the convention is in sympathy
with the Republican party, thus show
ing dependence upon that party. 1t
seems that it is an impossibility for the
negroes to pass any resolution or make
any declaration of an Independent char
acter without neutralizing it with an
avowed determination to remain solid
with the Republicans. This is pre-
rogative, however, which the white peo-
pie of the South are perfectly willing
for them to exercise. We are sorry to
see them do this, as they can lily afford
to come in direct conflict with all their
best interest, and in becoming the OPP
ponents of the Democratic party they
alone injure themselves and their race.
It is gratifying to know that in this
State there is a very great tendency
among the negroes to vote with the
men whom they have at last learned are
their friends. Georgia is Democratic
State, and will be governed and con-
trolled by the white voters in it. SO far
as the results of elections are concerned
it is a matter of Indifference how the
negroes vote, but the interest they feel
in the negro race impels them to desire
that they do not come into antagonism
with their own interest. The mass of
negroes will be wise to give no heed to
the negro politicians who would lure
them into paths which are dangerous
and detrimental to the colored race
Columbus (Ga.) Enquirer.
Two Philadelphia lawyers got into
a street fight the other day. Each
'wore IT he had a pistol he'd kill the
other. AT once dozen were offered to
each by spectators. When they found
how anxious the populace was to get
rid of each they swore friendship and
vowed to live forever to spite the town.
Press
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