Arkansas weekly mansion., 1883-12-22
FROM CLARK COUNTY.
DOVE PARK, CLARK, Co,
ARK, Dec. II, 1888.

| I
ARK, Dec. II, 1888.
Editor Mansion:
[ see in the last issue of the
Mansion, that some one has ad-
vised the colored people to not
vote at the next election Now, L
think as long as the sfate laws
allow colored men to vote, that
they should vote by all means
and vote for whom they
please. On the other hand in 10.
calities where the laws are put at
defiance and q fair vote cannot be
had, I would say that it would
be useless to run the risk of being
killed for no good ends. L think
it time forthe colored people to
awaken%to sense of duty, and go
to educating their children. If
the 21 years of freedom that
they have had, had been spent IN
educating their children, their
condition today would be as good
as they could ask, instead it is la
mentable.
In place of spending their
money and time in educating,
they have spent their money in
such places as dram shops, and
their time, much of it, in idleness
Education is the most important
thing with the black man in this
country, as the action lis power
and power is liberty. But it
will not do to neglect voting
when youshave a fair chance. l
think thecolored man should de-
pend more en- his own efforts, as
they certainly are not so blind as
not to see that the white bour-
bons refused to enforce any law
against them that would amelio-
rate or better their status.
Only such laws are enforced as
will deteriorate you or profit the
bourbOns some way. Now, If
these bourbons can get you to
float on as you are, and have been
for the past eighteen years, for a
few more years, you will be in a
worse state of bondage than you
were in 1860. You will say the
bourbons are the cause of your
not being educated, bat | am
bound to differ with you. If you
will spend your money as freely
for education as you do for other
foolery, the bourbons would be
powerless to prevent J ou from ed
ucating yourselves and children.
| L know of many neighborhoods
of black people that could have a
ten months school every year
without denying themselves any
more than they do. Ifthe preach
ers would they could do much
good in this matter.
Now, [ will say a few words
to the colored people in regard to
their chastity. AS the law does
not protect, you must protect
yourselves and you must be law
to yourselves. For I tell you that
this thing of having so many base
born children anon lst the color
ed people, to grow up in igno-
rance, is doing them an untold
sight of harm, and it is the very
thing that the bourbons like to
see, as they we'll know it is un-
dermining your liberty, and be
you well assured that they will
not enforce the law on that point
until it be in a case of policy. |
think in such cases it would be
well to organize societies and
make your own moral laws.
Now, | wish to speak of the
whisky law. | am a friend to the
! black people, and after fair in
vestigation of the matter, | say,
let every colored voter do his best
to vote the poison slop out of the
country, for if the money the col
ored people pay out for mcdicated
slop, was paid into educational
institutions, it would educate the
colored race. Some of the color
ed people may refuse to vote
against it on account of the bour
bOns voting against it, but let me
tell you that, that is too much
l IlhC tk DOul DoI. ~ llOC lCluSC W
do good thing because they
want to do a good thing, but join
them in every good thing that
they undertake, and you will soon
see the good effects 1T will have,
beca use we are all one people.
and we must learn to fight our
political battles like sensible men
and love our political opponents
as brothers, and if We do not do
this it will be worse for our coun-
try and us too, as it will sooner
or later brin on strife that will
be ruinous to our country.
In conclusion, L say again, let
every colored voter go out to the
elections and vote for his choice,
and if he can't do better vote for
| the best democrat. rather than