The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1883-12-20
The Negro Not an Issue.

away at the Southern outrage" bust
ness. They have apparently seized upon
this as the basis of their campaign
work, and are determined to put it for
ward as the chief argument of their
canvass. Nothing more strongly illus
trates the weakness of their cause than
the resurrection of this thoroughly dead
issue. 1t was worked for all it was
worth in 1876. and yet the doubtful
States of New York, New Jersey, Con-
necticut and Indiana went Democratic,
and with sufficiently large majorities to
settle once for all the failure of such an
issue to make Republican voters. The
people of this country will not be led by
the nose by scheming Republican poll
ticians, and this is plain to everybody.
The Republican editors, however, pro-
fess not to know it, and are now busy
at work trying to create a public senti-
ment calculated to provoke hostility be-
tween the sections upon the ground of
the antipathy of the white people of the
South toward the negro. This will GER
tainly fail, for the simple reason that
the voters of the North have now other
and more important questions to con-
slider than the political status of the
negro. After the war, when the South
was in q chaotic condition, there might
have been some reason why benevolent
people would take lively interest in
the negro from natural desire to pro-
tect him from the passions which the
war had produced; but after twenty
years of peace, and with all these pas
sions allayed, and the intermingling
which common interests has made nee
essarv, no such sentimental feeling eX-
lists, and no hiring of the Northern heart
is needed. The negro has made
trouble enough in this country already,
and the peace of the Nation requires
that this disturbing element be taken
out of politics. There is no doubt that
the people of the North agree with this
sentiment. and will so declare if this
subject is again forced into prominence.
The man who would deliberately re-
open such an exciting topic and parade
before the public eye the exaggerated
evidences of Southern hostility to the
negro, simply to stimulate the failing
fortunes of political party, is no friend
of peace and good government, and has
not at heart the welfare of his country.
He is simply fomenter of strifes and
discords, aud deserves no place in the
considerations of patriotic people. The
issues of the time are thoroughly and
intensely practical. They have to do
with the material development of in
dustrial activities and the advancement
of the people who contribute to the
wealth and progress of the Nation.
Whether labor shall have better protec-
ton against the organized expressions
of capital and whether the burdens of
taxation shall be lightened so that pa
tent toilers shall be able to live toler-
ably and decentiy and not dig and delve
for their masters like so many slaves
these are the questions of the hour
transcending far the sentimental love
for the negro, and above and beyond
such clap-trap as our Republican
friends would put forward for public
consideration. The laboring millions
of the country, whose wants and needs
have for years been overlooked by
senseless clamors for negro rights. are
not likely to grow enthusiastic over
supposed negro wrongs when they with
better and stronger claims to National
interest cannot get an audience, denied
:hcm by the very men who now clamor
for negro sympathy. The cry Of the
skilled workman in the factory and in
the shop has never had an answering
response from these Republican enthu-
siasts except to give the capitalist more
opportunity to double his dividends,
and it is not at ali likely that the for
gotten laborer will rend his shirt over
negro difficulties in the South while his
own claim to public attention has never
been needed And yet it is to this
class that these bowls for sympathy are
addressed.
The negro has had more care and
more public sympathy and attention
than the white man The whole force
and power of the Government has been
exerted in his behalf Congress has de-
clared itself to be his friend, and Re-
publican craftsmanship has exhausted
itself devising ways and means for his
benefit and advantage. He has no rea-
son to complain and no amount of pO-
litical clamOr will secure him further
attention If in following the fortunes
of men who were willing to disorganize
all social laws and customs and ruin
anything and everything just so that
their selfish ambition might prosper,
negroes found themselves in antagOn-
ism to the well-being of the State and
the interests of her citizens, and in
vOlved themselves in trouble, the indus
tr.ous mechanic who minds his business
and seeks by patient labor to advance
himself, need not be called on to espouse
such a quarrel. and certainly not to
take issue against the race of which
he is a part The thousands oil
Idle, shiftless negroes in the South, who
neglect their work to turn politicians,
and stand about the polling places pratt
ing of rights of which they know moth
ing, and spending their time encour-
aging idleness among others. these are
not worth the attent on of thinking
people, and yet it is this class who are
always getting into trouble and from
which the election riots come. 1t is
the height of absurdity to make such q
crowd of thoughtless idlers and loafers
the basis for political issues, and invite
the attention of the country to theiI
local fights and brawls as topics OF Ma
tional interest. We have had enough
of the negro as an element in political
consideration. He has the same pro-
lection which the white man has, and il
he violates the peace and gets into
trouble he has all needful remedies fol
defense and deliverance. He is no more
a National issue, and no amount of ex-
cited defamation can make him one
Washington Post.
Not Likely TO Fire the Northern Heart.