The banner-enterprise., 1883-05-17
"PLAN TALK"

vorable and hopeffI circumstances.
There is found to exist not only
among the intellig mt voters OF Atri-
can extraction at the North deep
concern as regards heir political fu>
turs, but also in this and other South
srn States. In Virginia the bare
mention of the Republican party ex
cites feeling of disgust and con
tempt. In North Carolina while the
feeling against the crooked old soon
traption'' IS not go general and per-
haps not so vehemt MT, there is still a
feeling of distrust, and in some slight
manner-of DISCUS: also. The prac-
tice of Republic nism, pure and
simple, is deterioratins; the party in
this State has accomplished about as
much for the Negro voter as the Vir-
ginia Straightouts, who have been
laid upon their backs through the
State craft and diplomacy of man
who fought in the Confederate army
and who has not as yet violated a
~
single pledge to the Negroes of that
State. He believes the Negro is a
man and has as many rights that
should be respected as any other class
Of men. The Republican party has
never believed it too soon for the
Negro to vote its white men into fat
positions. Yet if the Negro has the
temerity to demand the same recog-
milton hs is told that sit isn't time
yet, it's too ssrly' Now this, in
our opinion, is all "gollowash" and
twaddle, and the stock in trade Of the
superbly equipped political sharks
and demsgogues, black and white
Democrats and Republicans, who
imagine that if the Negro is fool
once he's a fool always. The Negro
doesn't owe the Republican party or
any man, dead or living, balance on
account for any service, real or imagi.
hsry, Which may or may not have
contributed to his present standing
AZ n factor ii American politics. He
has paid every debt and paid them
lik, t man without asking or receiv
irg r, bate. If he is not free to act,
vote and think for himself, and if he
must be ostracissd and villi6ed by
the peculiar logicians in the corrupt
Republican party Of to-day, then he
never will be free and never will be
regarded by honest men as any other
than a Jagged tool created espe
cially for the use Of the denlagogues
and time serving pot house politi-
clans who have helped to make the
Republican party odious all over this
broad land We are sorry(?) for the
class of men of whom we are writing,
but the truth must be told and It is
our business to tell what we know in
our own way without resort to gilt
J"Gpg senerslities or whitewash.
\ a.e has been too much whitewash.
ing already The Negro has tamely
submitted to every species of indig-
nity-has patiently borne insult and
defeat-has stood by the old hulk of
the Republican ship of State when
its best friends were leaving it to the
tender mercies of the Democratic
party. We stood by it in 1868 70
'76 and 1880. Whether we will be
found in the vanguard of "a is the
question which is now perplexing the
minds of its leaders from Maine to
Texas. 1t in turn has denied to the
Negro the equality of opportunity;
it has winked at lawlessssss,
rapine and murder, and like the
tyrant who 6ddled while Rome was
in flames, it has witnessed the de-
struction of life and property, with.
out so much as offering the pro-
lection which the Constitution, the
supreme law of the land, is said
to guarantee to the humblest
peasant and blaokest citizen. We are
asked to support this party, TO vote
its miniens Into Office when they
ought to be in States prisons. We
are reminded of what it did twenty
years sgo, and what it will do twenty
years hence for the Negro, but this
is all bosh. At no period in the
history Of this party has its chances
Of success been more hopeless and
disoouragirg than it is now. As we
look at it we are constrained TO re-
mark that il is most expressive por,
trait of "gone to seed " Hic jacet