Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1883-11-20
Will the COlOred Race Act as Wise Men.

The Democratic party, as the Lynchburg
Adrance says, has ever been friendly to-
wards the colored race whenever and wher-
ever their kindness would be received or re-
ciprocated. This party has promised the
colored man and pledged themselves i'll
conventions assembled to give them all to
which they are entitled under the law and
constitution. They shall have equal rights
under the law with white men. They shall
have free vote at the polls and fair count
of the ballots. The Democratic party is
pledged to give them the best schools for the
education of their children to be taught by
colored teachers when colored teachers can
be had, and declares that there shall be no
discrimination in the distribution of the
school funds on account Of color.
If the negro only wishes justice, then lie
should be satisfied with that which the
Democratic party is pledged to give him,
and we believe they would, but for the in
fuence of bad men, who band them togeth-
er and incense them against the whites
through leagues and religious organizations,
and by false and infamous appeals to THEN
worst passions.
The Democratic press has warned them
against following such men. These apostles
Of evil who teach them to expect that to
which they are not entitled. These men,
known in Virginia politics as the carpet
Dagger and seallawag. have been prominent
since reconstruction days, detrimental to
the best interests of the State, and curse
to the negro in all his various conditions
and at no time more than now. We &C
knowledge that it is natural for the freed
man to sympathize with those he thinks
gave him liberty. In their ignorance, which
is no fault of theirs, they believe that the
Republican party did this for them, and &C
cordingy feel indebted, and in political
contests are found in the Republican ranks.
We do not blame them for voting with the
Republicans-it is part of their religion
But should they not learn that white poll
ticianS who speak to them of social equal
ity, which they can never get, in the gem
eral acceptation of the term, are men who
care nothing for their welfare, and who
would not do them an act of kindness unless
the act was remuuerative. Such men have
no influence, and are but little respected
among their own color. Why will honest,
respectable colored men advance the inter-
est of whites who could never receive pre-
ferment of their own race? Why do they
eagerly follow white renegades and corrup-
tionists who care nothing for them except
their vote, which they use to put money in
their pockets? Why do colored men allow
bad white men to band them together in
race conflict with the cry, 'stand by your
color" when these same men are seif-con-
victed renegades from their own We tell
the colored man that the sooner they throw
off the CALLING yoke of those who would
make them political slaves-sell them as
sheep in the shambles, that much sooner
will race prejudices be banished and much
needed sympathy arise between the white
employer and the colored employee. Poll
teal riots will then be unknown, and peace
and prosperity will permeate every portion
of the old Commonwealth.
In the unfortunate affair which occurred
in the city of Danville, who were the losers?
The colored men; and they were deserted
when danger arose, by their white allies,
whose incendiary and violent harangues had
produced the rupture These deserters
in the plan of the scallawag or carpet-bag-
ger to brave danger for politics. They will
run no risk, make no desperate effort for
their political associates, when violence,
which is of their making, gets the mastery
Of sober thought, political blatherskites are
not to be found, and the sooner the colored
men renounce the men who appeal to their
prejudices and passions, the better for all