National Republican., 1883-04-14
A short study on n Great Subject.

A short Study on n Great Subject.
Let us discuss boot-blacking. 1t is very
touching to observe the affection for the
negro which is growing up in the mind of the
editor of our morning contemporary. His
soul is narrowed with the thought that "re-
spectacle colored men in this city who hold
departmental positions actually black the
boots Of their respective chiefs" Tho
superior access to the boot-blacking
fraternity which our neighbor seems to enjoy
may be the result Of newspaper enterprise or
of social condescension. In either case it
would be interesting to know whether he
finds respectabilty and boot-blacking incom-
patible, and whether tho positions" held by
his colored friends are of grade for which a
man who would black pair of boots would
be unworthy. We do not think any public
employe should have personal services
demanded Of him by n superior. Per-
sonal services of the kind to which tho person
rendering them has been accustomed are some
and because of personal attachment, and
sometimes out of a servile wish to curry favor
We have no sympathy to expend on any
respectable or disreputable colored or whito
man who gratuitously blacks pair of boots
whether he does it out of gratitude
based on past kindness and attach
m fnN A1aa nf
that other sort Of gratitude which consists Of
"a lively appreciation of favors to come" A
good fellow may do a favor to another merely
because he chooses TO, and another may do
favor for the benefit he hopes to derive from
it. If any public officer should make the
backing of his boots the condition of re-
tanning any man in public employ,
that officer would be guilty of black
mailing the employe for very con-
tcmptible amount of money-to wit, the
sum for which he could have had the work
done.
As for the complaint of n neglect to put nc :
groes in Office, it is not wise one. No man
Is entitled to Office because he is negro, and
the failure of negro to get office should not
be by him put on the ground of color unless
he knows that if he were white he could
secure an appointment. We freely admit
that no party has yet had power in this
country which has dono its whole
duty to men of color. What then? Shall
negro dcmagogues earn democratic money
by creating discomfort among colored re-
publicans in order that the bourbon
democracy may take the nations power and
WELD 1t for vengeance against the party of
emancipation and onfranchisement? The
world moves. What man will say there has
not been constant gain for the negro for
twenty-five years past-ever since Douglas
staid the march of slavery into the free ter
rtories? What step has not tho democracy
fought with all the desperate energy of the
under fonds? Out upon tho swill-hunters
who banker after the flesh-pots of Egypt. A
democratic negro would have been an
Egyptian Israelite, Away with them.
We repeat that a public employe
who blacks boots for his superior other
wise than voluntarily, or through fear
of losing his place or being less secure in it, is
being blackmailed by that superior to the
extent of ten cents each time. On the other
hand, any man may volunteer what servic @
he pleases in the hours that are his own
without being examined by anybody else as
to his conduct. But any amount of mean
compulsion Of colored laborers by
white officials would not bo good
argument in favor of tho restoration Of the
bourbon democracy to power, unless small
abuse of that kind, which is easy of correc-
tion, is more hurtful to the negro race than
the domination of party which would van
ish into thin air but for the cohesive powel
Of negro hatred, and the longing for revenge
on those who came between the master ant
his slave. We hope every negro in tn,
land will make free choice between
tho two great political parties. N,
negro should be a republican
who thinks democratic rule would be bette
for his race. The slow ascent to the level o
equal rights may be bediscouraging to some bu
the great masses of the Colored race will not b.
induced to leap into the abyss from whicl
they emerged as measure for increasing tn
pace of progress. Courage, patience and hope
Never despair because few men want thei
boots blacked free and few men consent +
do it, And never believe in democratic sym
pathy over such wrongs.
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