Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1883-07-24
Growth of the Great Danger.

The lethargic liver of to-day feebly pro-
tests that no danger threatens him and pee.
vishly begs to let him rest. He shakes his
head YEARLY when you tell him that un-
scrupulous politicians are cultivating the
already awakened ambition of the negro
for free and unrestrained social equality,
and languidly murmurs that all will come
right in the end. He never sees around him.
and indeed never before him, as his eyes
are always cast down in idle and useless
meditation on every other subject than the
issue of the hour. To him we do not ad-
dress ourselves. He is hopeless. But we
do ask the earnest and enlightened people
who by good fortune largely outnumber
their listless fellow-men, to consider the
significance of an occurrence to which we
referred on Saturday. 1t is the action of a
convention of colored men, editors of news
papers and representatives of the hopes and
wishes of their race.
In an Associated Press dispatch, which
gives an account of their proceedings, we
find the following resolution, which re-
ceived the approval of the colored men as
sembled:-
est. LOUIS, July 10. 1993.-During yes
terday afternoons session of the Colored
Press convention, the Committee on Reso-
claring in favor of co-education of the races
and of mixed schools and teachers" etc.
Even the drowsy protester against all
dangers must be aroused by this. What is
the meaning of this demand for mixing the
races in the schools? Repulsive as is the
very thought, the consequence of such
equality is abhorrent; for it means the
| boundless and untrammeled mixing of the
two races into one mongrel horde--a dis
grace to the earth and its own final de-
stroyer.
Upon the ignorant and misguided col
ored man but a small part of the blame for
| this false and foolish ambition must rest
| Those who are responsible for the cultiva-
| ton of this growing evil are renegade white
men-political adventurers-such as are to
be found in every State, and, unfortunately,
! in no small numbers in our own Virginia.
These unscruplous seekers after place are
ready at all times to sacrifice their neigh
bors and friends and even their own fami-
lies for the sake of the spoils of office. In
their corrupt minds flesh and blood weighs
as nothing against public plumber. To
them all that man is wont to hold most pure
and precious becomes trifle. Office, office,
office! is their cry. Their rage for Office is
ravaging disease. 1t sweeps before it
DOuy, UTdln, HetrG. ever IHlHS.
W hat man of honest mind can fail to see
| that the hopes expressed by the colored
convention in St. Louis were long ago
aroused in Virginia by the base conspirators
who now control this State? Consider the
proportion of colored to white voters, and
remember that if to the one hundred and
twenty-eight thousand colored not so much
as forty thousand out of two hundred ald
six thousand whites be added, the mongrel
party will have majority. Thus less than
one-ifth Of the white voters can, with the
solid colored vote, keep Virginia in danger
| of the worst evil that has ever threatened
| it, and not only keep it in danger, but be
forced in time to make the attempt to sub
.ject the people to that evil; for il the mon
grel party the forty thousand whites would
| form less than one-fourth, and they would
be compelled to accede to the demands of
their allies, who number nearly one hun
bred and thirty thousand.
A smaller vote than our estimate was
cast at the late election, before the capita
ton tax was repealed, but that the the pro-
portion Of whites to colored was larger than
that we have given, we do not believe. On
tie contrary, we believe it to have been
even smaller, and on that bell we rest The
hope of our success this Fall. Can our pea-
| pie fail to know their duty aud to be fully
aroused to do it earnest 7 and honestly in
the coming campaign? When number Of
representative colored men from different
sections Of the country assemble in ccnven-
ton and solemnly declare their purpose TO
demand the co-educatioa of the races, the
man who refuses to see the,dangec ahead L
either blind to tie simplest facts OF life os
is a traitor to his wife and children.
This is no time for honeyeG words. 1t is a
time for hard facts it is a time for the tell
| ing of unpleasant truths. The people OF
| Virginia know that the sentiments of that
convention in St. Louis have been sown
broadcast in this State, aad that their
growth has been tended by the corrupt
gang of politicians that now infests our
| public places-Richmond State.