The Arkansaw traveler., 1883-11-03
BOW-LEG AMOS.

The other night at large gathering of colored people Bow-leg Amos being called on to express his opinion of the null lhcation by the supreme court of the United States, of the civil rights act, arose and said:
 Oars times" he began, @when dar ken be too much said an too little thought an think dat dis is one ob de times. knockin' de bottom outen de eibil rights business soter pears mr me like mighty stretchin' step in de d'rec- ton ob anuder reconstruction mobement.
 It looks like de politicians hab dis
 kiyered dat de nigger in many respecks is equal ter 'em an dat da's ashamed ob de hck. De constitution ob de New
 nited States grants ter ebery free man pro- lection, an de special ack ob pity was a
 sort ob forty acre an mule business. No
 law ken make de nigger equal ter de
 white man. De nigger mus do dis his sci. It is eddycation an '6nemen, an money what makes one white man higher den anoder, an nuthin' but desc will lif de nigger. Suppose dar was law what said dat de white man mus lif his hat ter de nigger an law what said dat nig- ger mus cut shines when he meets a white man. does yer s'pose eder ob 'em would do II: No, sah. De nigger is all right as long as he's got a vote, fur he will always be big man wid de feller what wants office. De dimocrat what is glad dat de civil rights act IS killed, will come aroun' an hug de nigger, jes' de same as de re- publican what is sorry. De mos lection ate thing l eber seed is a dimocra, among niggers durin' lection times. He'll tell yer how he's libed among yer, an how he's tried ter hep yer along, an how he wants yer ter succeed in life. Oh. how he loves yer. He'll take yer by de arm, an pat yer on de back and monkey wid yer in hun'erd ways. He neber was in favor ob slavery, an he's glad dat de nigger is free. Oh, he's so glad dat he kain', keep his hans often de nigeer. He tells yer how de republicans hab de- ceibed yer, an how he's gwine ter hep yer in gettln revenge. He tells yer dat yer air as good as he is. which is about de only truth he does tell. An de fool nigger stan's an says, 'yas, sah, yas, sah, gin me dime ter get drink. if yer please, an he gets de dime an thinks, blame ef dat dimocrat aint good feller.' Pretty soon long comes de re- publican an says, What yer le, dat dimocrat fool yer fur: Doan yer know dat he's workin' yer, Ali he wants Is yer vote. Does yer want'er be put back in slabery agin'. Oats what he's airter. What did de dimocrat party eber do fer yer: Did da set yer free: No, da kcp' yer in bondage. An den he puts his arm on yer, oh, so lovin. He wants ter bite yer right dar. ler's de sweetest thing he eber seed Yer doan smell like a nigger ter him. Oh, no. fers got de perfume ob roze He gins yer money an yer go away an think, blame ef dat republican ain't de bes man l eber seed, an sides da, he's so full ob truth. tell yer da, us niggers hab iotch all dis on ourselves. Stead ob bein' free men. we'se been slaves. Stead ob showin' de politician dat we was agwine ter judge fur ourselves, we has sold ourselves an IS owned. fust by one an den by anuder. les as much as we was afore de wah. I ain't agwine ter let de cibl rights ack bodder me, an l'se gwine ter be mighty s'picioas ob de white man what comes aroun' and wanster sympa,hize wid me. ease de thing hab been killed. rse gwine on makin' my libin an sendin' my ohillun ter school. l'se a gwine ter teach em ter be men an wimmen. an ef dar own good breedin' an refinement won't cause fokes ter respeck 'em, why all ob de cibil rights laws Tn de worp won't hep 'em. doan think dat dar's gwineter be any trouble wd dis thing, an mark my words, de white man what will try ter take a advantage on account ob dis dead E law. won't be respected in de commu- nity."
 AN ARkANSAW PROPOSAL.