Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-05-29

Georra T. Downing. Of Newport, L. l..
has addressed letter to Frederick Doug
lass i'm which ne asks several very peril
nent questions. some Of the questions
are as follows:
Would not Democratic directors, Il
made 70 feel that it was polite. do as
much and more than is being done oy the
Republicans for the cOlOred man! Is il
wise 10 foster a continued antagonism be-
tween the colored people as a class and
erv POLITICAL party? May not any such
rartv come into power. aud what would
Is the fate OF the colored people under
such continued antaSOnismy Is not the
Democratic party committed through is
national platform as broadly a. IS the
Republican party 10 all we demand
Have not some Of our wisest and truesi
friends been advised 10 look hopefully To-
ward the Democratic party when lt Was
committed less practically 10 FeesS"'-
tiOn Of our rights than Is true to-ttal
Are not circumstances - changed aS u
warrant the houe that Democratic ditec-
tors may. because % these ere .auces,
chance their action as u the Colored man.
M We NOT ind them modifying their policy
very materially May we not attribute
me same. 10 a great extent. 70 the indie
naudent sentiment lately expressed eY the
colo~cd people. and 10 the belief being
created that that party. despite Of It's past
raeori. which shall hencciOrth respect the
colcred man most. shall receive support
at his bardss Is not the late asserting
policy 81 a respectable portion OF the coll
oret people having its effect upon kepuh-
Ecan managers: Is il not wise to en-
courage a competition as TO respect for Us
between political parties: Is NOT the
balance force Of the cOlored vote being
considered as never before: Should lis
force he destroyed by committing II too
soon 90 any party that does not manifest
proper respect therefor
George T. Downing Is one of the best
informed men Of his race in this country.
He. with a good many other leaders OF
/ his race. Is beginning to understand that
/ whatever the Republican party has done
for the colored people has been from
/ policy and not from principle. He and
/ others also realize that they have nothing
] 10 expect from that party. except what
/ they can extOrt from it. They are. there
/ fore. thinking Of the advisihality of con-
I solidatin- the colored vote and offering II
10 the highest bidder. This movement
I has no relation to the South. In the
] southern states the Democratic party has
no need Of the colored vote. and. under
4 the present condition Of affairs, wouldn't
have il at any price. The situation in
the North is different. The negroes hold
the balance Of power in some Of the
most important States. II their
vote could be detached
from the Republican party and turned
over to the Democratic party the election
az a Democratic President would he
placed beyond a doubt. The figures show
this. In 1880 G2rfeld's majority in New
York was 1852. The number Of negro
voters was over 10000, and it is safe tc
assume that about all Of them who voted
cast their votes for Garfield. Ohio gave
+ Garfield a majority of 25.155. The Negro
vote i'm that state was over 2l.O90. Four
ffths OF this vote would have been suti-
Gent 10 have changed the result in that
state. The negro vote in Indiana was
over I0.Oo0n1SS0. and Garfield carried the
state by only little over 5000 majority.
Garfield carried Pennsylvania by only
1925 majority. while the negro vote wa:
reckoned at more than $4,000. Illinoi.
gave Garfield majority Of 1892. Will,
the number Of negro voters was 1906
In Connecticut the number Of negro
voters was at least third more than
Garfeld's majority. In view OF this show
in- ii is worth while for the Democratic
party % give the negro vote some atten
ton. Dowuins's letter and the utter
ances Of other prominent colored meI
show that the negroes Of the North ar,
greatly dissatisfied. Whether they ars
ready % abandon the Republican
party or not Is question tha
Is vet TO be determined. 1t is
certain that the negroes VIII not get from
the Democratic or any other party Al
they claim. In the south. where they arr
majority Of the Republican party. they
claim everything. What they want IS Z
stand on an equality with white people il
\ every respect. They don't seem to under
stand that the time hasn't come for suci
far-reaching equality, and that 1t mal
never come. 1t certainly won't come IN
It'll the negro has fitted himself for it hl
pretty much the same means that th'
whiterace has reached its present position
I'm the scale of civilization. The Demo
cratic party. however. can be depended
upon 10 protect the negro in every RICH
which the law gives him, and TO lend hin
a helping hand TO improve his condition.