The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1884-11-15
BAD FOR THE BLACK RACE
Fred Douglass the Effects of CIeyeland's
Eieciion.-He Says That 1t Means the
Politica. Death of the Negro.

ficctIon.-hP says lEat III means tie
Political. Death of the Negro.
Fred Douglass the venerable colored
leader, was interviewed By newspaper
reporter the ot!.a: day, on the result Of
the election:
az Cleveland is elected, :; said he, sit
means; the political De 9Th of the negro
L. rn1st q the southern States the race
has been IL = snu!i-co:natGse condition
10. ;" '9a: ears. AID a Dem cratic vic.
tory WI IA. il !. as :, y;tiAg clement.
The ;egr,rs throughout the country
are much G.p;ess: tlrnug! out the
country a.e much depressed over The
prospect of Cleveland being President
The more igncrant fear a return of sla-
very, and the more intelligent has rea-
sonable fear and expressions at the hands
of the whites. The South has its riff
raft white populations as well as its elite,
and for while this class will be disposed
to domineer over the negro. They will
say, Now, G-n You, we've got you
dEN III Vic pm IL vi Jllul SAullduG ltcllllS
many outrages will doubtless be perpe-
trated. The intelligent Southern whites
will probably do all they can to discour-
age this pursuit of the black man, and
the evil may only be temporary. But
the blacks have substantial cause for
fear, and | shall advise them to take
cautious and conservative course"
Continuing, Mr.. Douglass said "AfteI
all. it may be the very best thing that
could happen to the negro to exclude
him from politics. For several years this
exclusion has been more complete in
Georgia than any other State, and the
coloIed people are more prosperous there
than any where else. Being practically
robbed of the franchise, they let politics
alone some time ogo; and have been
paying more attention to industrial pur
suits AS result thousands of them
own land and are making money. The
Southern people are kindly disposed to-
wards the negro as long as the negro lets
politics alone, and will help him.
AS to Cleveland, Mr.. Douglass thought
that he would make a good President
He is naturally conservative man and
will enforce the cIvil-service law. | am
glad to know that he has NO race preju- |
dice. This is proven by the fact that
he has appointed a number of colored |
men to Office since he has been governor
of New York. The Democratic riff raft |
will find itself disappointed if they think |
he is going to sweep the departments |
with a new broom just to put Democrats
in. There ale $4,000 government en-
ployees who are protected by the civil
service law, and all these will stay in.
Mr.. Douglass made a spirited defense
of his race from the charge that numbers
of them in the South were threatening |
to massacre and burn. lido not believe,'' |
said he, that the colored people had |
anything to do with the burning of the |
city of Palatka, Fla. The torch is not |
the weapon of the negro, and of all races |
he is least disposed to incendiarism
Now, if co!ored man were charged |
with robbing a henroost or the invasion |
Of a white neighbours hogpen, | should |
say that in all likelihood he was guilty. |
But when you accuse him of resorting to |
the tDich, the stiletto, the garrote or to |
dynimitc | should say that | would have |
to see the proof before | would believe it.
The African citizen has mouth for con- |
traband BOOSTERS and sparerIbs, and he
may desecrate the water melon patch of |
the Caucasian, but he will never burn |
his house. No sir. neverr'
The colored ''old man eloquent added |
that he did not believe that the Demo- |
cratic party bad come back to stay. |
The present victory, if it is a victory"
he remarked, lis mere accident, result
ing from variety of causes. The cleo
ton was not an honest one. In the |
states of Louisiana, Mississippi and South |
Carolina there were no elections, as the |
voice of the majority was stiHed. The
electoral votes of those States shonld not |
be counted. Democratic administra-
tions, running through a long continued |
period, say 2O years, would be disastrous
to the country. In that time the Demo
Gratis would fluid some way to practically |
annul the Constitutional amendments, |
and the colored people of the South
would be stripped of all their political
rights"