The San Antonio light. (San Antonio, Tex.) 1883-1886, 1884-02-13

Its possession, the public can and will
protect Its own interests"
According to the newspaper accounts
Richard Nelson, the colored editor Of the
Galveston Spectator, is on the war path
and anxious to scalp General Malloy,
the Collector Of Galveston; but what
the occasion OF this war is has not trans
pired. Nelson is represented to be trav-
cling over the State in order to persuade
oolored voters that they ought to de-
mand large slice of the offices and par
ticularly IL out Of the % delegates to the
Republican National convention; In a
word, he is playing the part Of self
appointed itinernnt flre-brand. These
squabbles and factions In the Republi-
can party in the South, have covered II
with ridicule and utterly paralyzed 1t;
but even the "bitter school of adversely"
and defeat has been powerless to teach
Southern Republicans to "bottle up"
their personal quarrels. There Is no
chance for the Republicans to carry
Texas, and that being fixed fact, the
delegates In the National Republican
convention should act upon the idea that
States which cannot possibly give a
single electoral vote to the Republicans
should leave the Republican States to
choose the Presidential candidate, in
stead Of foisting weak, or unpopular
man on the party. There would really
be no harm done were the delegates
from the South practically excluded
from the convention, as they are seldom
fairly elected, and chiefly seek the place
solely to obtain Federal positions from
the candidate should he be elected. Can
dor compells us to tell the colored editor
OF the Spectator that the insistenoe with
which his race has clamored for office
has mainly reduced the Republican par
ty to its present low ebb. Richard
Nelson is himself now drawing the
color line and rallying his own
race against white Republicans,
thereby injuring his own race
far more than he is aware of. What
possible advantage to the colored people
Of Texas can come from giving them
even all the 10 delegates to the National
Republican convention Not one par
ticle. 1t would have no more effect on
the status Of things in Texas, and no
more tendency to ameliorate the condi-
tion Of oolored people than pint tin cup
ofwater would have, were it poured into
the ocean. No colored man so far, has
evinced any capability for leadership, or
any faculty for organizing a party, or
conducting campaign TO a successful
conclusion, yet oolored men are insistent
to be put in the lead, and where they
have been put there, have literally
"kicked the fat In the fire" by want of
tact and discretion. There were col ored
men In the Legislature, which has Just
adjourned, and we would like to know
what laws were originated by them, or
what constitutional questions were dis
cussed by them9 They were simply lay
figures. Their presence in the Legisla-
ture was Of no more benefit to the col
ored people than would have been the
presence OF so many Cinnamon or Turks.
The craving and itching for Office shown
by colored men, in the face of the notori-
Gus prejudice felt against their holding
office by Democrats, has largely contrib
uted to reduce Southern Republican,
ism to political nonentity, but there is
no falling off in this itch and craving for
office. Drawing the color line by colored
men against white Republicans, only
proves that there is more truth than
poetry in the charge made by Demo-
Gratis, that colored men draw the color
line on all occasions. Had colored men
supported Wash Jones last year, with
zeal and unanimity, he would probably
have beaten Ireland, but no, they were
intraotable and took the studs, and let
slip the golden opportunity Of infus-
ing moderation and good sense into the
Democratic party. The LIGHT is not
blind to the faults and blundefs of the
Republicans, and 1t has the courage to