The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1885-03-06
rr..la.pl eley.lan4 aaa .l.s oolotea pa. ...,

,,.,iasnt t,iey. land and the Colored Man.
In bis inaugural remarks on the polit-
tcal status Of the colored voter, President
cleveland plants himself on solid lsepub-
lisan ground. The eolorea citizen ought
tohsye all that the President says he ought
tohayo, for the Constitution guarantees 1t
,toThirn. Obviously true as this Is, much
asit appeals TO the American sense Of lar
play. Il Is notorious scandal that where
c6lored citizens are most numerous they
al the least recognition Of their rights
1nder the law. The President well says
sithat ali discussion as to their fitness for
the place accorded to them as American
citizens Is unproatable;p for "the fact
thatthe arc citizens entities them to all
rights due to that relation and charges
them with It's duties, obligations and re-
sponsibilities." .s.... -.
This is wholesome doctrine, but ut haa
been out into practice Mr.. Cleveland would
4 1,ot have been President, 1.-The shall take
:. Il upon himself to enforce the constitu.
tional guarantee and protection, his party
williharlly TO the trouble and expense
ofhoiding a presidential convention, for
itwlllhaye no chance to elect his successor ::
By reason Of the methods which prevail
inthose States where the colored popula-
.tion, e strongest, and even in the MAORI.
", his party started in the presidential
contest with the assumption, justified in
( the result, that It madelittle difference
who was an nominated, sotaras the electoral
vote Of the South was concerned, There
were we're 5S electoral votes to start with, with
ont argument, without regard to party
policies, without any question Of the fit
ness Of the Democratic nominee:
In the North there was 70 be struggle
for the master; in the sonth awalk.oyer
forithe Temperate nominee. The cleo
toral votes representing more than eigh-
teen millions Of peoples third Of them
: scoloreGl. were to DO bundled up and once
more handed over to the Democratic
party. And the delivery was made &C.
eording 10 the letter Of the contract a
Northern population Of 80 2s,o47 polled
for President 7,o8g,59S votes; Southern
population oi1s,4oO,9o4 polled 2,oo4,52l
votes. In the North itrequired an average
ofs1 5O7 votes 10 elect a Representative in
: Congress in the South 25,747 suillced; SO
that on the average Northern Congress
man represents 10000 more votes than a
Southern Congressman. According to the
returns, in the North one person in four
and d half Of the population votes; in the
South, one in six and hall.
But the disproportion is greater than
this. for in some States, as in Virginia,
ut the recent election tho zealots Of
President Cleyeland's party in large
negro districts filled the boxes before the
polls opened, in orderto secure favorable
expression Of "the popular will" And
the actual injustice is even greater than is
shown in the disproportion Of the figures,
for in most Of the Southern States the
election laws are framed in direct hostility
10 the eolored man, and by the expert
jugglery Of theballot boxes he is denied
tho right toyote US he pleascs.
President Cleveland admits that this Is
the colored mans right, too firmly estaD-
!iished in the Constitution 10 allow Of dis
cussion. Yet the denial Of that right has
provoked much discussion and will pro
woke more. II the white mon Of the South
can time after time send up Representa-
gtiyes and Electors based in part on the
silenced colored vote, and Il the constitu-
ton is 50 faulty, or the national govern
ment 50 impotent or unwilling, that the
protection Of thelaw. cannot be enforced,
. the honest sense of the American people
will demand a radical change in the con-
dilions.
1.-the colored man cannot vote he ought
to be stricken from the basis OF represen-
tation. There is no escape from this con-
clusion. Republicans prefer that he shall
be allowed to exercise his rights under
a ~ ~ |