The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1885-10-07
Negroes in ConveEtio

: - chairman and NJ Y. BecKley,of
b;,hmond, addressed the convention,
[,ung this convention bad not as
t.nbled as republicans or democrats,
:, as citizens of Virginia, and
/. Il.,ming the right Of free men. and
! : hoped their deliberations would
!, l,.moustrate that they were worthy
b be citizens.
| The convention reassembled at s
m. r. B. Beckley was elected
I..,uanent chairman, and \. V.
Ipsckers secretary. The following
s,s presented amid great cheer
ling:
=, IN THE CoIoRED PEOPLE OF VIR-
.NlA: We, the colored people OF
Virginia, believing as we do that the
/ Inme has come for us to call halt
I'm the unqualified support we have
uyen the republican party, do here
= convention assembled solemnly
, .eclare ourselves politically indie
pendent in all matters which pertain
ms as citizens and voters of this
commonwealth. We have for
twenty-five years adhered to our
lamer political associations with
anparalelled fidelity because in those
| dark days of reconstruction the re
publican party proved that It was
the only party to which the colored
man Of the south could consistently
aliay himself. To that end the
colored voters nobly responded and
raised to power and peace men who
grew wealthy while administering
The laws OF the United States gov
eminent in the Southern states. we
feel ever grateful for what has been
done. but the time has come tor US
10 think, act, vote and speak tor
ourselves, and especially so since the
republicans have practically aban-
doned us in former campaigns and
IN all matters where the negro ought
to have had recognition in proportion
to voting strength and intelligence.
We know, too, that many OF our
race have been murdered in the
Southern states, but the cause which
led to these sad occurrences which
have spilled our blood and created a
bitter race antagonism, which now
etards our progress and makes 1t
difficult tor us to live in the land of
our birth, are largely traceable to
the federal officeholdcrs in our sec
lion.
These foregoing reasons led us to
adopt such methods and so demean
ourselves as To make friends OF those
whose interests are Identical in every
way with our own. We therefore
appeal to the coiored people of our
native state to look well TO the alter
ed condition OF affairs and III th..
future to make such political alliances
as will most advance our interests,
educationally. financially and politi-
eally. We feel sure that there IS,
throughout this broad limits of the
. commonwealth, general disposition
on the part of the white people to
accord us all our rights before the
law and to meet us heartily i'll every
advance We make tor the upholding
OF our people. 1t behooves us then
to so use our ballots in that we may
drive out all discarded elements in
Virginia, whether they be beaded bv
natives or aliens 20 the state. " <
also condemn the raising of the race
issue by any class of men, who assay
to lead the masses, because it can d.
nothing but prove detrimental to our
cause and our interests. We there
lore ask hearty cooperation OF our
people in Virginia to the success o;
our movement. We have cause to
De thankful for the liberality OF the
present administration to our people
IN the south. We also believe or
relations to the state debt ale >uon
as to Justify US in hoping that If