The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1885-01-16
A AG0L0RED CRANK
TO THE lpEMooRAoY
yor Fair show for His Race, in which He
consratsiates the Country on the Elee.
ton of cleyeland-Docs ne Speak
for the whole coiored Racer

\ NEw YoRk, Jan. 15.-The New Yorl
Freeman, the colored peoples newspape
here, will publish tomorrow an open lei
ter to- the Democratic party written b.
George L. Downey, the well known col
ored man. Following is the text:
TO Honmable Wm. e. D@dtetmer, Darit
Dudley FGld, Algernon S. Suliran, r. a
Pryor and Jos. Pulitzer:
GENTLRMRN:-Ita take the liberty to I'D
dress you this open letter because you art
Democrats, and have influence with you
party, and because I believe your deyo
ton to pure Democratic principle.
will : admit Of your advocating
that the Democratic party shall
henceforth favor the recognition OF the
colored element Of the. land as 1t has moi
heretofore done. ! refer with some pride
TO the fact thatmy judgment prom pied my
efforts toward bringing about such n con.
dition OF public affairs as would warrant
division OF the colored vote, and that
they have not been fruitless. / regard
the election Of Hon. Grover Cleveland to
the Presidency as happy event. II .af-
fords an opportunity for the Democratic
party to encourage q consistent and Just
policy toward the colored man, which
I believe will ibe taken advantage
of. This belief afises from express
ions already made BY the. President-elcct,
from encouraging declarations unexpect-
.edly given by Hon. tTbomasi "a. Hendricks
from the significant stand taken In Con
gress by such.a number Of Democrats on
0'Hara's amendment TO the Reagan inter
State commerce bill from the position ai-
iecting the civil rights OF colored men
taken by Mr.. Cleveland as Governor ofthe
State OF New York, and ola similar Just
stand taken by a,namber ei other Demo
cratic Governors, because material inter
ests prompt to such line Of policy
and because II Is Just. a num-
ber OF circumstances arc having
effect to arouse the colored people from
intoxicatien, Theywill be enabled In the
future to discriminate and use more jadg.
ment IS to men, partisan policies and acts,
and encourage them. There are Demo-
Gratis who are as much disposed to deal
fairly by coioredImen as are the others,
but who have beenunfortunately hamper
ed and restrained by an element within
the party which has caused the party to
be distrusted and passed by for at least
twenty-four long years by'a majority OF
the people. This element oi the party can
not in good faith expect a more liberal
division, to make further sacrifices or
adhere to the policy Of the past not suited
10 the present stale ot affairs. Itcannot
be expected at such cost, a policy that
wars with the. declarations OF the party
nationally made in '7a and emphatically
repeated in itsnational platform. only few
months ago in obedience TO demand OF
pubic sentiment. This advieei Is made to
you gentlemen not to conoede any rights,
but because You are representative por.
ton OF the Democratic party which is a
power. l feel warranted In applying to
1t. do 30 because crisis 10 upon the
party, because the Democratic party is in
q more mellow mood touching the interest
of the colonel man THANH has ED l.ibited
itself within my day and because I have
never been slave TO party. The colored
vote may be won, which Is better than to
intimidate it. That which is necessary.
from what has become, / may say
to some extent, crystallized' into
custom or law, beyond what has been
conceded to be just. Itinvolyes no disre-
gard Of vested interests, proprietary claim,
invasion Of any private, or domiciiiary
right. What Is necessary is respect for
common or public rights, regard for nerit,
intellectual attainments, respect ire
spective OF color for proper feelings In
Guiding natural and Just aspirations. It
does not involve domination because Of
color by white or eolored. Ihope for fair
play. ffsf ~ n b. I5fi3