The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-10-19
PaELAN AND THE COLoRED
VOTER.


VOTER.
The few words addressed to the
negro by Mr.. Phelan, the Democratic
nominee for Congress, in his speech
At Somerville on Saturday, should be
printed in circular form and plAced in
the hands of every coloIed voter In the
district. Heretofore the negro has
been indissolubly welded to his idol,
de Publican parry. He wac impressed
with the belief that the war was insu-
gurated for the express purpose oil Sc
caring bis freedom ard tn 1t the Dsmo-
crats were anxious to restore him to
slavery and would do so if Cleveland
was elected President. They begin to
see that they have been deceived ty
the r publi,an leaders, and theie is
much unrest among the colored voters
of the South. In the August election
hundreds Of them openly ard def
antly voted this straight Democratic
ticket and, the reason given was that
they had been led and deceived long
enough by the men who used them rs
"hewers OF wood and drawers of
water" 10 get Office for themselves.
The negro, for the fl ST. time since the
war, lie thinking for himself. He has
discovered that the Democrats are not
his enemies, that the white Republic
cans are his friends only 30 far as
they eau use him to put white Rs
publicans in tffiJe, and Mr.. Phtlan's
speech at Somerville was siDgularly
appropriate and did much toward en-
lieh ening the mind Of the negro ss
10 the cause OF his freedom and his
duty as a citizen. Mr.. Phelan could
have added force to his addrets to
the colored people by referring to the
fact that recently when the Republi-
cans of the Third District Of Louisiana
in convention assembled nominated
Davidson, a negro, for Congress by a
two-thirds vote, the matter was taken
in hand by the Congressional Com
mittse, which threw Davidson over
board and nominated his white COM
petitor, Chester B. DuIrsll, on the
grounds that no negro was a fit can
didate, and that he could not be
elected, even in such strong Repub-
lican district. And who is DurIell 7
Why, he is she most offensive carpet
Dagger from Pennsylvania that ever
came South to rob, pluuder and hold
flee. He has held Office ever since
SO, by negro votes secured by tell
them that II he was not elected all
- blacks would be again slaves.
ne negroes have discovered that the
.hite Republican cares nothing for
them only so far as they consent to
bind themselves in new and much
more CALLING slavery than that Of
bodily bondage. The Republicans
want their votes; but they do not
want them to have any share in the
Offices, These are reserved exclusively
for white Republicans, for whom
colored voters are expected to march
up 10 the polls and vote as 30 many
slaves to the Republican party. At
the last Presidential election the Re
publicans cast 14.S96 votes for
Blaine in this Congressional Dis
trict. The colored people furnished
12,0o0 of this l4,S96 votes, and they
ought 10 he allowed the honor OF fur.
nishing c)lored candidate for Con.
gress. Bot the white Republicans
take all the offices and expect the ne.
groes TO furnish the votes by which
they are to be elected. 1t is 30 in
al the Republican S a es 1.-THE North
Pennsylvania gave Blaine nearly 100,
600 majority, and in this State, where
the colored element supplies the
average majority, no negro has eve
been nominated for a State, q Con
gressional, a Senatorial or a Legisla
tive oflic, by the Republican party
Worthy men Of this race have made
themselves candidates, and hay,
pushed their claims with eonspicuou
ability. But not one has ever beer
nominate I'd. In one OF tho PnilAdel
phia districts, where almost one hal
Of the votsrs are colored men, one o
the sblest men in their ranks was re
Gently defeated simply because he wa
black. The came experience came to
prominent colored man Of DauphiI
county. He was defea ed for nomination
in spite of the fact that the membe n
oil his race were almost unanimousl Il
fer him, and in spite of his blity and
purity service. He had a black skin
and msa with black skins may vo,,
with the Republican and h elp to elect
it, ticket, bat they are tot entitled to
any consideration when honcrs ara h
be distributed. The Democratic part,
hos not posed IS the especial and only
friend OF the negro, but it has beer
his friend If sickness and in trouble
and Ceveland's appointment of Nat
thews afer his rel zion by Repnb
aud the many negroes
elected 10 the Legislature in the
be- Southern States, shows that the d IN
oeraIs are the bsSt friends Of the
backs, and no wonder they are tired
ofbAng used az footballs, 10 be kicked
about by white Republican oficr
THE RufgU n pea sHrUArUOw