Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser., 1886-08-20
Fred Douglas and the COlOred Voter

1t is observable that Mr. Fred Douglas,
in the course of his recent speech before
the colored editors, takes much pains to
persuade his race that they cant afford
to go tumhling into the Democratic ranks
because Cleveland makes a good rresi-
dent The fact that Mr.. Douglas, while
so manifestly biased by partisan prejudice,
should concede that "Cleoe'aad makes a
good President" will be received with some
surprise by our colored friends in South
ern Maryland, because the local bosses
here have been impressing upon their
credulous minds ihat Cleveland is respon-
sible tor the poor demand and low price
of tobacco and the consequent scarcity of
money in this part of the State. 1t would
be difficult matter tor most people to
understand how any President, good or
DAD, could regulate the foreign demand
for our tobacco or the prices we obtain
for it: and it will be difficult even tor the
credulous colored voter to understand how
- o'oA iSoiNAIHt Souii Nlo any SuSH udl
and difficult thing. 1t is evident that the
concession of Mr.. Douglas and the Lew
scheme of deception of our local inpub i
can bosses do not dovetail well together.
But conceding that MIR. Cleveland makes
a good President, fully and fair recog
nizing and protecting the rights of the
colored citizen in common with I'll other
races and classes, as is unhesitatingly done
by Mr.. Douglas, and cannot failly.be de-
MED, and it is difficult to see any reason
why the colored voters should not go on
''tumbling into the Democratic party" as
they have done al over the country and as
| they are going to continue to do.
The colored voters were persuaded be-
fore the Democrats obtained control of he
government that, when once in power, the
Democratic party would inaugurate a pol
icy of hostility to the colored citizen and
that in time he would certainly be put
back into slavery" But now, after nearly
two years of d mocratic ru e, the colOred
man finds himself protected in all his
rights as man and citizsn by a govern
ment that governs the whole people and
zealously and firmly guards and protects
the rights and liberties of all lie finds
his race quite as fully recognized in the
way of official appointment as ever under
Repub lean rule and sees no manifestation
of any policy whatever IN any degree hos
that his interests, in common with all la
boring men, are carefully guarded by the
traditiouary principles Of the Democratic
party, Of which the present administration
is faithful exponent The b ack man in
common with other working men recog-
nizes that the party which is dominated
by the great capitalists OF the country is
not the party in which his interests will
be best guarded
Is 1t any wonder, then. that the colored
voter should be found allyin- himself " ith
the Democratic par throughout tthc coun-
u Ah't NbaN uS Ss3''AAal ttfl'EEf We ~ urn .
deaf ear to the bad counsel e de.aa-n.u, $
like Douglas, whn seek to keep the b,rk
men solid as a political :sctor as = means
of promoting IhsiS avn private ambition
Mr.. Doug as " stfl 1c,ed with a poor
memory, for hot been many years
since he himself in public address gave
out the opi"ian that it WAS for the hes,
interest of the black man not - identify
himself as race exclusively with any one
political party That was good. sound
doctrine and now that the colnred citizen,
by acting upon it, has begun to realize it's
advantages, it is not likely tina, anything
that may be said will influence him 10 a.
dopt different course