Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1886-07-30
Plain Words.
EDITOR South KENTUoKIAx

EDITOR SOUTH KENTUCKIAN.
Exercising my humble privilege as
a free citizen of this country, 1 desire
to express my opinion in regard TO
the present race for the county offices.
l believe it is the duty of every we'll
man to take an interest in
how the duties of these offices shall
be executed, and in the men that
shall fill them. In the present race
there are many considerations that
suggest themselves to the thinking
mind. In the first place, it is to be
admitted that the officers are nom
POLITICAL. The men who discharge
their duties cannot act in Tie capaci-
ty of partsans. No POLITICAL signiii-
canoe was ever attached 10 them.
Our county officers simply have 10
execute the laws as they already ex-
list. They are wholly in the execu-
tive department of the government,
and have nothing whatever TO do
withdrawing the laws, shaping poll
ticial theories or giving cast or color
10 any of the great ideas of the day.
With this state of facts staring us in
the face, it is prominently foolish for
the people TO be led into voting for
Incompetent and unworthy men by
"little fellows" who go whooping
around the county crying "party
lines" when the fact is they don't
know a party line from cross-tie,
these fellows who claim to be
party leaders, who do most Of the
loud talking at election times, are not
the men who have the best interests
of the county at heart and most gen.
orally are untrue 10 their party alllli-
ations. 1t Is time now for the people
to recognize this and begin voting
for the best men before them, regard
less of this "fllss and feather work
of these so-called leaders. 1t is a
fact that some white Republicans
who appeal most vehemently to col
ored voters TO stand up to the party
rack and swallow everything that's
dished out 10 them, do themselves
freely violate this party pledge. Yet
they want the colored voters to be
party slaves while they are party
freemen. Now in all this talk about
Mr.. McKenzie's speech, the fact is
some of the Republican candidates
have voted for him and claim 1t as
"the proudest vote of their lives
Now, colored voters why can't We
cast some of these "proudest votes Of
our lives ?" The colored people OF
this county in their business interests
social life, educational and religious
relations are largely dependent and
closely associated with the Democrat
ic voters. 1t is not unreasonable
that we should be grateful to them
1t is proper that the colored people
should stop and think in this matter
The Republican party has never Civ
en- them an office. When | ran fo
Jailer in IA l was defeated and the,
explained the matter by saying j
was "too soon" to elect colorcd man
When Wyatt Watt ran for the sam
office he was defeated and they ex
planned matters to him by saying "h
killed himself" Now the fact is W
have always been TOO soon" or "to,
something or-other TO be elected
while they walked off with the office
and it locks 10 me like it is now tim
for them TO be "too late" or it is tim,
for "them to kill themselves" l
does look strange that 800 voters cal
beat 2,700 voters for so many years
The colored people in so vast ma
jority have all along been cut out o
the profits of the offices and these few
have eaten all the fat. You may sa
what you please, but it is injustic
to the great bulk of the party, it j
the rule of a few tricksters over til
wishes Of the majority. And the
are up to the same old tricks again
Last Friday night week they paid til
Hon. McElwee $25 to remain owe
and make POLITICAL harangue {
whip us back into the party lines
We need instruction and we want il
but we have got too much politics OIL
la d now. We don't need any in
struction in this line. Politics is ruin
ing us. The honorable gentleman
performed thankless duty in tellin!
us lot Of stuff we are as well postet
in as himself. The aims and inten
tons of his speech are well under
stood and we want none of it. l
these Republicans want so much t
"instruct" us, why don't they com
to our assistance in building II
schools, contributing TO our churche
and social welfare instead of payin
for these political speeches once in
while at election times? The trutI
is the colored people see through III
trick and it has lost its force.
In making these remarks 1 merel
intend to suggest 10 the colored peo
Pile some things for them to thin
about at this time. Their best inter
!, ests dictate that they should leav
these men who have so long abuse
their confidence and try a change
as l feel confident il will be for tn
better. ALEX. THoMP son.