Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1886-10-16
THE OOLORED VOTER.

They are still somewhat
the domination of their old lead
ers, who have ruled them with a rod OF
iron for twenty years, but they are
to talk among themselves.
For instance, they see that the demo-
are doing a great deal for them in
the way of education. They know
that the general assembly a few years
ago, on motion of speaker Belch and
supported by the writer, appropriated
the necessary money to pay off the debt
upon Lincoln Institute.
They know that the last general as
sembly appropriated s25,5oO for that
institution, which is the training
school for colored teachers of the state.
They appreciate that the major por-
ton of the taxes of this county are PAID
by democrats, and that out OF that
taxation their children are educated.
They see that most OF their employers
are democrats. They begin to suspect
that the republican clap-trap about
protection to American labor is a farce,
since after twenty-four years OF that
policy they are worse off as to wages
than they ever were, and the republic
cans with their fiscal policy still in force
are attempting to shift the responsible
ty to the shoulders of the democracy.
They know their white neighbors are
opposed to a high tariff, and they begin
TO feel, as do the colored people IN the
south, that their interests are identical
with those Of their employers.
They still have the bloody shirt
Haunted at them occasionally, but it
has far less effect than of old, as they
see that since Mr.. Cleveland's Inaugural
ton no step has been taken against
their interests.
The republican fiction that they
would be put back into slavery if a
democratic president was inaugurated
is, of course, exploded, and with 1t
come doubts as to other tales told them
from the same source.
They see that instead Of being their
enemy, Mr.. Cleveland is their friend.
We give on the outside, to-day, an in
terview with him while he was in the
Adirondacks, as to his appointment OF
Mr.. Matthews. Every colored man
should read it. 1t will be remembered
that Frederick Douglass resigned his
place as marshal of the District OF
Columbia. Mr.. Cleveland thought it a
good opportunity to show his friend
ship for the negro race, and he appoint
ed to the place Mr.. Matthews, a colored
man whose ability and integrity he
believed in. He would run no risk OF
making an unworthy appointment, so
he selected a man whom he personal
Iy knew. He strengthened his own
convictions by inquiry, aud then he ap-
pointed this honorable colored man to
this high and honorable position.
How did the republican senate re-
spond2 Because this man was a color
ed democrat they refused to confirm
the appointment. They would vote
for the white democrats, but for col
ored democrats, No! Now, what does
that mean !? Why, simply that
they don't recognize the right of a
negro to be a democrat. In spite of
the truth that they could never have
fought the war to a successful issue
without the democrats in the Union
army, led by the democratic generals,
Thomas, Hooker, Mcclellan, Black,
| McClernand and Grant for Grant
never voted anything but the demo-
cratic ticket until he was nominated
for president by the republicans-they
have asserted and re-asserted that to
the republican party alone belong
ed the credit of freeing the negro
Well, here they are re-enslaving him |
They declare by the action of their
senators that a negro only has rights,
is only worthy of confidence, SO long
as he votes the republican ticket.
Where is the freedom in that !?
Mr.. Ingalls,, republican United States
senator from Kansas, said in his speech
at Wyandotte, Al reported in the Globe
Democrat, that Mr.. Cleveland would
be reelected president in 1888. He
was right. No man since Jackson has
been SO popular with the people of all
parts of the country. Then, for at least
six years more we are to have a demo-
cratic Federal government. The
chances are, that as democracy control.
led the country for sixty years before
the war, having now wrested the
mighty power of the government from
the republicans, 1t will WELD it fol
many years to come. Does the entire
colored race propose to ostracize itsel
from participation in governmental
affairs for all that time ? Does it III
tend to let the republican senate crack
its whip at them and drive them into
line?
What does the republican party dc
for the colored voter ? As Col. Philip!
said, it sends him as a delegate to
county convention once in a while
letting him pay his own way. but wha
office of profit does it give him2 They
have plenty of Offices up north !; man!
congressional districts are republican
why don't the republicans in them cleo
a negro occasionally if they love then
so !? They don't do it. The truth is
that the negro, like the Caucasian race
must work out it own destiny. Indi
viduals in it must prove their SUPERIOR
ty in order to be recognized, but il
this struggle the party which to da'
stands first for the amelioration Of tn
condition of mankind, white or black
native or foreign born, is the demo
: cratic party, the party of Thomas JET
~ferson, the writer of the Declaration Q
, Independence, and the party OF Grove
- Cleveland, the l~ion-hearted president
= the United States.
The issues are squarely made in tn
canvass. There is a democrat running ft
congress who was fairly nominate'
u without a wrangle,b by a unanimous vol
l. of the conventions democrat who +