Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1886-07-27
THE coLcRED PEOPLE.
A Letter from Hon. Jas. A.
Mckenzie.

Hon. JAS. A. MCKENZIE:
Dear Sir:-I venture TO call your
attention to the fact that the Repub-
lican managers are endeavoring to
lnaame the colored people of this
county and solidify the colored vote
for their party OIL account of certain
utterances in your IIerndon speech,
which they have falsified and dis
torted. What was the animus of
what you said, what are your feel
ings toward the colored race and
what In your opinion is the attitude
of the Democratic party towards the
colored race? Your friend,
CnAs. NJ. MEACHAM.
MIR. McKENzIE's RESPONSE.
HopKINsvILLE KY, July "a, 1886.
CHAs. M. MEACHAM, ESQ.
My Dear SW:-Your note Of this
date is before me. l am surprised
and mortified at the thought that
any ut;erance may. have made in
my speech at lIerndon on the Dist
of this month, should have been dis
torted and 'falsiied in such manner
as to be considered unjust to The col
ored race, and prejuGicial to the sue
cess Of the Democratic county ticket.
Any remarks l may have made that
were susceptible of any sort of per-
version and misapplication were in
tended in a spirit of jest and play
fulncss, and / thought were so re-
ceivcd aud appreciated by every
right-thinking man who heard me.
The Republican managers of this
county canvass must be hard pressed
indeed, when the pretext Of some
good natured raillery ina Democratic
speech is seized upon and perverted
to fire the hearts of the colored peo-
pie and dragon them into the SER
vice ola party which has promised
them much more than it has per-
formed. l am incapable Of doing
deliberate injustice to the colored
man and will not appeal to his pas
sions nor his prejudices and do not
hesitate to say that the Democratic
party has been uniforlnlyjust to him,
and to That party he owes, here in KEN
lucky, the great bulk of the prlvi-
leges he has enjoyed since the conclu-
sion of the civil war. His right 10
testify in the courts was granted by
a Democratic Legislature. The act
giving TO his children an equal share
of the school fund was passed by
Democratic Legislature. The State
laws which afford him equal pro-
lection with the white race in his
person, his liberty and his property,
were passed by Legislature over
whelmingly Democratic In both
branches. 1t was Democratic Leg
islature that passed the bill. making
large appropriation of the public
money to establish colored Normal
school for the higher education of
body of colored people to act as teach
ers for the race, and l must say this
measure met my unqualified appro-
bation-so much interest have l felt
in il, that / some weeks ago notified
several of the prominent colored men
of your city, Peter Morgan and Robt.
Jones among the number, of my
willingness 10 assist to the extent of
my ability in endeavoring to secure
fpr Hopkinsville the location Of that
University. l suggested to them that
as Christian county was the center
of the largest colored population
In the state, the location at Hop
kinsville would be of incalculable
benefit in local as well as general
sense and offered 10 go before the
Board of Commissioners when APP
pointed and make an argument ia
voring Hopkinsville as q proper
point for its location. / am of opn-
ion that the colored people of Chris
tian county will be more benefited in
a moral and intellectual point OF
view by the location of this great
state benefactioh in their midst than
by anything that has occurred in
their history.
If TO be favorable to the consum-
nation of this end constitutes me the
enemy and prosecutor of the colored
man, then and only then am ] his
: foe. shall rejoice when that day
comes in which the colored man will
fully realize that his ballot is his
protection, and ought to be free from
even the faint of corruption, and cast
not in obedience 10 the blind unrea
soning dictation of party, but in thu
exercise of judgment unfettered by
the Republican leash and enlightened
by higher education.
In the broader National sense thu
Democratic party has done mucl
that ought to be conclusive evi
, dcnce to every thoughtful coloret
man that its principles are not iniml
cal to his welfare. A Democrats
President has appointed a coloret
man to succeed Frederick Douglass
as Register of Deeds for the Distric
of Columbia-one of the most lucra
tive and responsible offices in the gil
of the President-and Republical
Senate has failed to confirm him. MI
Q Cleveland has also appointed ALE
Allensworth, colored minister Q
!, the gospel, well-known to many pee
: pie both white and black in thl