The state chronicle. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1883-1893, 1886-05-27

H..
their better judgment, that the election Of
Mr. Cleveland meant everything against
the colored people. The demagogue de
clared with much vehemence that if Gle
yeland was elected condition akin to
slavery or the workings Of the ''Black
Code would result | must confess that
having been for many years in politics.
and all my life Republican, | had some
ml5giyings as to what attempts might be
made to abridgc the rights Of the cOlorcd
people Of the South We all knew that
the office holding class Of our people would
be very much incommodcd by the election
Of Democratic President As All well
thinking men know the Civil Service Law
has not changed with either political party
the Jcifersonian idea ''that to the yictors
belong the spoils, and there being very
fcW Of our people on the side Of the vic
tors, it was not 10 be expected that there
would be very many appointed TO Office
if indeed any We're allowed to retain the
places that they held. feel that speak
for the colored people Of the State, and
am sure that do not make an unWarrant-
ed statement when say that the election
Of Mr. Cleveland has not in any way affect
cd their political or social privileges.
There has been no election in this state
since his inauguration and how far the
fact of a Democratic Administration will
aid in upholding the powers that be, to
add to the bad manner of conducting cleo
tlOns and suppresslng the cOlOred vote,
can only be onjcctured. There is, how
ever, business depression in this State
that seems to affect both white and colored
people, and how far that may be sad to
result from Democratic rule | am not pre-
pared to say
There has never been an overscruplous
regard for the rights Of our people in the
South, and from what | have been able to
| observe, | do not think they have either
been abridged or extended in that partic-
ular by the change of Administration.
Crimes against our morals, our persons
and property are often passed by without
notice, or excused on Il mere preteXt of
! eXpediency; and in some cases of the most
fragrant and diaboical character, the of
Tenders are never brought to trial on if
tried the trial becomes mere mOckery.
In Justice to the judiciary of this State, |
must say, however, that the faults in the
courts do not rest upon them. he injus
tice is due almost exclusively to the jury
| system.
1t has happened III Il community where
| the colored people are five times as many
as the whites that a jury panel had thirty
! two whites and four coiored, and the u-
rors were largely of that class of our citi-
| zcns who are not abreast with the clvlllza-
| ton of the age and the advancement of
the day but belong to that crowd of pes
smists who always block the road TO pro
gress of any kind This, however, is
matter of State regulation, {, ! cannot in
any way be traced TO the elt on of Mr..
| Cleveland. one thing is certain: there is
no bad feeling existing ut the present time
between the white and colorcd people Of
this State. The coored men Of the South
| have, to a very great extent lost faith ii
both Of the great political parties Of this
country; and very justly too, think, for
! neither party seems to be able to protect
| the mass Of coiored voters in their right to
| vote and their votes counted east
Although the election of Mr.. Cleveland
| has not in any way affected the feelings of
either race in the South, the colored vote
will not divide until such time as they find
that their rights in all respects will be fully
protected both in the courts and at the
ballot box. The mass Of colored people
cannot be made to understand why it is
that a government which was powerful
enough to free them and give them the
| ballot, cannot now, after twenty years,
| protect that ballot And until this is
done, and less fraud is practiced at cleo
tionS, and the laws are more rigidly en-
| forced in respect to person and property,
they will feel that their duty is to remain
with the party which gave them their free
| dom The whites seem determined to hold
on to all the offices, both State and Fed
eral; and the colored people seeing this
determination, and the ability of the whites
to carry it out for the present, have very
! wisely come to the conclusion that the best
way to gain power in this State is to ac-
quire education and property, and by that
means overcome all opposition.
And when We take into consideration
the fact that in twenty years the colored
people of the South have increased from
four and a half to seven millions, and that
every voter now coming of age can read
and write. it Will not require much thought
to bring all to the conclusion that for no
very long period can the management of
the affairs of the South remain in the
hands of one party or one race. This fact
is both seen and appreciated by the think
ing white men of the South, and by them
public opinion is being moulded with a
view to giving the colored man more jus
tee and greater representation IN the af-
fairs of State. This and this alone, in my
opinion will divide the colored vote Of the
South and bring about that perfect union
in sentiment and action between the two
races SO much to be desired by all whC
love liberty, freedom and peace.
SAMUEL. ] f. EF,
| Chapel Hill News.