Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-09-28
THE COLORED VOTE.
High Time for the Negro co Decide for
Himself how He Shall vote.

TO the Editor Of I'VE Gazette
GALVESTON, TEX, Sept "a, 1886. II
is only repetition OF the old story, 9TH.
devil got sick, the devil saint would
be; the devil got well, the devil q
saint was he" When the Repubii.
can convention met in the city Of Forl
Worth 1884, i, then perceiving that the
color line was drawn In the Repuhlican
ranks, and being aware that an attemp,
was about to be made to perpetuate it,
in other words, that the tail was deter.
mined to persist In its ridiculous effort to
wag the dog-I protested in the name OF
the Republican party and on behalf of my
race against any such discrimination be.
tween equal citizens OF this republic. ]
now see at the late State Republican con.
ventlon that met at Waco, that those who
have been called the leaders Of our
race in Texas have done the very
thing that protested against In
1884, the running Of the convention on
the color line. | am satisfied that my
race cannot run the Republican party In
Texas alone, and why dc l say so? Be-
cause the Democratic party has total
majority OF l27 ,242, to a Republican vote
OF 88,745. Now let the whites leave
U.S. WtiA IL Dt ohlu NY luOcC dmUlJlOuS
leaders Of my race that they can survive
the Democratic partyY i do not desire
to be misunderstood by saying that the
Republicans could succeed in Texas as a
party, but would it not have been better
for us as party II we had not put tick
ct In the field at all. and had voted as to
issues and men2 The last Democratic
national convention formulated and pro-
1nuluat cd tho folloxuipo yfat.a.
"The Democratic party of ,the
Union, recognizing that
as the nation grows older, new issues are
born of times and progress, aud old issues
perish. But the fundamental principles
OF Democracy will ever remain as the
best and only security for the contiuu-
ance of free government, the preserva-
tion of personal rights, the equality OF all
citizens before the law can never be sur.
rendered. Asserting the equality of all
men before the law, we hold that IL is the
duty of the government in its dealings
with the people to mete out equal and
exact justice to all citizens Of whatever
nativity, race, color or persuasion--re-
lgious or political"
| quote these paragraphs so that my
race can see the spirit of the age, being
both liberal and progressive. The politi-
cal issues of to-day are not what they
were twenty years ago: and that we for
get nothing and learn nothing. believe
that the colored people should take sides
with parties according to their views of
questions of public policy, and according
to the practical recognition which the re-
spective parties will guarantee them in
the public service. The mass of the col
ored voters Of Texas, Iihope, Will not be
as easily led now as they have been In
the past, because they are beginning to
think for themselves, and as we grow in
intelligence we should cease to vote like
SO many machines. l would rejoice to
see Republicans and Democrats alike re-
lleved of the corruptions that have crept
into their ranks and established on sound
principles of public policy, rather than APP
pealiDg to the people with a lot of ex-
pedients to obtain office. These are en-
couraging indications that the colored Re-
publicans are seeing this and are indis-
posed to follow the blind guiding of the
(ofiice) leaders who would bring the
party into the condition of chronic dis
favor with the people, but there are those
who will say that 1t is principle to vote
solid. RICHARD NELSON.