The Indianapolis journal., 1888-07-25
THAT COLORED DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION

Allow me space in your columns to say 70"
plain things TO the colored voters OF lndiana
touching the proposed meeting of so-calied inde-
pendent Republicans in national convention IN
your city. on the 18th inst
That Democratic convention should be held
in Indiana is no strange thing. but that party
Of diseruntled, disappointed and ambitious men,
who exert but little, if any. influence at their own
homes among the classes who know them most
and best, should join in q call for colored Dem
ocratic convention. to Re held in place in which
Of the leaders(l is resident, Is at once. TO
me, ''one of the worlds wonders"
That any man, whether be be white or col
ored, has right to affiliate with any political
party he may choose, freely grant This priv
ilege take to myself, and would no less willing
ly accord to my neighbor. As individuals
we are responsible only to our
selves for the political faith which
is in each of US; but when men
would convert others to their especial faith and
practice it is the duty OF those whom tn ey
would proselyte to carefully inquire into the
record of the leaders, the causes OF their de-
fection or the motives sctuating them, as well
as the character OF the faith to be embraced and
the superior advantages to be derived there
from.
The condition of things rs experienced by the
colored people OF this State and Nation requires
that We be vieilant. courageous and polite We
should everywhere unite in demanding recog-
milton Of our political and civil rights and under
no circumstances rest night or day till that
happy hour comes in which every citizen. re-
gardless Of his color. shall enjoy the fullest and
freest rights guaranteed under tho amended
Constitution. 10 every case We should pursue
that course. concerning which there is no ques-
tion and follow the advice aud counsel of such
leaders stand pre- eminently above suspicion.
who have been weighed in the balances and not
found wanting.
Who are the leaders in this movement? tits
not intended to reflect upon the private char
acter Of any one, and yet there II not a single
man OF them who has, In any striking sense,
been engaged In shaping tho moral, religious.
educational or political life OF the race. safe
leader, teacher reformsr is ouei who first
knows that he 10 right. Having taken his posi-
ton. he maintains it despite everything; un-
dauntedy. unswervnely he holds on, never
changing until the great purpose of his life 10
accomplished.
The gentlemen who head this 10 movement have.
to q man. proven themselves by their own
actions, simply political weather.cockS Each
and all of them have been Republicans. loud in
their profession of faith. In the last campaign
the Hon. j. Milton Turner was loud in his
praise Of the Republican party, showing forth
its good deeds and urging every colorsd voter to
stand by that party which had stood by rs.
cry and mesnness Of the Democratic
party-asserting that no colored man could be
true to himself. his race or the logic OF history
who. under the circumstances, chose, in any
way, to associate himself with Democracy.
1t now turns out that Mr.. Turner is doing the
very thing he advised us, in his Richmond
| sreech not to do. "A wonderful change has
come over the spirit of his dreams." Way this
changs2 Why is it that Douglass. Bruce, Lang
| ston, Lynch, Greener, and . thousand other
men who have stood in the fora of the races ad-
vancement, have not chanRedl Men who have
| been and are the confessed leaders Of the race.
1t seems that all along these great reformers
are receiving some little fayors at the hands OF
the Democratic party, or expect to. Ii this be
all, then their reasons for change are purely
| sordld, selfish and mercenary. AS . cclOred
man. with me race stands higher than party
| and moro. race stands higher than SELF II is
not q question of petty Office or few dollars
for the individual, but the recoeniton OF rights,
civil and political. of seven millions Of people.
| About the only reason assigned Why We should
| divide our vote, is that the Republican party
has not done all for that 1t should have done;
| that it did not finish its well-begun work Ad-
| NIT this and yet the truth remains as unshAkep
| as Gibraltar, that whatever has been accom-
| plished, the Republican party did do not
| plead the gratitude act" yet mean Is the dog
| which bites the hand that feeds it, It is
| averred, however. that wo should be consistent
| Every outrage perpetrated upon Us 90 race,
during all our history ia this country. 10 charge
l
right that We enjoy to-day is only made possible
| through the Republican party. The arming Of
coored soldiers emancipation, reconstruction
| acts, amendments to the Constitution, eto-all
| Republican measures in the interest Of colored
| men. and every one bitterly fought and opposed
| by Democracy.
| In the State Legislatures, North and South.
| whenever attempts are made. even now, to
place all citizens equal and mpartia grounds,
| Democracy Invariably says no.
1 Tafs hat rfv fhro cd anfio ~
| colored men would never have been called; for
| under Democratic rule and government no negro
| would have been allowed come within the
| State for any purpose whatsoever. To-day there
| is statutory law in Indiana which discriminstes
| against colored men. and when bill was pre-
| senped to wipe these inhibtioos from the stat
| utss, every Republican voted "fes, and Demo-
| cratic majority voted 'No." And there the
| black laws are to-day, vestige of the infancy
| Of the past menace to the morals and an in
| suit to the manhood and womanhood Of the race
| in the present.
| Especially is it true that no colored man can
be other than Republican so long as the present t
/ condition Of things exists in the South. Were
| it not for q Democratic South, the Democratic
(: party would not to-day be in power No honest
| white man, whatever his politics. and no we'll
informed colored man. will deny that the col
/ ored vote Of the South 10 suppressed. and the
! voter himself intimidated and brutality outraged.
| II he votes Democratic, all right; if not, his
| ballot is thrown out or he is notified under
threat not to appear at the polls. II is no.
torious fact that the matter of elections 10 sim.
| ply o fraud and humbug-a farce that deceives
| no one. Yet no Democratic convention ever a
| clares against this nefarious business Demo
| cratic orators excuse and extenuate, and Demo
| cratic journals deny. With them the ballo,
| means nothing; citizenship for negroes means
| less.
The infamy Of this thing is seen in the fact
| that the colored population is enumerated sim
| ply that the basis of Democratic representation
may be increased. The Democrats of the South
say negroes shall not hold Office or control even
| in those sections where the majorities are over
| whelming. Take parishes 10 Louisiana jackson
| pie. Think of the methods applied throuehou,
most Of the South; the injustice, prescriptions
| lynchines. chain gangs, and other outraees upor
| our peopie-all of which is the Democratic way
| Of demonstrating their love for the neero-ani
then ask how a colorsd man who has auy love al
| race. whose blood boils with Indignation. and
| whose heart aches over these outraees. can ioir
hands with the perpetrators Of these crimsss
| Remember. too, that this war il only carrjef
| on where the prevailing sentiment is Demo
! cratic Colored men may. and perhaps OUCH,
TO, divide their votes. just other natiouaities
do bat is will only be when the neero's vote IL
| Georgia or Mississippi is counted as it is in In
diana or Ohio. II can only be when every rieh
IS respected and guaranteed throuehous ali ths
! Democratic South as in Massachusetts
Since the foregoing is q true synopsis OF th,
| Democratic past and present attitude
and that the party at the Nort,
silently approves the work of IN,
party in the South, and since they have mads
no overtures 70 as guaranteeing fuller n,