Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1888-09-21
FREED FROM BONDAGE
A COLORRD DSLEsArION CALLS on JUDGE
THURMAN.
An Evidence That the ColOrsd Race IS Breaking
Away From Political Servihds-fns Old
Roman Gives Them Ring
ing Talk.

COLUMBUS, o., September 20.-This
ofsernoon Judge Thurman received dele
cation Of co,oEsd Democrats who, through
W. H. Furbush, of Arkansas, presented an
address expressing their thsnkfulness for
for tayors from the Democratic party, ex-
pressing = belief in the division Of the
colorsd vote as for theiS best interest, and
stating q 6rm belief in the election Of
Cleveland and Thurmau.
Judge Thurman greeted them warmly
and spoke rs follows:
GENTLEMES:-I am greatly obliged to
you for this call, and still more for the
kind and Just sentiments that have been
read here. know very well that have
been described as an enemy Of the eolored
people. There never was anything more
uDjust in the world, but We cannot
expect justice in political cam
paign and / have been denounced
a. sn enemy of the colored race. / deny
nothing that is true, but this charge is IN
true. No man can point to law that
had anything To do with the making of, or
to decision of mine while on the bench,
that WAS more unjust to the colored
people than 10 the white, or unjust in
any description; and l defy any one
to show anything to the contrary.
No man can say with truth
1 have denied the equality before the law
of the colored people. stand, and Grover
Cleveland stsuds on the platform Of the
Democratic party, which pronounces for
equal rights for all, without regard to race
or color. That platform means that every
mau-whether by birth, by naturalization
or by the the amendments TO the Constitu-
tion citizan-is equal to any one before
the law. Applause White and black
stand on the ssna foundation and all are
equsl before the law.
II YOU will look into the matter yon
will aud that the freedom which you have
erioyei will be traced to the declaration
in which Jefferson, tho father of Demo
cracy wrote the words "frse and equal"
Although slavery ip the South was to be
found in Whig as well as in Democratic
States, il has been called Democratic in
stitutiop, yet the truth Is, the principle Of
Jefferson was undermining il, and it was
brought 70 the grave. Now, ssy whatever
you may think, write whatever you may
think, there is liberty for all II any pso-
pie more than another have reason to be
thankful for this declaration, it is those
who have lately bsen set free.
/ don't underrate the men who helped
know we'll the unjust claims that have
been mGde. | know well that it was Lot
to be a fight Tor abolition. know that 1t
was said that If the union could be pre-
served without freeing a slave, they would
preserve it on that condition. l know
that Mr.. Lincoln, a greet and good man
said 80, bot / also know that when the
idea entered the brain of the radical lesd-
ers that by emancipatipg the slave
and giving him the suffrage the
south might be made solid
radical South, then there was q sudden
and wonderful growth of philanthropy,
and the men who but lately had been
willing to see slavery prolonged, became
the earnest advocates Of abolition. In
word, party interests governed political
scsiou, and if it had not been supposed by
the radical leaders thst the political bond
age Of the negro could be made to take the
place of the ancient bondage, you would
have heard nothing Of the Republican
party having freed the slaves.
The Judge spoke with ease, and after q
cordisl handshake the delegation departed.