Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1888-09-28
Secret Political Meeting.

Correspondence OF the Alexandria GAZETTE.
| A secret meeting OF colored voters was
held in Hamilton, Va, last week There
are q few Intelligent negroes who in end to
vote for Cleveland and work among their
race in this section for that ticket. Oae Of
| them he's been explaining the intended tariff
reduction in his own way and with SO much
success that meeting of republican colored
voters was quietly called in order TO offset
the threatening missionary work of the COL
ored democrat.
| The meeting took place at the old cheese
factory in Hamilton. Richard Clarke and
Marshall Cook, both colored, were the speak
ais. Others made impromptu speeches, nut
Richard Clarke was evidently the orator of
the occasion, and he had been we'll drilled
| aud recied his lesson with the iathfulncss
of machine, that could act but does not
and cannot give reason.
Tho whole tenor of his effort was in the
direction ofinhuenciug his hearers through
fear. The democrats were Matching some
terrible plot. The Constitution forbade
them to make the negroes slaves again, but
if this plot succeeded slavery would be
paradise beside the lot they would have TO
endure. This plot had been in contemplG1
ton for some time, but on account of the re.
publican Senate ii could not be carried out.
IF Cleveland was re elected, however, the
Senate would be democratic and then the
democrats could do what they pleased with
the colored eople. Ho quoted speaker
at the republican meeting ut Lincoln as say
ing that the negroes would only get ten
cents day, but if this plot Of the demo-
Gratis succeeded, 10 cents a day would be
princely fortune. Five cents day would
be considered big wages. This Mills bill
was nothing more or lees than au effort OF
the shareholders to ruin tho North, and that
out ofthank fulness toEngl land which country
| tried to help them during the rebellion, they
| wanted to introduce free trade in the whole
country 50 rs to give England chance to
sell her goods in this country and break up
the northern manufacturers. He also told
them to voie lhe republican ticket this fall,
for it would be their inst vote. very likely.
If Cleveland was reelected every republi.
can negro vote would suppressed, and tie
republican coored people would be hunted
down like does.
The audiences took in al: this stuff with
,he avidtv and credulity of children listen
ing to ghost story told by their nurse.
The Presidents retaliation message was
treated IN rather ulXed up slyle. Ine
speaker said that this retaliation was with
Chine, and that the President intended to
stop the Chinese immigration not by exclud-
ing Chinese, bat by retaliating in sendinga
negro to China for every heather Chinese
which was sent from the Celestial Empire
to the United States The republican party
was 10 favor OF cheap Canadian fish: so that
the colored people could have fish three
times day if they wanted them.
But there is nothing remarkable in these
campaign methods. Did they not try TO in
fuence the white voters of the United States
with the same ex-rebe, pro.English, free
trade stories But they deserve no credit
for stopping them, because they found out
they were doing themselves more harm than
good by such vile treatment of grave Fl.
nancial question.
What must we think of a party that has
to resort to holding secret pow.wows and
making such bold-faced misrepresentation
in order to gain voters or to retain them in
its ranks? And we can look with compa-
cent pride at the course of the democratic
press, which, with few exceptions, has Ger.
tainly dealt with this question of the tariff
in q highly patriotic style, devoid of all per-
sonaities.