The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1888-09-21
STRANGELY INCONSISTENT
Thurman Actually Claims to be a
Friend Of CoIored Men
IN THE FACE OF HIS RECORD.
A Dcmasoslc Pleu for Negro Votes
From Man to Whom They owel
Nothing. and Whose Record is
Filled With IlnmIty to Them.

NOLIMbUSI W. GpPt' SS AHAS "asN'
noon Judge Thurman received delega-
ton Of colored Democrats who, through
w. II. Furbush, of Arkansas, presented
an address expressing their thankfulness
for favors from the Democratic party, ex-
pressing belief in the division of the
colored vote as for their best interest,
and stating firm belief in the election
Of Cleveland and Thurman.
Judge Thurman greeted them warmly
and spoke as follows:
GENTLEMEN: lam greatly obliged to you
for this call and still more Tor the kind
and lust sentiments that have Just been
read here. ! know very well that |
have been described as an enemy OF the
colored people. There never was any
thing more unjustin the world. / don't
come OF family that is unjust. But,
we cannot expect justice in u political
campaign and have been denounced as
an enemy OF the colored race. deny
nothing that is true, but this charge is
untrue No man eau point TO law
that had anything to do with the max
ing Of, or to u decision 0t mine while
on the bench that was more
unjust to the Colored people than to the
white or unjust in any description, and
/ defy any one to show anything to the
contrary. No man can say with truth
that / have denied the equality before
the law OF the colored people. | stand,
and Grover Cleveland stands, on the
platform Of the Democratic party, which
pronounces for equal rights for all with
out regard to race or color That plat
form means that every man-whether
by birth, by naturalization, or by the
amendments to the constitution citi-
zen-is equal to any one before the law.
TApplause. White and black stand on
the same foundation and all are equal
before the law.
Now you have studied the platform
OF the Democratic party; you have seen
the pledges made. No President has
ever done more ample justice to the col
ored people than Grover Cleveland, and,
il reelected, he will continue to do JUS
tice to them. / know him well. In his
intellect, in his heart, in his soul, he is
a Just and upright man. When he says
anything he means it, and when he has
said it he stands to it.
II you will look into the matter you
will find that the freedom which you
have enjoyed WILDE traced to the decla.
ration in which Jefferson, the father oi
Democracy, wrote the words free and
equal"
Although slavery in the South was to
be found in Wing us well as in Demo-
cratic States, and it has been called a
Democratic institution, yet tue truth is,
the principle of Jefferson was under
mining it, and it was brought to the
grave. Now, say whatever you may
think, write whatever you may think,
there is liberty for all. II any people
more than another have reason to be
thankful for this declaration, it is
those who have been lately set
free. l don't underrate the men
who helped. l know well the unjust
claims that have been made. l know
well that It was said it was not to
be fight for abolition. | know that it
was said that if the Union could bepre-
served without freeing slave they
would preserve it on that condition. !
know that Mr.. Lincoln, great and good
man, said so, but also know that when
the idea entered the brain Of the radical
leaders that, by emanCipating the slave
and giving him the suffrage, the
South might be made q solid rad
ical South. Then there was sud
den and wonderful growth Of philan,;
thropy, and the men who but lately had
been willing to see slavery indefinitely
prolonged, became the earnest advocates
OF abolition. Ina word, party interests
governed political action, and ii it had
not been supposed by the radical leaders
that the political bondage 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. did not intend to
make q long speech, and | thank you for
your call and attention.
The Judge spoke with ease, and after
n cordial handshako, the delegation de-
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