Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1888-08-02
found NO cause for misglviig as to

truths asserted:
Elsewhere we print d communication 10 the ed
itOr Of the Bee from resident Of Mlssissppi,a re-
publican, which makes plain and uDquestiOna-
bly, trustworthy statement Of the way negroes
of that state are treated. IL Is n recital that
| ought to be impossible In this country, and no
| fair minded citizen can read It without feeling
that the American people are dishonored by the
existence Of such state Of affairs. The citizen
ship conferred by the constitution Is Of no value
| to him In Mississippi. Instead Of serving as q
shield and protection, 1t Is really a source Of
hardship, bringing down upon him il he ever at
tempt to assert any Of his rights the harshcst III
treatment that the descendants OF the slave
drivers dare to infict. The negro Is not only
dsfranchised, but he jeopardIzes his life II he
ventures TO express an opinion not In harmony
with the principles and policy Of the ruling class.
natOre the law he Is the equal OF every other citi-
zen, but the law IL pOwerlcSs to protect him In
the exercise OF single right which II cOnfers.
To all ntents and purposes the negro In MissIss-
ppi Is no better Of than In the days OF slavery II
so well. He encounters quite rs much cruelty,
he has no better chance for redress Of his wrongs
and In order to secure a livelihood he must fore
go his rights as Il citizen, restrain his speech,
and abjcctly yield 10 the behcstS of the dOninat-
| ing power.
| What Is true Of Mississippi Is essentially so OF
| nearly all the southern states. And the cOnse-
qucnrcs Of the wrong which deprives the negroes
Of their political rights do not stop with the In
justice to race, but are extended TO the govern
| mcnt itself, the executive branch Of which Is
now In the control of the democracy by reason
of the fact that the fourteenth and fifteenth
| amendment to the constitution area dead letter
In the southern states. Senator Chandler, In an
| article on "Our Southern Masters" In the July
Forum, says: "Iet 1t he borne In mind-it cannot
be too often repcated-that II the constitution
were In force, Blaine instead Of Cleveland, would
now be president, and the national house would
be republican instead Of democratic. II the col
orcd citizen could vote, and have their votes
counted rs east, the election next fall would
with hardly the form Of contest, be republicans
and on the 9Th Of March, 1889, Cleveland would
surrender the executive power to u republican
president, who would he sustained by congress
republican In both branches"
But the cOlOred vote In the south will not he
east tbs year to any greater extent than it was
four years ago. II will he again demonstrations
ally suppressed, and it will continue to be so
long rs the democratic party holds its grip ON
the SOUTH This capnot lust forever There ara
conditions at work which must sooner or later
break the hold, and whenever that time comes
the colored voters will get their political rights
Meanwhile there appears nothing better to do
than to appeal to the white voters of the country
who have some sense of Justice aud 8l,u cal,
upnrGpaie ting cDOrmity OF the wrong OF depriy-
ing several millions Of citizens Of their cOnstitu-
tiOnal rights, to assist In driving from power the
party that Is responsible for the gravest Of