Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1889-08-16
The Negro in Public Affairs.
Westminster Ado0cdte,

The ancient capital of Maryland has one
progressive citizen at least His name is
Thompson, and his color black. He is,
withal, an Alderman, and ut meeting
oil the council last week he astonished
his associates by proposing To bond the
city To the extent OF $4,000 10 pave the
streets Annapolis has debt, and tax rate,
including city, county and state levy, Is
$1.73t on the 500. Under such circum
stances it is not to be wondered that the
proposition has aroused the tax payers.
Here is what the Capital has to say OF the
progressive Alderman:
"Alderman Thompson does not represent
the property holders of this city. He repre-
sents largely class OF people that pay no
taxes-nany of them are Il burden upon
the community, and do not contribute u
dollar towards the improvement of the city.
Were the places they fill in our Naval
Academy and the Naval Proving Grounds
filled by Germans, who are known to be an
industrious and saving people, every one
employed there would be the owner of his
own house, and perhaps the owner OF one
or two other houses. Such labor is II benefit
TO community instead Of burden. We
ask how many houses have these co,ored
laborers built in our city. The larger the
col0red element in community, greater the
burdens ON the tax payer"
II is well for Annapolis that the negroes
do not control enough wards to elect u ma
jority OF the council. Ii they did, then the
people would know indeed what taxation
means. They would know, too, by expert
ence what some of the Southern States, cities,
towns and counties have suffered; and still
suffer. Paying little or no taxes themselves,
and therefore not realizing the burdens OF
government, they are easily led and con
troled by schemlng jobbers and contractors
to vote money for any improvement scheme,
particularly when they share in the profits,
or their judgments are assisted by lee for
their support.
Some counties in Maryland are heavily
tax ridden on account OF the participation
Of the negro in public aiE..::is. Wherever
the negro vote is nearly equal to the white,
there viii usually be found n public debt
and high tax rate. And yet when it is
sought 10 impress these facts upon the pub
lie mind, and to warn them against the dan
gers OF negro rule, the Republican organs
are Mortified. They Immediately select a
few isolated cases where the colored man
has possessed himself of little home, or
has learned 10 spell out II few words, and
proclaim the great advancement the race
has made in wealth and education. They
pretend to think IL wonderful, that race
that had been "bound in the chains of sla
u quarter of century should have learned
anything, and then run off into disserta-
ton on slavery and stand appalled, at its
cruelties and horrors. These negrophiists,
and some oil them are found right here in
Maryland, forget that if negroes had not
been kidnapped by the Yankee slave traders
and brought To this country, they would be
cannibals in Africa to day And go where
you will, you will find that the best of the
race, Us u rule, are those who were reared
In slavery. Slavery has been abolished, and
few there are who regret it. 1t was right
to clothe them with every projection of law
but it was a gricvous mistake to give them
the elective franchise and place them on an
equal footing in public affairs with the white
race.
The negro is very useful in his place, but
his sphere OF usefulness does not extend To
places where business capacity and good
Judgment are required. AS rule he is not
qualified to vote with any degree of inteIi
gence, much less 10 control public finances
and fl tax levies They have no knowl
edge of government, and care not Ii not
urged on by whites who use them to further
their own ends, they would not make them
selves prominent in public affairs. The ne
gro is not so much to blame for his position,
but his activity and impotence are due 10
the unworthy whites who have taught him
hate and luminosity TO the white race, in or
der that their objects and ambitions may be
gratitied and their pockets lined.
Petted and pampered, praised and flatter-
ed and driven TO the polls in carriages, they
have gotten above their station, and are
taking the lead themselves. Since Harri-
sons election they have about concluded
that they are "the people" They do not
need prompting now, but are asking and
demanding. They are demanding lair
share of the Federal offices IN Maryland,
on the one the hand, and on the other
are demanding the repeal OF laws pro-
hibiting intermarriage between the two
races; demanding that schools be kept open
for them a longer time, and where thei
numbers are not sufficient To warrant the
maintenance Of u special school for colored
people, demanding admission TO the white
schools; they are demanding admission TO
the Normal School and TO the Maryland
College, and various other things.
When the negroes have come to this, il S
well for the whites To band together and
put down their impudence and pretension,
and TO put down still further every white
man who affiliates with them or attempts
their defence. And it ought 10 be done ut
once. They should be given To understand
that they do not own this state an the
country, if they do enable the republican
party To carry every state in The Union il
does control except two Their boldness
will ALLEVIATE from the Il publican party
many whites who have heretofore attached
no importance To the colOred race as II lac
tor in public affairs, and considered them AS
harmless. And il ought To do ST.. Ii ignur-
ance aud extravaganza in public place.
would be avoided, it is time that the az
gressions Of the negroes be MET at once
The declarations Of the Negro State Con-
vention in February last should b. mai an
issue, and leading one, in the next cam
paign. Ii they are not rebukeJ the colorei
people will feel encouraged to go further.