The Washington bee. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1884-1922, 1889-11-16

Tree, anu uOI secret; anu SuOulu
seek the accomplishment of it's
ends by moral rather than political
agencies, and find its expression
in all cases, and especially the one
under consideration, mainly
through the creation of that just
and righteous public sentiment
that will place equal and sufficient
safeguards about the rights of
every American citizen. The tenn
per of our people and the genius of
our institutions are opposed to
secrecy as element of political
action. Publicity in political affairs,
with US, is justly conceded to be
an element Of strength and not of
weakness.
When you add to the secret
quality of political action the race
characteristic it becomes a mon
frosty which free people will not
encourage. In the present cOndi.
ton OF parties the German, the
Irish, and the colored vote, COM
pactly organized and cast of race
lines, would constitute a balance of
power between the great national
partisan organizations, and would
give victory to any party to which
it should 60. If such race Organi-
cations should exist, there are
possibly some politicians in each of
the political parties who, in the
event of great party emergency
and for the purpose of achieving a
party victory, would be willing to
utilize for a time the vote thus
organized. But the dominant
thought and ruling spirit of the
Republican and the Democratic
parties would alike view with
alarm the introduction as a perma-
nent element in public affairs of a
secret political race organization
and, if need be, the very parties
that in the heat of partizan con-
tests invited the cooperation of
these race organizations would
ultimately combine to crush them
as the common enemy of both. The
cOlored race are proud of their citi-
zenship; will continue to protest
against and resist the invasion of
their rights, and will never be
content to exercise them by suffers
ance. AS men they cannot do less.
But they propose strictly American
methods to vindicate American
rights. They have never, for a
moment, contemplated indirect,
concealed, and covert methods as
either necessary or allowable for
their protection.
The record of this people entities
them to just consideration, and as
one of their humble representatives,
1 will not permit myself to believe
that their claims will be perma-
nently overlooked or disregarded
by the American people.
We have attested our fidelity to
the nation in its hour of peril by
freely giving our lives for it's pro
lection; we have promptly and
with wonderful rapidity taken in
the thoughts and adopted the
methods of the great people of
whom we are no insignificant part !;
we have patientieQtly and cheerful
ly, by willing, generous expendi~
ture of our energies, contributed
our magnificent quota to the grand
material resources of the nation !;
we have shown ourselves apt schOl
ars in acquiring the qualities OF
conservative and intelligent eiti-
zenship; we have rejOiced and do
rejoice in the still new and blessed
light of freedom; we are ready to
share equality with our brothers
of the waite race the burdens as
we'll as the blessings of free gov
eminent, and we ask, expect, and
as securely as God lives, and the
right shall prevail, we will ulti~
mately receive full justice from the
American people.
The secret race organization ex-
lists only in the minds of the senSa-
tionallsts who have given it curren-
CIV. 1t has never found place either
in the thought, the conscience, the
purpose or the action OF the color
ed race; and the prejudices and
fears that the circulation of such a
rumor as this may create are utter
ly groundless, and should not for a
moment be entertained by thought
full and intelligent men.
B. X. BRUCE.
Washington, D. c., Nov. 10, 1889.