The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1889-08-10
The Negro in Public Affairs.


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 at a meeting OF the
council last week he astonished his associates
by proposing to bond the city to the ex-
tent of $4,000 to pave the streets. Annapo-
lis already has a debt, and the tax rate, IN
Guiding city, county and state levy, is Sl.7Si
on the 500. Under such circumstances 1t is
not to be wondered that the proposition has
aroused the tax payers Here is what the
Capital has to say of the progressive Alder
man:
Alderman Thompson does not represent the
property. holders of this city. He represents
largely class of people that pay no taxes
many of them are a burden upon the commu-
nity. and do not contribute a 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 saw.
ing people, every one employed there would
be the owner of bis own house, and perhaps
the owner of one or two other houses. Such
labor is a benefit to a community instead OF a
burden. We ask how many houses have these
colored laborers built in our city. The larger
the eolored element in community, greater
the burdens on the taxpayer.
1t is well for Annapolis that the negroes do
not control enough wards to elect majority
of the council. If they did, then the people
would know indeed what taxation means.
They would know, too, by experience, what
RI Sa-tLo., etotas citiae towns and
counties have suffered, and still suffer. Pay
ing little or no taxes themselves, and there
fore not realizing the burdens of government,
they are easily led and controlled by schem-
ing iobbers and contractors to vote money for
any improvement scheme, particularly when
they share in the profits, or their judgments
are assisted by fee for their support.
Some counties in Maryland are heavily tax
ridden ON account Of the participation Of the
negro in public affairs Wherever the negro
vote is nearly equal to the white, there will
usually be found public debt and high
tax rate And yet when it is sought to i'm
press these facts upon the public mind, and
to warn them against the dangers Of negro
I RUE. AlE 1NttlhitNAA VI HeisAo NaN
They Immediately select few isolated cases
where the colored man has possessed himself
of little home, or has learned to spell out
few words. and proclaim the great advance
ment the race has made in wealth and eduea-
ton. They pretend to think it wonderful,
that q race that had been bound in the chains
Of slavery, and degraded by euslavement,
in a quarter Of century should have learned
anything, and then run off into dissertation
on slavery, and stand appalled, at It's erueliiss
and horrors. These negrophilists, and some
of 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 eanibals in Africa
to-day. And 20 where you will, you viii fud
that the best Of the race, as a rule. are those
who we're reared in slavery. Slavery has been
abolished. and few there are who regret L.
Il was right 70 olothe them with every pro
lection of Law, but II was grievoss 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, bat
his sphere Of usefulness does not extend 20
places where business capacily aud good
Judgment are required. Asa ralc he is not
qualified TO vote with any degree Of intelii.
gence, much less to control public finances
and fix tax leyies They have no knoNledge
ofeoyernment, and care not II not urged on
BY whites who use them to further their own
ends, they would not make themselves prom
ineni in public affairs. The negro Is not 50
much to blame Tor his position, but his &C
tivity and impotence are dae.to the unworthy
whites who have laugh, hini hate and ami
mostly 20 the white race, ia order that their
objects and ambitions may be erati6ed and
their pockets lined.
Pested and pampered, praised and fiAt;erei,
aud driven to the polls in carriages, they have
gotten above their station. and are taking the
lead themselves Since HArrisoa's election
they have about concluded that they are the
people. They do not need prompting nos,
but are asking and demaadiHg. They are
demanding fair share OF the Federal Offices
! in Maryland. on the enc hand, and on the
other are demanding the repeal Of laws pro
| hibising intermarrisge between the two races;
demanding that schools be KEEP, open Tor
them longer time, and where their numbers
are not Sufficient to warrant the maintenance
OF a special school for coIored people, de-
mandine admission to The white schools; they
are demanding admission 70 the Normal School
and 10 the Maryland College, and various
other things.
When the negroes have come TO this, Il u
well for the whites to band together and pat
down their impudenee aud pretension, and to
put down still further every white man who
aliliAtes with them or attempts their defence
And it oush, TO be done at once. They
should be given TO understand that they do
not own this state and The country. II they dc
enable the Republican party TO carry every
state in the Union It does control except two,
Their boldness viii ALLEVIATE from the Repaid
lean parry many whites who have heretofore
attached no importance to the eoiored race
as factor in public affairs, and considered
them as harmless. And it ought TO do so.
If ignorance and extravagance IN pubic
place would be avoided it is time that the
aggressions Of the negroes be met al once
The declarations Of the Negro State Conyen-
ton in February last should be made an
issue, and leading one, in the next cam
paign. Iftbey are no, rebuked the eolored
people will feel encouraged to 90 further.
Kentucky and Virginia.