The Washington bee., 1889-04-27
IT WON'T WORK.

The institution OF a southern
policy such as is indicated by the
Birmingham movement presents
phrases which will be found quite
as interesting and at the same
time as alarming to the Northern
Protectionist and the republican
| party as it will be to the negro.
If the republican party at the
south is to be resolved into one of
the championship of protection to
American industries, merely, and is
to ignore the great moral questions
which it has been proud and
honored to champion-those which
form the brightest aud best pages
of its history-then it is only left
tor the negro to chose between
Protection and Free Trade. The
Negro is now an agriculturist.
Though he has not Jared sump-
tuously on that line yet he has
been able to live. The Birming-
ham movement, which is ostensi-
bly, designed to advance a policy
of protection but which is in fact
a new and specious movement to
grind the negro under the heel Of
misrule and ostracism, has declar-
ed itself as opposed to any sfilia-
ton with the colored people. The
movement is to be pure white.
The operation of such a move.
ment is practically to deprive the
negro of any of the benefits which
may accrue to the people by
reason of the adoption of a system
Of protection. In other words,
the questions of Protection and
Free Trade will involve the ac-
ceptance of one of two proprosi-.
tons or queries: 1st. Will you
assist in giving strength and
support to a large majority of
people among whom you are liv-
ing and thus perpetuate a system
which at least recognizes you as
an agriculturist of merit? or, End
Will you seek to destroy that
system and assist a party or a
movement which in the ofstart
declares seorn for your judgment
J and affiliation, and which will
practically devoree you from the
T majority and rob you of your
occupation?
These seem queer questions but
} this is what they practically
2 amount to. And the success OF
; perpetuity of either movement will
depend largely upon the negro
IF he casts his influence with
either movement it will succeed
And to suppose that the negro
with the experionc he has had
$ will follow blind,y any man or
set of men who may term them
: selves republicans, at the expense
D OF republican principles, as he has
been taught to reverence them,
! and to hope for their eventual
Incorporation into American in
stitutions, is simply to suppose a
very foolish thing. The negro
I viii not give up his present occu,
patton, except with the assurance
? Of a better and more remuuera>
! tive one. If republicanism means
: merely protection to industries in
} which he is not allowed to par
: ticipate and the utter disregard
for protection to human rights
, and cirI and political liberty, the
south will remain solid for CEN
tury to come. Morever, the negro
) is not only al the south, he is at
; the north and is the instrument
by which it is possible for the
north to maintain a system of
protection to industries.
Il Let him be certain that the
movement for protection at the
: south means only the further en-
slavement of the negro in that
quarter, and the question of a
solid north for protection and
republicanism will become as
doubtful as they now are at the
south. While we know that MIR.
Harrison does not countenance
the Birmingham "dodge," yet it
is well to have it understood that
when the negro at the south is
about to be 'turned dowd" he will
find his hrathren at the north