Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1890-10-21

awaits them If the Republican mana
ayers are permitted to carry to sue
cessful end, their scheme to colonize
this state with the negroes of the
South? When the charge was made
during the last campaign that cOlored
voters were being transported into this
State, it was looked upon lightly and
regarded by some as political cutlery
made for political purposes. When
the Democratic party through its State
Executive Committee made those
charges good with proof so strong and
overwhelming that no doubt could eX-
list in any reasonable mind, yet there
were some so prejudiced by political
bias that they still doubted, but in
view of the exposure disclosed in the
following letters and the open confess
sion of some of the Republican leaders
can there exist in the mind of any
honest man, doubt of the plans and
purposes of the Republican leaders to
colonize this State with the blacks of
the South, and that with no other view
than to make the State Republican.
Mr.. G. w. Atkinson in an interview
printed in the IlateLEigencer of Oct. 18th,
says: 81 have nothing to conceal.
When an emigrant agent asks me to
assist him in finding homes and en-
PIoyment for the class referred to-,
within the limits of West Virginia, L
most certainly will do so to the best of
my ability"
OF course he has nothing to conceal
now, for the nefarious scheme has
been exposed; but did not this sanity
gentleman have something to conceal
before this exposure took place? Ii
not, why did almost every letter of his
cOnfederates bear words of caution,
such as these: ''Now my dear friend
read this letter, which L hope will put
you in better spirits, and then, in the
language of one of our great states
men, let me say, burn this letter.
don't tear it up, but burn it, for as
some of our friends say that if it were
to get out that our work had any po-
litical significance attached, it would
ruin our chances of success in these
doubtful States" &c. Yes, and it
ought to ruin their chances in any
State or among any people. This gen
tleman, who claims TO be the cham
piOn of high protective tariff says, if
he could spare the time he would in
duce several thousand of this class of
workingmen to come into the State.
What an inducement for the work
ingmen of this State to have to COM
pete with this class of people in the
mines, in the workshops, and in the
forest and field.
He says, Representative Smith,
Senator Quay, myself and others, when
we were considering the proposition
made to us to find homes for colOred
people from North Carolina and the
Southern States, distinctly announced,
and l repeat it here, that we would
not consider any proposition that did
not imply permanent citizenship on
the part of all who were to come; and
if after they come among us and be
come legal citizens, they should choose
to vote the Republican ticket, we GER
tainly would not object"
Quay, Atkinson and Smith! What
a trio in consultation considering u
proposition to bring citizens to de-
velop West Virginia! What interest
has Quay in the development of West
Virginia? Why don't he induce the
colored man of the South to go to
Pennsylvania? Because he is not
needed there for political purposes, but
West Virginia, now beginning to bloom
with prosperity, settled with an in
dustrious and progressive people, must
be made the asylum of the negro of
the South, in order that the Republic
can party may be kept in power. At
kinson and Smith, in place of repre-
senting their people in Congress, en-
gagged in "a scheme to bring to this
State class of people that will not
add one dollar to its prosperity, but