The Portland daily press., 1890-06-27
CONTROL OF FEDERAL ELECTIONS.
CONTINUED FROM FIRST rAcr.l

my whose victory meant the continuance OF
slavery. Yet the annals of the war tell no
slaughter of the helpless beings
nearly every able-bodied white man was
bearing arms on the field. They gave loyal
ty to the government which had spurned
them and fidelity to the men who had held
them in letters. Such loyalty and fidelity as
this demand some better reward from the
people Of this country, both North and
South, than the negro has ever received.
What he needs is neither brutality on the
one hand, nor sentimentality on the other.
He should not be petted and coddled because
he is Negro-American, nor should he be
ostracised, intimidated and cast out for the
same reason. We are altogether too fond Of
prefxing qualifying adjectives to the word
American. Ii man Is not satisfied to be an
the prefixes which denote race distinctions,
then he Is better outside this country than in
it. and this truth which is susceptible of a
wide application / would now apply to the
men of the colored race. We have clothed
them with the attributes of American citi-
hands the emblem of American sovereignty.
Whether wisely CT unwisely done is of no
consequence now it has been done and is
irrevocable. We owe them no more and no
less than we owe to all American citizens,
but we do owe them all that the American
government gives to any American citizen
be he rich or poor, white or black. The
government which made the black man a
citizen of the United States is bound to pro-
tect him in his rights as a citizen of the
United States, and II is a cowardly govern
ment If 1t does not do 1t. No people can af-
ford to write anything into their constitution
and not sustain it. A failure to do what is
right brings its own punishment to nations
as to men. There is no escape from the mex
orable law OF compensation. As Lincoln
col IN 10 To-.
'Fondly do we hope, fervently do we
pray, that the mighty scourge of war may
speedily pass away. Yet If God wills that it
continue until all the wealth piled up by the
bondsmen's 25O years of unrequited toll shall
be sunk, and until every drop of blood drawn
with the lash shall be repaid
another drawn with the sword. as was said
three thousand years ago, SO still 1t must be
said: The judgments of the Lord are true
and righteous altogether"
If we fail as people to deal with this
question rightly we shall pay for 1t just as
we paid the debt of slavery Of which all this
is part What then ought we to do? After
the war when this great body of slaves was
cast helplessly into freedom with all the re-
sponsibility of citizenship suddenly forced
within the power of the white race to have
so conciliated and divided them that the me-
gro as sectional political question should
never more have been heard of. Perhaps it
was asking too much of human nature to ex-
pect this to be done. At all events it was
lem could be solved by methods other than
those known to the law. Those methods
have been tried and they are failure. For
10 years they have prevailed completely and
yet the South comes to this Congress with
the cry that measures should be taken to de-
port the negro population. That the propo-
sition is impracticable does not deprive it of
It's slgnlhcance. 1t is confession of failure
and CRY. of despair. Whatever the correct
policy is by which to deal with these prob
lens which the South thus presents of its
own accord, this is neither the time nor the
place to discuss. One thing is certain; no
intelligent remedy can be applied so long as
the negro question is made matter of party
politics, dividing sections and keeping alive
sectional animOsities and agitation With
the governments of the states and of the
municipalities. we here have nothing to do.
Each state and each community must work
out its own salvation in its own way. If
they do rightthey will profit by it. If they
do wrong they will pay for it, and pay for It
to the last 1ot and little; for If the mills of
God grind slowly they grind exceeding small.
But the election of men to sit in this hall is
a different question. 1t is mere pretence to
talk about the rule OF an inferior race, of Or
gained barbarism. when dealing with this
part OF the problem. If ne
groes, or men nominated by negroes,
had always been elected from dozen or fif-
teen districts In the South it would have
been but trifiing element in the great move
ment Of the national government. But if
such elections had been permitted the politi-
cal agitation in the North about the negro
and the negro question would have died out
long ago. But here party. supremacy came
In and the race question was falsely used as
an excuse for Selling a certain number of
seats In this body. There is another and
more important point here to be considered.
With anywhere they touch the like elections
everywhere. The election of governor in
one state does rot concern the people of
another politically, but the fraudulent cleo
tion of a member of Congre SIS in one state is
direct wrong to the political rights of the
people In. every other. Leave our rights
clone and then you can take up your bur
dens in your own way and we will help you
to our utmost power, for your prosperity and
your troubles are ours also To every man
who is an American citizen the United
States owe protection, but with few restric-
lions the determination as to the qualifica-
tlon OF a voter is left to the states. II any
states think that any class of citizens is unfit
to vote through Ignorance they can disquali-
fy them from voting for state officers or for
members Of this House. They have but to
put an educational qualification into their
constitutions. But the disqualification like
the qualification cannot recognize
color, and that is the reason that legal
methods have never been tried. The negro
is not thrust out from his rights merely be-
cause he is ignorant and unfit TO use them as
Is constantly charged but because his skin is
black. 1t Is this distinction that gives the
lie to every principle of American liberty
that Is at the bottom of the difficulty and the
problem which we all deplore.
The first step then toward the settlement
OF the negro problem and toward the eleva-
ton and protection of the race is to take it
out of national party politics. This can be
done in but one way. The United States
must extend to every citizen equal rights. 1t
is duty which they cannot avoid. If they
90 not perform 1t now they will perform 1t
later, and the longer It is postponed the wors 9
cry about the danger of negro rule this bitter
appeal to race supremacy, which is always
ringing in our ears. is made convenient
stalking horse to defraud white men as we'll
which must be dealt with and
If we fail to deal with it
we shall suffer for our failure. If all is fair
and honest and free in Southern elections
this law will interfere with no one but will
United States. If all is not fair and free
this law will begin even If it does not COM
plete the cure. An honest vote lies at the
bottom OF our system of government. 1t is
the only way we have to discover and assert
the will of the majority and the will
country. If we do not ascertain that will
honestly it will be determined by force. You
may call these truisms if you like but
truisms are more apt to be forgotten than
anything else, and to disregard them Is the
road to ruin. Free elections are the safety
Of this government. We here can
interfere with none but those which concern
the Congress itself, but 1t is our plain duty
to see to 1t that those at least are preserved
in their purity and integrity. SO far as
party question enters into this it can be
easily dealt with. If one party benefits by
free elections it is because that party Is
cheated now. If neither party Is cheated
then free and honest elections will affect
neither II both cheat both will suffer 1t
is our duty so far as lies in our power to
make elections so honest that no man will
dare to question them. Let us do our whole
duty to every American citizen made such
by the constitution no matter what his creed
or color, no matter whether he be weak or
strong, rich or poor, and we can safely abide
by the result. Let us secure to all men the
freedom which is the corner stone of our
government:
~ wish men to be free
As much from m0bS as kings; from Won "a me-