The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1890-04-10
III. >,s,e s~a IN. aais.


Not long ago. on tho tram betsrcn
Washington and New York there hsppea
cd TO he little party OF Congressman aud
those statesmen, as IL iheif wont sOnse.
times we're resting themselves from the
labor Of law making by telling s,ories
Every member Of the party had had the
door At least twice, with no presiding oill
Ger TO suppress him o. make bin afraid.
! Presently the ibira reund Of stories vas
begun, aud Congressman A. Of Mse'
/ issIppi was called upon
am sorry, gentlemen, said he. bu, I've
told all my stories. except one or two on
myself
/ oh, that makes no difference, said an
other Congressman. You're among friends
tell vs. story on yourself 0ut with al
Congressman A protested. but he
was dragged ia,
Well, sald he, IN the last campaign. il
fell to me TO make stump speech iu one
OF the black districts OF my state came
to place where ! had au audience OF
about fifteen hundred colored people, more
OF less | hadn't been much used to max
lng speeches to the negroes. aud was q
a little puzzled, perhaps, TO know Just
what to say But before | went TO the
meeting heard that the Republican can.
didaie for the district had said 10 the hear
log of several reliable people that a mig
ger was no better than a mule Here was
a theme for me-a whole speech. ready
made. | had only to make the most Of
that unfortunate remark TO get the votee
Of all the eolored men for my side.
went to the meeting 10 high glee aud
lost no time III trotiing out that damning
remark. My friends, said !. what do you
think Of a man who says that Niger is
no better than a mule2 What lie your
opinion OF man who ranks you, my
friends, on the same plane with that ie
graded aud desplsed animag Aud the
man who has done that is no other thpn
the Republican candidate for this district
! expected an outburt Of indignation
upon this, but the audience seemed to re.
main remarkably apathetic. There wan
not word Of response or a sign OF wrath.
] thought herbsgs, that my audience
with the simplicity of the race, had failed
to apprehend the enormity Of the
comparison, 80 | repeated the
story with variation, ending with the
same appeal Aud how, my friends, do
you like to be told by a republican capdi.
date that you are no better than a mule?
Silence still could not call on, sn ex
preston OF feeling from the audience.
But, not to be baked 10 that way, de
termined to make an I'D bominem appeal
singled out an aged aud dignified c)lored
man who sat ou the front row Of benches,
and addressed my remarks directly to
him.
Uncle, | said, pointing my finger at the
old man, want to ask you qnes lion.
Ssb2 said he.
The question is this: What do you-you
as a self respecting colored man, think Of
the man who says that tho niger is no
better than mule2
Wall, sab, said the old man, very quiet.
", but with voice that was heard with a
horrible distinctness throughout the as
sembly, / amt done studied no great
'mouut ou the genral question If tho
niger nm better dan the mule; but kan
tell ye one thing for sartin shuib. boss
in desc yere parts der votes don't connt
no mol
The laughter which followed this story
was given without regard to party.