Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1891-01-08

II
fairly and inpsrsially and uncorrupt-
sdly.
The friends Of The bill. Mr.. Prssi.
dent. assume ID 10 bs in the interest,"
Of the eolorsd man. when iss enact
msnt would do him only harm. Il
would b idle to cay that The Govern.
nsnt could not enforce the Law; 10
would Be equally idle 70 claim that IL
svsr would in fact b enforced. Tho
people Of The United Htatss want no
more civil strife. and against the unis.
I'd epposition Of the white popalssios
| in the Southern States any attempt
to snfoscs Il would nsaa practically
conflict between the State and nation.
a authorities. The old III feeling
would be resumed. and while We ss a
party we're fighting to protect the cal.
orsd voter. the old days of terroriz
ing would come again md the weaker
race would be the sufferer.
II 10 true that the very foundation
and corner stone of our Republic is
the right Of snffrags. and the protec.
tion Of every citiss, entitled to vote
in the equal enjoyment of that right !;
yet I must risk adverse criticism by
suggesting that ct this time in the
present economic condition Of the
South. and with the present general
ignorance Of the colored race for
which it 10 in no wise responsible.
there are many things more impor.
tant and vital +, the welfare of this
nation than that the colored citissns
Of the South shall vote.
There has been lack. I fear of in.
geRuousDess on both sides Of this
Chamber. The Democratic opponsnts
of this bill would have lost nothing
had they publicly admitted. whet is
everywhere claimed for them 10 pri.
vate that in certain Southern States
where the .colored population ousnum.
bers the whites the eolorsd voters,
owning comparatively none of the
taxable property IN the community,
are led and controlled by few irres.
ponsibls men. and would. if permitted
to exercise the right of suffrage sscur.
ed to than under the Constitution,
destroy al safeguards 10 proper. II
work irrspsrabls injury to the best
interests Of the commonwealth and
that for these reasons they are circum.
vented Of their rights. This would
be. at lesst. an intelligent reason for
opposition to the measure.
Oa the other hand, il occurred 10
me that when the Senator from Lou.
isisns (Mr. Eustis1 asked the Senator
from Oregon [Mr. Dolpbl the other
day what his State would do if the
Chinese had the franchise in Oregon
and outnumbsrsd the whites, the On.
swsr seemed somewhat svasivs. I
cannot speak for Oregon. And yet I
give it A. my solemn opinion that in
Colorado, whose mountains inspire
only freedom and love Of justics,
where the Republican party has %
large . majority in proportion to ito
population ~ Kansas or Nebraska in
their lucid years, if such conditioa
Of sff.irs existed AZ the Sen.tor stated,
and il that vote was opposed TO the
united and intelligent white vote. then
10 .oms way and BY soms method. I
know not how. the white vote would
govern.
But it by no means follows that the
Congressional representation should
be based otherwise than on the vote
cast. and the existing state Of aff.irs
ct the South offers no good reason
why the conditions should not be 90
squalized BY law - that q vote 10
the North should have the same valus
for purposes Of national representa-
tion as vote in the South.
am not informed that IL any
Southern State there is any iDclins-
tion to legislste against the coIorsd
man, or that, except on the question
Of suffrage, there 10 any serious fric-
ton between the races. So far. the
views of the two races have been
radically opposed to each other. The
time will surely come. in my opinion.
If We do not seek to foment trouble,
when the white voters of the South
will be hardly ~ unanimous % now.
Already the signs of the times point
unmisssksbly to serious differences
among thsm. When these differences
become solidi6sd the colorsd votsr
will BE- in demand.
Meanwhile, protected in life and
property. slowly but surely coming
up oet Of the ignorancs imposed BY
bondage, hs can afford to wait. And
90 can the Republican party afford to