The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1891-01-09
MANKATO FREE PRESS
VERY CONSISTENT.
Editor Free Press:


publican silver Senators with the Demo-
Gratis. The election bill to secure TO the
colored citizens of the old rebel states
protection in the free exercise of the
right of suffrage guaranteed them Dy the
constitutional amendments, ratified by
the rebel states as well as the loyal
states, right which has been denied
and which they have been prevented
from exercising by the Kuklux, red
shirt, shot gun and bull whip gangs,
winked at by state authorities from the
savage slaughter of the Chisholm family
by the Gully gang. to the Inauguration
of Tillman as governor of South Carolina
a month or 80 ago, who very kindly
warns the colored citizens that only
when they can give satisfactory evidence
that they are no longer tinctured with
Republicanism will their race troubles
end. The passage of this law is Re-
publican pledge of long standing and
now when it has the power to pass 1t,
its defeat by combination of recreant
Republican Senators with the Democra-
tic party in the interested measure the
press ably, justly and perslstentiy OPP
posed up to the present time, fills the
heart of the editor with such extatic JOY
one would scarcely think there could be
room therein for the viDdiciive bitter
ness ard hatred displayed IN the Sec
ond, when is certainly one of the most
bitter denunciatorv editorials the famous
editor ever penned. 1t must have been
written with heart burning with iudig-
nation and a pen dipped in gall and
wormwood. To be fully appreciated it
must be read AS have not the room
for all l give the following extracts:
There is not, in the history of Eng
lands suppression of the Indian mutiny,
in the records of 'Russia's dealings with
political offenders andsuspects, anything
more deplorable, detestable, irredem-
ably infamous, than the story of our
dealings with the Indian. We have
violated treaties by the score. We have
broken promises by the hundred. We
have had the Indian rely upon our faith
only to find us faithless."
This is a very strong statement, but If
it were true, would it be a sufficient
justification for precisely similar action
toward the colored people of the South?
Would the Press counsel driving them to
the same condition of savagery and des
peration Of the colored people of the ,
Northwest by the same course of prac
tice of violating promises and disre gard
ing their appeals for justice? But the
Pioneer Press goes on and says:
Who is responsible? The whole peo-
pie of the United States; who demand
from their representatives personal and
party services, instead of the care OF
the national honor. If member fails
to secure for his district the public bull
would be better for him that he had ne
Yer been born into political life. fla
man vote against his party on a tariff
bill or an election bill, he has to con-
front an angry host that charge him
with treason to his trust. But in how
many constituencies will the voters this
wear say to the representative return
ing to them from Washington: "4ou
did not insist upon the passage of the
bill to redeem the faith of the nation
pledged to the Sisseton and Wahpeton
Indians. These people are simple and !
kindly. Thev are our friends, and have |
served us WE'LL They are starving, with |
their wives and little ones, because the
nation owes them money which 1t does
not pay. You haye helped to disgrace
the country; and so you have dlsgraced |
us. We care nothing about your vote
on election bills and other political
questions, as long as you have shared |
In this atrocity. Go back to private
life, let us see you no more, and try to
atone hereafter for the cruel and das-
tardly thing which you have DONE"
That is severe scorning of members
of Congress, as we'll as the people, but
does it all if it were true, justify the
same treatment of the colored race in
the South? or is there any consistency |
in rejoicing over the violation of pledges
to the colored man Southland pouring out
a world of indignation and volumes of in
vective over broken pledges to the col
ored race in the Northwest. 1t is true
there is quite wide difference in the
two races. The colored race in the
South are several times as numerous as
the colored race IN the Northwest, and
their wrongs date back to as early per-
iod in the history of our country as do
the wrongs of the Indians. They bore
the wrongs and outrages inflicted upon
them with a patient forbearance never
exhibited by any other class Of people
on earth. 1t cannot be denied that the
unreouited toll of the race made the
wealth. the fortunes and prosperity of
the wealthy element of the South, up 10
1868, who sought to destroy the Union if
thew could not control it and extend
their despotic institution into every part
of its vast limits. They have never been
the wards of the government, drawn ra-
tions of blankets, food or ammunitions,
or fire arms, and instead of having
schools established among them to edu-
cate their children, state laws made their
education q criminal offense. Their
liberty was not given them as an act of
Justice, but as military necessity, I'M
accompanied by such an act of generosl-
ty, if you prefer that to justice, as the
emanclpation"of serfs in Russia by a
donation of40 acres of the public domain
upon which to get a scanty living for his
wife and pickaninnies. They We're
4nade citizens and given the right OF
outrage that they might be enumerated
,and helm IN increase the congressional