Evening journal., 1891-06-11
VOTE as YOU PLEASE.
A Notable Piece of Advice a~d Histor
For Colored People.

Eor OokoEGu ESopA@.
An editorial In the New York Herald
of to- day says:
A colored man writes to the Herald in
a frame OF mind which indicates ninety
ia the shade, IS follows.
"Will you tell me and those whom. I
represent what we have received 4rom
the Republican party as the rev ard of
our allegiance9 Why shouldn't <e be as
free as the whites to vote any ticket we
plegse without being stig .n9tized as
traitors TO our kindf w hat has the
party done for us that we s'Aould support
it as a matter of courseT
Well. these questions are easily
answered, but in answering them We
shall be forced to tell you some disagree.
able truths.
The Republicans have done mighty
little for you as q race, but you have
done a great deal for them. They have
played you for dupes very successfully
during Che last thirty years, and would
| like to do 1t thirty years more. So lGng
az you are silly enough to be used they
will use you.
They tell you that they gave you your
freedom, which Is pure bosh, and yet you
have been gulled into believing It, The
emancipation proclamation was mill
tary necessity, and was Issued not so
much to help you as to hurt the enemy
/ You were made free by the exigencies OF
war, and your freedom was a part Of the
strategy by which the South was dis
abled and brought reluctantly to
terms Mr.. Lincoln said distinctly that
II he could end the rebellion without
emancipating you he would do it, He
delayed proclaiming your freedom for
months, hoping he might not be com
PEELED to resort to 80 heroic measure
He would never have made you free II be
could have. drought the rebellion to aIclose
| by leaving you slaves. But he saw that
| 1t must be done as means of winning
the victory, and then he did 10 as der
nier resort.
Slavery was, therefore, abolished by
the circumstances OF the case aud.
although everybody in the North was glad
that this blot had been rubbed out,
the Republican leaders stepped to the
front, claimed the credit of everything,
cried out from one end of the country to
the other, I'VE did Ii and then de-
manded that thereafter you should vote
for them right or wrong. 1t was a shrewd
political game, and you were trapped into
accepting their story because as a race
you were wholly uniformed as to the
facts From that time to this you have
been derided. ridiculed aAd scorned, both
in Congress and on ths stump, whenever
you dared to have an opinion of your own
The case may therefore be summed up
In this way: AS long rs you remain in
| igorance you win vote the Republican
ticket only when you begin to think for
yourselves you will vote as you please.
Those of you who are Ia the North have
received a good school education those
Of you who are in the South have great
many institutions Of learning which will
properly equip you for the struggle Of life
The time, therefore, is not far distant
when you will see through the devices BY
which you have been cheated and throw
your ballot according to your judgment
rather than your predjuilces.
AS American citizens you have just as
much interest In the government as any
OF us. It's policies affect you, your homes
your prospects, your future You should
vote for what you believe will benefit
your race II that benefit is represented
by the Republicans, all right; If II is rep
resented by the Democrats, all right. II
for example, you like the high taxes Of
the Mckinley bill, and want to pay al
exorbitant price for clothing and food
that is your business and you have per
feet right to say so But IL. on the con
trary, you want lower prices for th,
ne esessaries Of life, steady work at fail
wages. and such comforts as ought to b
brought within reach Of the laboring msn
you will vote for the Democrats. OF coui e.
ube Republicans will weep and wall arc
gnash their teeth, call you traitors
ingrstes and other pet names, but what
of It'll You should belong to the party
which will do the most for you, and maxi
1t easier for you to live, no matter wha
its name is
Les us call your attention to another
fact In closing. The Republicans hav
talked themselves hoarse In trying Il
prove their love for your people. Wei
they have been in power pretty contin
uously now for generation, and wha
have they done2 In the distribution o
offices do you get your sharef Yoi
are very much cossetted and compliment
ed before an election, but after the cleo
tion where are your In the soupl
! When the colored people get their eye
open they will vote either ticket the
pleas, and II anybody grumbles thsy wi
tell him plainly to mind his bushes
and let them mind theirs.