The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-09-24
POLITICAL PLEAsANTRY.

Senator Eshelman in his address before
the Democratic meeting at Spokane last
evening INDUCED in the following bit of
light political pleasantly:
As IL was ours TO assist In the emancipation
OF the black slaves of this nation IL will be ours
to lead the advance column of noble thinkers
and teachers in the science of true government
We call this pleasantly, for of course a
well equipped historical scholar, like SEN
ator Eshelman, knows that the "assist-
ance" afforded Sin the emancipation of
the black slaves of this nation" by the
Democratic party is to be understood in
the same sense as the expression
"He was assisted to the door
by several well directed kicks delivered
in various portions of his body" Senator
Eshelman in his love of pleasantly has
used the word assistance" in this sense;
for of course he has not forgo item that it
was due to Democratic opposition that the
Thirteenth amendment, prohibiting slav-
cry, failed of adoption when first put upon
its passage. and when enacted in February,
1865. the Democratic opposition included
Voorhees, and SamuelS. Cox, the leading
Democratic members of the House.
OF course Mr.. Eshelman knows that
"the emancipation of the black slaves of
the nation" was resisted not 'assisted"
by the Democratic party, and he was only
testing the capacity of Democratic au-
dience to keep its face straight when
ever an unusually big beIlied campaign
lie Is told. Mr.. Eshelman had caught this
spirit of quiet. playful humor from read
ing the following resolution, adopted on
the 18th inst, by the New York state
Democratic convention:
Resolved, That this convention views with
qualification the growing friendly feeling to-
wards the Democratic party OF our colored citi-
zens of this state. and they are welcomed to
our ranks with the assurance that within our
party discrimination on account OF race or
color is discountenanced.
Mr.. Eshelman probably had read this
serio-comic resolution and had laughed
over it. and naturally felt ambitious of
making his audience at Spokane laugh,
and he succeeded by his ironical allusion
to the assistance afforded emancipation by
the Democratic party. Mr.. Eshelman was
a humorist clearly before he was poll
ticIan, and this accounts for his sly use
of the word "assist" in his Spokane
speech. Still he ought to be careful; he
may some day find a Democratic
audience who will take his talk seriously
and resent his ironical imputation
of assistance to emancipation by an angry
and abusive denial. 1t doesn't do to tribe
with Democratic audience; and Mr.. Eshel-
man may repeat that little ironical allusion
to the assistance to emancipation afforded
by the Democratic party once too often;
somebody may repudiate the simulated
compliment as disgracefuI charge against
the party's good name. but then Mr..
Eshelman can quiet all such literal Demo-
Gratis by saying that he refers to the Dem
ocrscy of the Solid South, whose rebellion
certainly assisted in the emancipation of
the black slaves of the nation"
1t is very pleasant for the negro to be
told that by the Democratic party in New
York state discrimination on account of
race or color is discountenanced," but this
mirth-provoking remark is a little danger
Gus, because il might remind a negro who
took it seriously of the difference between
the Democracy of New York and that of
Alabama, Mississippi, South Carolina and
Texas, where discrimination on account
of race or color" is said at times to be quite
prevalent.
negro who is deficient in a sense of
humor may not understand these Demo-
cratic political pleasantries and may in
quire why party that is opposed to dis
elimination on account of race or COLOR
should steal the suffrage Of the negro at the
South and claim seat in congress on the
strength OF the steal.