The Washington bee. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1884-1922, 1891-12-19
MOST IMPORTANT TO THE
NEGRO.

After a careful study of the
mastery state paper, read In Con
gress December 9, 1891, known
as the Presidents message, the
BEE finds extreme qualification IN
its tone on fair elections, 50 much
80, that the following is quote d
therefrom: IN thing just now
is more importanl than to pro-
vide every guaranty for the abso-
lutely fair and free choice by Al
equal suffrage, within the respec-
tive states, of all the officers Of
the National Government, wheth-
er that suffrage is applied directly
as in the choice of members OF the
House of Representatives, or in
directly as in the choice of Sena-
tors and electors OF President" !"
Throughout the message Is char
acteriz d by its clearuess in detail
and strength as a whole; but iD
nothing ls the Negro more lnter-
ested than that part treating Oh
free Ind fair elections, for upon il
depends the system of self gov
ernment in which all legally de-
clared citizens can participate
without let or hibdraLce All
other graat questions dwludIss
iuto insignlfcance when com-
posed with the rights and privi-
leges of people! and just 50 long
as attempts are made here aud
there to set at naught shat part OF
the federal coDsti ulion dec ares
we are ciuzens We would be less
than men were we 10 acqulese IN
anything less than the tull recog
milton of our public rights as i'm
Piled by citizenship. Nlnety' nine
hundredths of US are "natlve 10
the manor born," and no natar-
alIzauon papers are required 10
identify US; having as tbroIls been
an important constituent in the
development Of this country, now
that our environments are chang
ed by the letter of the law, we
Insist that its spirit be respected
aud where not, rlgldly iutOrcedI
Mr.. HARRISON is growing in tnt
hearts of, at least, vast portion o
the people over which he rules
the Negr,! p! Others may be inter.
ested iu dollars aud cents, but WI
are engaged in a holy crusade foI
what every intelligent people holC
dearer than life, and made
stronger by the prstriotic asser
tlons of the President in his mes
sage to the Congress and thu
world, giving notice that he is IL
full accord with the doctrine of tn,
Ski ghts OF man!!"
What do We see in anothe
diree lou? Nothing less thar
thls: HIS excelIeucy the Cover
nor of Virginia, has rec mmendet
to the Legislature OF that Com
monwealth the enactment of {
law prohibiting US the use il
cars in common with the whites
which is applauded to The echo by
The Negro haters Of that Stat,
We are not at all surprised a
anything they may do to keeI
the wounds bleeding Inflicted up.
on US when their bondsmeu
which we had hoped they wouIo
GLOW TO heal, but their action t
keep the colored man in miut
that he WAS once their slave BY
setting him apart from all others
b 8 gone far in justitying GU
suspicious that the Governor O
Virginia aud his friends are de
termined IN so far as they can t,
keep the Negro down by tn
suppresslng of every symptom q
manhood IN him unless they ap
ply a drastic preventive remedy
Hence the Governors message
Compare the two public docu
ments, The one broad liberal anC
sIa esmanllke, the other studied
! effort to justify the doIngs o
madmen to deprive their f llow.
men of their rlghls. 1he prUmo
ters of discord should read his
, tory. fhau will find that there WA