The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1892-02-06
The Colored Voter.


To the Editors Of the Neirs:
Allow me to commend the spirit which
prompts you TO give place in your columns
to communications such as those which
appeared in the NEWS of Monday last
under the caption 1.-THE Colored Voter"
Only an abiding faith in the justice OF
the Republican cause, which you so ably
and zealously champion, can be urged in
extenuation of your readiness to allow a
full and free discussion of "the colored
vote and its, proper relation to the politi-
cal parties"
The negro does not blindly follow the
lead of the Republican party. He has
potential reasons for his political prefer
ence. Misrepresentation, abuse, fraud and
violence have played their part in sooth-
ing the Northern conscience and curtail-
ing our privileges until to-day one mil
lion four hundred thousand negro voters
are citizens in name, voiceless in fact.
The Republican party was our friend in
1856; IL is our friend to-day. The Demo-
cratic party was our enemy in 1856 il is
our enemy to-day. The interests of our
brethren in the South are our interests
An injury to them is an injury TO us. The
privileges and rights denied them would
be denied to every negro North il the
South were dominant in national affairs
When these 100000 negro voters in
the South shall bS permitted to cast their
vote for honest government and to have
their vote counted as cast; when that free
dom of speech and equality of civic and
political rights which we obtain in Rhode
Island shall be vouchsafed to our patient
and long suffering brethren in Mississippi;
when the Democrats North shall induce
the Democrats South to be, kindly dis
posed toward the colored people" and to
treat them as men and fellow-citizens, the
negro voter North who allies himself with
the Democratic party, will not sell his
rth Ais-
honor.
But until Democrats North and South
recognize their constitutional obligations
to preserve the purity of the ballot, to re-
spect the equality of all men before the
law, and to be influenced by issues other
than those of the deep buried past, the
self-respecting patriotic negro, who has
the best interests of his race at heart, will
continue with the party of justice, of
ideas and OF material progress.
The Negro cannot assent TO any COM
promise involving the abandonment
of a Constitutional right. Such a COM
coffin of honor" The Negro can expect
nothing from the restraining influence of
the Northern Democrats over the South
ern wing Of their party. The same domi-
neering, naughty willfull spirit which
listens not to law or to reason, which rent
the Democratic party in 1850 and which
III.
as rife to-day rs it was 30 years ago. 1t is
the spirit which prompts the minority
South to arrogate to itself the exclusive
right to think and to ask for the majority
Alexander II. Stephens, than whom no
son of Georgia has been more prominent
in the National councils declared in 1860
that the South had had 80 years of pGesi-
Dental rule to "A years of similar rule by
Northern men, Is of % Supreme Court
Judges, Ia OF 10 United States Generals,
% Of 35 Speakers of the House of Repre-
sentatives. vast majority of officers of
the Army and Navy, the foreign and civil
service and two-thirds of the clerical force
in the department at Washington.
The South then as now was in minor
ity of intelligence, population and wealth.
In 1888 during Cleveland's s administration
155 negroes were lynched in Mississippi
alone Garland of Arkansas, was made
attoruey-general, and l.. q. G. Lamar of
Mississippi, one of the most firery secess-
ion advocates in 1860. secretary of the in
terror, and Klater u judge of the United
States Supreme Court; and this by 1.-THE
first Democratic president since the war"
The Democrats of the South are the con-
trolling element in the Democratic party
to day. The negro has received practically
nothing but insult and injury from the
Democratic party; he expects nothing else
it, He has been protected and honored by
the Republican party and his vote in 1892
in every Northern State will be a unit in
support of the Republican party.
JOHN c, MINKINs.