The Negro world., 1892-07-23
AFRlEnDLY CHAT.
In Iml,siIon of Robert Bardette by Bour-
bon Black
SECOND Talk.

ship was assumed all right--all right,
but these self-constituted wardens were
more of the nature of a smooth gang.
than an army Of philanthropists. 1t is
true, one man, cast in gigantic mould
Wendell Phillips spoke out. He
said: 1.-The right of suffrage will prove
a great benefit or great detriment to
the Negro-all depending on the man
ner In which he exercises it. But the
rest who interested themselves in the
Negro were mostly of the .'con" sort.
One of them, named Moses, occurs to
my mind. This worthy was pref
ty fair sample Of all the rest. He used
to sell ''gold rings Is karats fine" for
fifty cents on the Bowery in New York
City before he decided to sprihg his
name Moses as hoodoo to super
stitious Negroes who were waiting for
some latter day evangel to lead them
out Of the wilderness. Finding the
sovereign black citizens of South Caro-
lima little more gullible than the SOW
areign white citizen of New York,
Moses the second, decided to abandon
the vocation of peddler, and assume
that of governor. And results proved,
that from a purely personal standpoint,
Mr.. Moses preference was wise one.
The state OF South Carolina was the
loser however; but then ii is a hard
thing to please and profit all parties.
What do you sayP Is he governor
of South Carolina now? Oh no, my
boy. He is at present a convict of
Massachusetts,. All chickens roost
some time. All fish-sharks as well as
suckers-reach their element sooner or
later. What did they send him up for?
Nothing much, my son--I should say
nothing new. He ~sprung the same
Jessie''o on Massachusetts that he had on
South Carolina. but somehow or other
IL didn't carry, and the same good peo-
pie of Massachusetts. who raise their
hands in holy horror because South
Carolina and other southern states
grew sick 10 rage at the antics Of Moses
and his INK. when they began to feel
his gaff, themselves ran the stinger in-
TO him so deep that to-day Moses wish
es the Mayhower had been wrecked
before she ever sighted Plymouth Rock
and the Pilgrim Fathers had anticipat-
ed Mctiinty by several hundred years.
The truth is hard to have to tell,
Johnny. but lies are dirty things and
profiLless as veil. So must tell you
the mournful truth, which Is that the
Colored voters. enfranchised by the
18th Amendment. used the ballot very
unwisely. and as had been predicted.
10 their own detriment. As sample:
instead of using it to elevate WELL
known. home-bred. honest and intelli-
gent neighbors to the offices Of prose-
cutting attorneys, judges and sheriffs.
who. acting in coneer: under the law.
could have elapped the vagrant and
guilty Mr.. Moses in the chain gang.
they alienatea the waking regard Of
these neighbors and proclaimed the
slippery Mr. Moses chief executive of
their state. Once there. Mr.. Moses
proceeded to regard and treat the great
state of South Carolina as he had treated
certain peculiar block on lower Broad
way-as his own property-one partic-
ular little private web where he existed
as the big bullying spider and all others
were the little helpless flies.
How came he TO leave South Caro-
linas Well. / wiz tell you. The
free-holdcrs and taxpayers came 10 the
slow conclusion that the State Of South
Carolina was too small to hold both
themselves and Governor Moses. aud
they kicked against his remaining. In
fact. a regular Kicking match took
place between Moses and the people.
and the people having more feet than
Moses. kicked Moses cut Of the State.
This is true story, Johnny. even TO
names. and by change of names you
can make il the story of shy other
Southern State. Don't laugh. my boy.
IL Is sad story. II Is funny now,
perhaps. bot il was very serious then.
British troops pillaging and burning
Washington; Lees army lowering
about Virginia hills in sight Of the
great white dome were. each. less Of a
mensee to the life Of our institutions
and the stability Of our system Of gov
ernmenf than was the transformation
of Mr. Moses to Governor Moses.
What we're Mr.. Moses politics.
s~lfssAness. Pure and simple selfish
Mesa The politics of 80 many who
would hatten on the wasted body OF
their country. and flourish though their
kinsmen perish. SelfisLness. or Ia