The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1892-08-07
TIE NEGROES LEANING.

It seems to have paraIyzed the more rad.
ical Republicans when they learned that in
the Alabama election last week many OF
the negroes voted the straight Democratic
ticket. Your thorough-going Republican
may be able to understand why negro
should vote for Democrat. but he cannot
understand why a negro ever does vote for
a Democrat. He regards the black man
as incapable of thinking for himself. or OF
comprehending that a Democrat is not
naturally and necessarily his enemy and
oppressor The Republican has taught the
blacks that they were freed and made citi-
zens by Republicans, whereas it IS the
purpose of the Democrats to re- enslave
them; and the negroes are expected to be-
lieve this without even so much as looking
about them to ascertain whether it is true.
When colored man acquires the inteIli-
gence to study political principles and form
opinions as to their correctness or falsity
he is a base migrate in the opinion of the
Republican, who cannot look upon the
dsrkey as other than 'a man and brother
for campaign purposes merely.
1t is hopeful sign when any consider
able number Of negroes break away from
the spell put upon them by the GOD and
morality politicians who have manipulated
the blacks all these years as they would SO
many automatons. When the colored men,
in defiance of their hitherto political mas
tiers. walk up to the polls and voluntarily
and courageously vote the Democratic
ticket, as they did in Alabama the other
day. it proves that education is doing its
work. 1t tells that the blacks are acquir-
ing the ability to think and reason; that
they are becoming capable Of observing in
diligently and distinguishing between
true and false friends and between correct
principles and sophisms. The Democrats
of the south are not negro worshipers any
more than they are worshipers of other
classes: but they are better friends of the
blacks than sre the carpet baggers and Re-
publican demagogues who have no real
respect for the colored population and no
use for the colored voters after the polls
have been closed. The Republican politi-
clans have kept the blacks in actual slav-
cry, and would continue them in bondage
through all time, whilst the southern Demo
Gratis realizing that the colnred people
must be their fellow citizens, forming
a powerful if not a controlling factor in
political and Industrial affairs, are trying
to elevate the negroes TO the plane of in
telligent citizenship. That their efforts
are meeting with certain degree of sue
cess is evidenced by such incidents as the
Alabama election, aud by the report which
comes from North Carolina, the very cen
tire of the race alignment. The news from
that state is to the effect that fully $4,000
negroes win vote for Mr.. CLEVELAND, all
of these blacks having heretofore served
their Republican masters at the polls as
faithfully as they once served their masters
in the cotton field.
1t will be better for blacks as well as
whites in the south when the negroes vote
as other people do, from conviction and
not through fear. from an intelligent IN
derstaneing of the parties and the issues
and not as directed by demagogues and
political bosses. That the day is approach
ing we have faith. 1t may be nearer at
hand than any of US now believe it to be.