The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-06-01
THE COLORED DELEGATES.
Douglass, Bruce, Cheatham and Lynch Tel
Why They Prefer Harrison.

WASHINGTON, May 31.-There can no
longer be any doubt, if any there has been.
as TO who will have the support of the col
ored delegates IN the Minneapolis cOnven-
ton. 1t is the unqualified belief of the
four great colored leaders of the country
located ut present In Washington
the venerable patriot. Fred Douglass;
ex-United States Senator Blanche
K. Bruce. of Mississippi; Congress
man Henry p. Cheatham. of North
Carolina, and ex-Congressman John X.
Lynch, of Mississppi-that the colored
delegates will. as they have good cause to,
support the President in the convention.
Your correspondent. this afternoon. called
on Fred Douglass at his home, which is
upon prominent elevation in Anacosta,
near this city. Mr.. Douglass accompanied
the President to Rochester and partici-
pated in the Decoration day exercises. just
after an extended trip through the South.
city of Washington. with it's one hundred
thousand colored people. who almost wor-
ship him. The breezes from the peninsula
of Maryland blew about his shoulders his
long. white. fluffy locks till. at times. he
appeared the embodiment Of all that could
be pure and wise in man. II shall attend
the Minneapolis convention" said Mr..
Douglass. who has lost mono of his vivacity
of manner and vlgOr of speech, and will
depart from here on Friday. l am on the
wrong side of seventy-five years OF age. SO
that no one 0sn say truthfully that / am
actuated by selfish motives; could not
accept political position if it were offered
to me. am going for the purpose of doing
what can to bring about the renomina-
tion of President Harrison. He has done
more for the colored men in the way of
offices than any President we ever had. He
has done more than any President to give
to the cOlored man fair recognition in pri-
vate life and protect his home and family.
To my mind we never had greater Presi-
dent. The position taken by President
our enemies in the south the force bin.
should endear him TO the colored people as
long as he lives. and they should revere his
memory when he Is dead. To the Presi.
dent the credit Is due for creating the bill
IL ske frs: place. and then pushing it
Through the House and almost through the
Senate. His moral influence, as well as his
Official indorsement and assistance. were
behind the measure"
do you think the col ored people in the
South very much desire the adoption of
that bill;" was asked.
The old white-haired colored patriot
raised up from the rustic chair in his ele-
waited yard. as he said. his eyes flashing
meant protection to the lives of every
colored voter in the South: it meant as fair
political and personal treatment as is given
the colored or white men at the North; 1t
meant uniformity of the elective fran.
ohise."
CANNOT BE sTAMpRDED.
do you believe the colored DELEGATIONS
could be stampeded in the convention fol
any other mani"
II do not" said Mr.. Douglass. 1.-THE
colOred voter knows his friend. and be
recognizes principle. These colored dele.
gates to the Minneapolis convention viii
recall. as readily as do. who it was. six.
teen years ago. that left the Speakers chair
in the national House of Representatives,
took the floor, and spoke with all hit
power in opposition to the bill which pro-
posed to arrest kukluXism in the South
and put stop to the wholesale slaughter
of colored voters at the hands of white
Democrats. They will recall who fought
and defeated upon the Republican side of
the House the first force bilP introduced
in Congress; and they will recognize in
him the same man who permitted his name
and moral influence to be used only u few
months ago to defeat the election bill o1
President HARRISON. No. sir; the negro
delegates to Minneapolis cannot be taken
away from Harrison by q STAN Dede."
Can they be bought for another candl
datce"
Money is q powerful corrupting influ
ence in politics" said the patriot, but il
will not tempt men of principle. If mis-.
not my estimate of the negroes who viii
| SIT In the Minneapolis convention they
Will stand hy the man who has made fol
| them the best President since Lincoln. and
| who. In many respects. has favored coloreC
| men and women beyond the Lincoln meas
ure. l would be greatly disappointed tC
hnd any colored man In the opposition.
| Mr.. Douglass then entered into genera
| discussion, of the strong points of tht
| present administration. comparing them tC
| those of Washington. Lincoln and Grant
| and pointing out the manifold reasons why
| the colored men should stand a wall fol
President Harrison. He said the American
| and business policies of the present admin
| istratlOn were not only such as to max,
every citizen proud of his country, bu
| would bring prosperity in the future.
| Congressman Cheatham. of North Caro-
lima. is known throughout the South as one
| of the foremost colored men and is states
man of high type. He said to-day: 81
have no other expectation than that the
| cOlored delegates Will all support President
| Harrison at Minneapolis. Some of then
| have voted for Senator Sherman in pas
! conventions. but Mr.. Sherman 10 not q can
dldafe. and If he were they would stand by
| the President because he has done more il
every way for the colored man than any
| President We have had since have kept
| trace of current politics. President Harri
son has said more kind words Endorsed
| more measures and had In view more gool
| generally for the negro than any Presiden
| we have had. and he has given moro o
| them offices than any two Presidents"
EX-SENATOR BRCCE's VIEWS.
Ex-senator Bruce. of Mississippi. said
If / had the time could say moro TO
President Harrison than any two mel
| whose names will como before the conven
| tion. IL the cOlored delegates do not sup
port him as a b ody in recognition of wha
he has done for them. shall be sorely dis
appointed"
| EX-Con gresham John II. Lynch of Mis-
| sissippi. said: THE President will be re
| nominated and the cOiored delegates viii
| have the pleasure Of knowing that they
stood by him In recognition OF what he b a
| done for the race. There Is every reason
| why the colored delegates should suppor
the President. and not one in the negative
the President has treated all alike: that i
WHY he has been such good President 10,
the co!or-d people"
| Mr. W. Calvin Chase. n prominent col
ored man of this city and a delegate to tn
| minneapolis convention from the Distrio
of Columbia. said this evening In an inter
| view: Il have no entang clements / vii