The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1892-11-03
GOOD ADVICE TO COLORED
VOTERS.
Rev. Garland 81. White, Gives
Sound Counsel to Men Of His
Race.
WASHINGTON, D. c.. Oct. Is, 1892.

| NAshISGTON, u. u, Oct. 10, 1897.
To the Editor Of the Neu York World:
| Many friends and comrades have re
| qucsted me to express my views as to
how the colored man should vote at the
coming election. l am free to say that
shall cast my vote for Grover Cleveland
and | cordially invite others of my race
/ to do likewise. My first reason for do.
ing so is this: If we propose to remain
in this country and share the benefits it
affords with all other American citizens,
then we must be in all respects like other
| men.
| l am sorry to say that there is no
other portion of the American popula.
ton that votes as does the negro ele-
ment-an entire race of say 100000
people, all of them entitled to vote,
voting practically for one party regard
less of changes in national sentiment or
party policy. The white bosses of the
Republican party say among themselves,
| ''The negro belongs to us anyway; we
| don't need to give him any respectable
recognition"
Now. beg to differ with them. l fail
to see that the colored man has any
thing to lose in vOtingf for Mr.. Cleveland.
! In my Judgment his election will go very
bridge the chasms of hostility between
the two races in the South.
| don't care where the negro lives
North, South, East or West-he cannot
hope to flourish unless his political
course is dictated by conscientious devo-
ton to principle and unless he thinks
and acts as other men. We all remem-
Der how We were betrayed by Hayes and
tho mon who 1voro On opvi0uo fo oruoo1o
him into the Executive chair. We have
been deceived since by Harrison and his
politicalfr friends. The State governments
in the South, where the great bulk of the
colOred population is, are now safely in
Democratic hands, and | submit that it
is not wise for colored people to remain
outside of the ruling party with nothing
to prompt them to do SO except tradi-
ton and the memory of conditions
which long since ceased to exist urge
good colored citizens, North and South,
to vote for Mr.. Cleveland, for if Harrison
should win there will surely be no change
for the better. 1t will be four years more
| of broken promises and the same pas
siOnate devotion to our interests at the
end of the four years only.
The colored people have nothing to
fear on account of Mr.. Cleveland's cleo
ton, because he has been once tried and
gave faithful and honest administra-
ton to the country-and 1 will further
state that the black mans freedom was
as secure as under Harrison. Then the
time will have to come in the history of
American politics when the colored mans
vote will not be relied upon on account
of his color.
Remember it is not true that the war
was a party war. A large majority of
the best fighting generals in the Union
Army were Democrats.
When politicians talk about the Re
publican party freeing the negro, tell
them ! t Is not so, but that it was the
patriotic people of the North, embracing
all parties, nationalities, creeds and
colors, who fought fer the Union.
would say to my cUI1nrades in Indi-
ana where recruited most CT ct the twenty
eighth Colored Regiment and enlisted in
the same as a private in Company u,
that when upon the battlefield we prom
Used each other that we would never
again be slaves to any man nor to any
party, but forever would vote free, live
free, walk free, talk free and die free but
in violation, of this pledge we have been
slaves to the Republican party for nearly
twenty-seven years, and that at a
sacrifice of more lives than were lost on
many of the battlefelds.
Nothing has been done for us by the
Republican party in all that time. If
solitary negro is nominated for a re-
spectacle office in the North he is slaugh-
thered at the polls.
Harrison and his predecessors back to
Hayes have been our warm friends be-
fore election, but have said afterwards
that they could do nothing for us,
because the Constitution prohibited
with States rights. After
twenty-seyen years of slavery to this
tricky, false and ungrateful political
party, let us cast off the shackles and
become in fact as well as name free men.
Let us vote for a man who did as much,
if not more, for colored men during his
one them as President as any Repub-
lican President since Grant has done, and
who has never broken q promise to any
man. Rev. GARLAND H. WHITE,
Late Chaplain 2Sth United States
Colored Troops.