The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-10-27
WHERE STANDS THE coLORED CiTI ZE:


Please give me space in your paper to
answer that often proponnded question
that l am SO often confronted with by
members of all parties, namely, how
stands the colored vote this fall? Are they
still in sympathy with the past aud pres
ent policies of the grand old party, or
have they, on the other hand, been led
wild by the imaginary visions that they
have been fed on for the last several
months? I want to say, with big n,
Mop While il is true we have but few
among my race that pose as having SUI
perior knowledge on the great financial
questions that have been engaging the
attention of public opinion Of this country
for several month. We realize that there
are worse things possible than a con-
tinuance of silver purchases, badly as they
may affect the credit of the country. The
worst thing possible is corrupt. dis
honest, and unmeaning ballot, By which
dishonest party can perpetuate its power.
We cannot forget the conditions which
brought the Republican party into being.
IL was not because of the fact that the
slave power, arrogant, dictatorIdl, ag-
gressive, had pushed the free north be
yond endurance by the enactment of laws
that compelled her citizens TO assist
in returning boudsmen to slavery. 1t WAS
not that self-respectiug northern freemeD
had grown tired OF plantation manners
and the crack Of the slave drivers whip.
1t was not even because OF the avowed
purpose Of southern shareholders to occupy
the new territories to the exclusion OF free
labor aud make the institution OF slavery
national These would be incidental
l,,,t bod oil yx-tU Rnt
what reused the nation; what brought
into power the party which swept the
country. within four years from the time
it put its first presidential ticket ii the
field. Was the crime here on our virgin
soil. What was that crime? Simply the
use OF unrestained power by the party In
control of the government-ths same that
is in power today-the same in all OF Its
habits and traditions. its natural instincts,
its methods aud its purposes to override
the will of the people OF this beloved com
monwealth and smother their voice.
The people were patient under the long
series of aggressions of the slave power,
awaiting the fullness of Gods time.
But when the Democratic party, in
trenched in power, led by the born States
men who had the genius for government,
sent its emissaries over the missouri DOR
der and undertook, by violence, rapine
and murder: by suppression. trickery and
chicanery, to defeat and set at nought the
will of the people, the great honest, slow
thinking but Sure-mOvlng north rose up
aud said: We will not have it. Then, Mr..
Editor, the Republican party sprang into
being, and III the twinkling of political
revolution stepped to the head OF the
government and the possession OF power
Ii was born, not SO much of II purpose to
defeat the extension of slavery AS TO a de-
termination that, whether slavery went
I'D or down, there should be, wherever
ballot box was open i'll this country, free
vote and an honest count; that Democracy
should not be an empty sham or popular
elections an unmeaniDg farce. For thirty
years this party has stood for tue purity
of elections, for free ballot and an honest
connt
OF all its glories-and the thirty
two years are radiant with them
this crowns all.
that it has persistently and increasingly
labored to establish beyond any question
the right Of every American citizen to
vote once, and only cnce, and have bis
vote counted. 1t has legislated to That
end, and if 1t has any fault, 1t is that 1t falls
short in efficacy. and in spite of it crimes
against the ballot defeat i'll scores OF com
munities the honest voters will. BY the
operation of these laws no honest voter
has ever suffered hardship or wrong, nor
has any ever been deprived OF his vote.
Now in the garing sunlight of the nine
tenth century it is proposed to repeal
these safeguards of our rights Is AL Ameri-
can citizen, aud leave the Democratic
party where it was in 1S54-'G0. free to
WORK its own sweet will with elections
and election returns regardless OF votes or
voters. 1t seems good time To call "a halt
in that direction, and | think the only
way to accomplish that will be to fight it
out on the old line O. L. BOYD
WICHITA. Kan. Oct. %. 1891.