Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-07-04
DESERVING MR.TAYLOR
Negro Democrats Who Failed to Get
Appointments.
Following Astwood's Example-Chas.
L. Barnes Says He Has Been Forced
Out of the Party.

During the last congressional campaign
/ democratic managers made a bid for the
colored vote, and to that end there was
established in this city an Afro-American
bureau Of the national democratic congress
sional committee and the Negro Demo-
cratic Club. Robert G. Still Of Philadel-
phia, who was at that time an applicant
for the Liberian mission, was put In charge
or the former and Charles l.. Barnes Of
Pennsylvania was ut one time president of
the Negro Democratic Club. Barnes then
held clerical position in the pension office.
The Negro National Democratic League
was presided over by C. H ]. Taylor and
H. c. c. Astwood was chairman of the
executive committee Of the league. The
managers of the democratic congressional
men whom they had put in charge of
affairs that as soon as the campaign was
ended they should receive the Liberian
mission, a chaplalncy in the army and
other positions which were at the disposal
or the President, which had formerly been
held by colored republicans. This agree
ment seemed not to have had the sanction
OF the President, and although the colored
democrats whooped up the party to the
colored voters throughout the country
when the President made the appointments
ne selected republican negroes for the
places. The result was that Mr.. Astwood
at the time, he saw that negro democracy
as at that time constituted, did not stand
very high In the esteem of the President
Astwood has recently Joined the New York
conference of the A NJ E. Church and
has been assigned by one of the bishops
OF that church to the pastorate of the A. NJ
+. Church at Harrisburg, Pa, and he has
declared that he made a big mistake when
he entered politics. The President appoint
ed the Rev. w. H. Heard. a republican, of
PENNSYLVANIA, to the Liberian mission.
NOW X. G Still Of the same state, who ran
the Afro-American bureau of the demo-
cratic party during the last campaign, and
who was an applicant for the Liberian
mission, declares that he is tired of negro
democracy, and is at work in the upper
part OF Pennsylvania trying to help Mr..
Quay capture the craftsmanship of the re-
publican party in that state.
MIR. Barnes Quits the Party.
In the libel case of Taylor against Chase,
c. l.. Barnes, who was the chairman of the
Negro Democratic Club, was one of the wit
nesses against Taylor in behalf of Chase
and 1t Is charged now that for this reason
Taylor used his influence to have Barnes
removed Barnes was removed, and since
that time has been debating whether or not
he should initiate Still and Astwood and
quit negro democracy" The result of his
deliberations is statement which Mr..
Barnes gave to a Star reporter today.
This statement criticised the democratic
PARTY for general reasons, and then gave
special reasons why he as a negro has de-
cided to quit it. 80 long" he says. "as the
democratic party continues to be dominated
by the rebellious and unrepentant south,
just so long will 1t remain the exponent
representative and party of the slave
power. No negro has a respectable stand
Ing in such party. Inherently and consti-
tutionally it must remain the dire foe to
the negro's progress.
Under the present administration we
have been deprived Of representation in the
diplomatic and consular service, federal
state and departmental positions which we
enjoyed under republican rule, aggregating
hundreds of thousands of dollars annually.
The moral and financial effect of this upon
a poor, struggling race cannot be overesu-
mated. l will ignore the social ostracism,
1eers and jibes Inflicted by my fellows upon
negro democrat, and address myself to
the fact that the PARTY accentuates this
painful iSnominy by itself diScrediting our
loyalty, integrity and honesty by ignoring
us In its selection of well-known aggressive
negro republicans upon whom to bestow its
highest honors and favorS, witnessed IN
the recent appointments of minister to Lii
IBERIA and chaplain of the ninth United
States cavalry"
He criticised the administration and the
party also for the continuance of Taylor in
office. In conclusion. he said:
"These arc a few of the reasons and ac-
tons which have forced me out of the
democratic party, and 1 am willing and
anxious to retrieve the mistake of my life
by doing all in my power to relegate that
party back to an oblivion from which it
should never have been allowed to escape"