The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-11-03
MUST DEFEAT RADFORD. :
The Honor of the Negro Race Must be
Maintained.
TO the Colored Voters of the Sixth Con-
rressioual District:

TO the Colored Voters of the Sixth Con-
gressional District:
Gentlemcu-Within the next twelve
hours we will be called upon to exercise
the highest prerogative vouchsafed to IL
free and civilized people y President
and NicePresidcnt who will preside over
the destiny of our country for the next
four yeas, and Il Congress to assist them
for two years are to be elected.
The issue has been made and Joined
and for more than two months seventy
millions of the freest people upon whom
the sun has ever Shone have been listen
ing in breathless silence to the appeal of
the contending parties. Flaming sheets
of fire have been handed down from C 5ery
press, burning words of eloquence have
fallen from thousand lips, political can
mons have flashed and famed from the
Atlantic to the Pacific, whose last rever-
beraton died out on the close of yester-
day, and to-day this great American jury
will retire TO their respective rooms to
render their verdict. l have no doubt as
to the result.
But, my fellow citizens of the Sixth
Congressional district, we have n special
duty to perform. and we must prove our
selves equal to the occasion and worthy
of the privilege, remembering that honor
and shame from no condition arise, but
if we will act well our parts, there all
the honor lies. We are called upon to
make choice from the following can
didates asking for our suffrage: JOS
johnson, a ohibitionist, but lifelong
Republican; Hon. Peter j. Otey, life
long Democrat, who has made noble
rec ord in Congress, and one duVal Rad
ford who has made a notorious record in
the Virginia legislature. The latter, Mr..
, Il ~.
the listening world, through bill offered
by him, that no negro in the State of Vir-
ginia is tit to ride in the same car in
which II white man rides, and introduced
a bill that would rclegate every negro,
irrespective of his standing or condition,
TO II horrible Jim Crow car, and should
he make any resistance by refusal to go
therein he should be put off and the
railroad company be responsible for no
damage therefor.
Gentlemen, this is the man, Simon
pure Democrat not II Republican or even
Il pretended Republican, who comes to
you and asks you to send him to the Con-
gress of the United States.
ask you, gentlemen, how can you as
self respecting men. even think of voting
for such man as duVal Radford, who
has so recently hurled into your face such
Il high handed insult: You must remem-
Der that no race is ever respected until it
comes to respect itself. Every colored
man who votes for duNal Radford en-
dorses every word he says in his jim
Grow car bill.
'But, said friend of mine for whom
| have the greatest respect, and ut whom
| was greatly surprised, II will vote
for him because he is in sympathy with
the Republicans on the money question"
L -
while Mr.. Radford may be in sympathy
with the Republicans on the money Ques-
ton, he is not III sympathy with them on
the negro question, and To vote for any
man on account of his money views at
the expense of civil rights and manhood
is worse than selling your birthright for
Il Ness o. pottage.
President Monroe announced the sound
and sacred American doctrine that any
foreign nation who shall attempt to gain
foothold on the American continent
shall be considered as hostile to the peo-
pie thereof, and if any nation or foreign
power shall ever attempt to ignore this
doctrine the swords will leap from mil
lion scabbards to wreak vengeance on the
perpetrators thereof.
lay it down as the doctrine of all self
| respecting negroes that any man or men
| who shall seek to gain power by advising
| the negroes to vote for such man as du-
| Val Radford is an open enemy to the ne
| gro race let him be white or black Not
only DO repudiate Mr. Radford, but
| rcpudiate any man who insults me by
| asking me to vote for Radford for
| know that no man who respects the race
| would ask him to crimnate himself thus,
and should such hydra headed monster
raise his head in search of any political
| Office | propose to draw my political
! sword from its scabbard and use it to its
| hilt in accomplishing his defeat
! Now, gentlemen, in the words of Mr..
| ingalls,, though I would like 20 vote for a
man who is in sympathy with the grand
| old Republican party, yet when see that
! the honor of my race is at stake, there is
no time for me to perform Il mere per-
| functory duty, or to shoot with blank
| cartridges but will vote for the gallant
| son of Ohio and directly against duVal
| Radford, and earnestly appeal to every
| sclf-rcSpecting negro who respects the
race and who places his manhood and
race pride above money to rise in his
might and righteous Indignation and
| bury duVal Radford beyond the possible
| hope of IL political resurrection To do
| otherwise would show to the ewes of I,
| gazing world that you are unworthy OF
the right of franchise.
Hoping chat this communication NAV
| reach all of my fellow citizens and that
they may heed its appeal, am as ever,
yours for the race,
ID w IJAPTIJ