The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-08-11
THEY WANT OFFICE.
Colored Men Issue a Protest and De
mand.

A party of cOlored men claiming to
represent the cOlored Republicans of
Kansas brought the following to The
Journal office today for publication:
To Republicans of Kansas, in State
Convention Assembled:
The cOlOred Republicans of the party
of this state, feeling deep interest and
being grounded in the principles Of Re
Dublica nism, remembering the good
deeds of the past as the work of its
hand and desiring to see it live long in
the future, to this end feel it our right
and duty to especially call your atten-
ton at this time to the condition with
which, we have for many years been
confronted, and which today embarrass
US, and retards, to a great extent, our
political energy, and in measure sti-
f1es our zeal for party affiliations.
We hold these truths to be Self-evi-
dent. That all men are not only Gre
ated free and equal, but that they are
undoubtedly party relations with GER
tain political rights and are entitled to
certain political privileges as the result
of party utilization, that among which
is the right to hold office at the suffrage
of the people or positions of trust and
honor at the hands of an executive. 1t
is largely to this end that parties are fOs-
tered and maintained 1t IS largely to
this end that the young American be
comes educated and schOOled in the
rules and regulations of civil govern
ment.
1t is this that heightens pride and adj
vanceS civilization. 1t is this that leads
to the betterment of ones financial con-
ditiOn with which our race is more con-
frOnted and embarrassed than any 9TH
er, a condition not due to the want OF
industry, upon our part but to the want
of opportunity.
The apparent determination upon
the part of the party to totally ignore
the rights of it's coIored members, as
has been so potently seen by the acts
of the present state administration
has caused US to rise to the height of
sac1rf 17a
we are always to be the heWers of
wood and the drawers of water?"
We desire to say to you that the
administration of Gov. MOrr1I has IN
our judgment been unfair to US in as
much as the 20, 900 COlOred votes that
helped to elect him has received no
party consideration whatsoever at his
hands. Coming from the body of our
people as we do, we feel that the re-
nomination of him would be an insult
to US and notice at the same time that
our alliance to and with the party is
neither appreciated nor desired. We
know that every Negro can not have
an office, or political position of trust
of honor, of value. Judging from TINS
state administration, none can have
no, not one. We think we know that
some cOlOred members of the party
should have been and should now be
placed in some position of trust and
honor as representatives of our race
as a compensation and as an encOur-
agement to renewal of party affiliations
ton at the hands of Maj Morrill, the
coIored people are disappointed and no
longer have hope of or confidence in
any favorable political attitude by
him toward US. For this ignorance of
our political rights he has become IN
popular with our people and can not
in our judgment rally them again to
his support without saying who, we
feel that the colored vote can best be
united upon some other candidate who
they believe will deal with them with
political fairness.
We believe that the colored vote of
this state is a potent factor in our
state politics. We believe further that
the time has passed when it can be
gathered together for any man or men
whose attitude is. against it, or who
fails to consider the colOred people at
all politically. We make no threats,
nor offer no advice. We state what we
feel to be the attitude of the voters of
our race toward Gov Morrill,. Select
a man who viii be broad enough and
with enough political consideration of
our rights as to give US the political
| representation to which we are
Justly entitled and we feel that disinte-
grafton and unrest will cease.