The Washington bee., 1896-08-15

DATES SOME PERTINENT QUESlIoNS'
s,eciaI dispatch to the Daily Cincinnati, O.,
Enquirer.
Washington, D. c., July 22.-
In order to ascertain the attitude
Of the candidates of the Repu oil
can and Democratic parties towards
the colored people of this country,
W. Calvin Chase, of the Washing
ton BEE, of this city, has written
letters both to Mr.. Mckinley and
to Mr.. Bryan.
In letter to the former he says:
| "There is a question that is more
| important, to a certain class OF your
| fellow citizens, than gold or silver, a
question in which the personal liberty,
the political and legal rights of the
people are involved. While your plat
| form declares against lynch law, we
have vet to see the Executive of any
party enforce the amendments to our
constitution, which guarantee equal
rights to all classes of citizens ire
spective of color or condition.
Further, Mr.. Chase asks this quest
ion: "Should the party succeed in
| electing you, or the American people
decide that you are the choice for
President of the United States, what
part will Afro-Americans play in the
councils of your Administration, or
what consideration will they receive.
In conclusion, Mr.. Chase expresses
the hope that the dignity of Mr.. Nc
Kinley's position will not preclude a
reply.
In his letter to Mr.. Bryan, Mr.. Chase
alludes to the class Of citizens known
as Afro-Amerlcans, and makes the
statement that this class has been op-
pressed by the Democratic party.
"And III that party they have not been
welcomed, except the innovation
made by Mr.. Cleveland, who must be
given credit for the courage of his con-
Viction and the interest he has taken
in certain representative Afro-Amerl-
cans in this country. In the Demo-
cratic or free silver platform nothing
is said in behalf of Afro-Americans,
nor did your party deem them OF suttl-
Cient importance to elect one dele
gate to your convention There
exists, in certain sections ofthis county,
law not on the statute books, but an
unWritten law known as lynch law.
This law is particularly applied to
Afro-AmericanS who are suspected of
crime, and lynched without Judge or
Jury, in violation of our constitution
and contrary to the laws of the states
in which these offences are committed.
1t is to be deplored that the Demo-
cratic Convention did not see fit to
give utterance to any expression OF
opinion on this subject"
In conclusion he asks Mr.. Bryan to
state "what place will the Afro-Amer-
ican occupy in the councils of your
party and administration, should the
American people decide to elect you ?"
s'Mr. Chase of whom tie Enquirer
makes mention in the above, quo
ting the leading expressions con-
tained in his letters to the candl-
dates of the two great parties for
president of the United States, is
the editor and proprietor of the
oldest Negro journal published in
Washington City and the District
of Columbia is an educated and
shrewd gentleman with the courage
of his convictions supported at
the last presidential election Mr..
Cleveland for the presidency, but
bitterly opposed the appointment of
Mr.. G. Ii. J. Taylor to the office
of Recorder of Deeds of the Dis
trict of Columbia, which termina-
ted in the Courts. Mr.. Chaseis a
wide awake newspaper man. and it
can be said of him and his paper
that they have done much in beat
ing back that rank prejudice and
race discrimination which has been
so prevalent in the District, and
his efforts to obtain an impression
from the men who head the nat
ienal ticket Of the two great politi-
cal parties, is not altogether pre-
mature. The time is certainly at
hand when the Negro should COM
mand some expression as political
/ factor. Their liberation and en-
franchisement was the result of a
necessary war measure, else politi-
cal history is not reliable. Mr..
Lincoln is accredited with these
words: Whatever l do is to save
the Nation. If saving part of them
and leaving the Others will save it,
that 1 will do; if leaving all Of
them will save it, that | will do !;
if freeing all of them will save it, |
will do that. What l do is to save
this Nation"
We would not attempt to con-
done breach of trust or confidence
in the Republican party by advo-
eating it's cause, though it offers to
the Afre-American citizens no more
protection in the exercise of their
rights than the Democratic party,
yer we see no necessity for swap
ping the witch for the d.; but
it cannot be denied that is grow
ing necessity for further express
sions by these political parties re-
lative to the American Negro