The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-10-24
CoLORED MEN FOR TRACY.
AFRo-AMERICANS TRUE TO TIE
REPUBLICAN PhE--.
The D,.content Among Them Mostly ON the
Surface aud Certain TO Dlsappear-Po-ition
In po,tIo. or the Arro-AnericanE-why
Their Votes VIII Go 60 Gen. Tracy.

The Dlscontent Among Them MOSTLY ON the
Surface aud Certain TO Disappear-Po"itio
In Politics or the
TheIr Votes VIII Go 60 Gen. Tracy.
In tho supreme effort which is being made to
coptro, ,bc Government Of the Greater New
York Is there any general disposition among
citizens to support any other
candidate for Mayor than Gen. Benjamin f..
Tracyl
whatovcr opinion the American people may
entertain concerning the Afro-American citi-
zen. In other than his political relations, the be-
lief Is general, outside of the Southern States.
that, as n rule, no takes sides with the Repub-
licnn party in any vital contest, and that under
| all circumstances he Is opposed to new.fangled
politics, whatever party brand 1t is presented
under. In the main, the Afro.Amerlcan voter
believes that everywhere and under all cir.
cumstances, in the State and in the nation, in
local and in national politics, the Republican
party represents the conservative influence in
the country, and is the best custodian of his
rights MS a man and as n citizen. Ilo has car.
| ried this belief 80 far that there is a conviction
abroad in the land that he was born a Republi.
Gun and will die one. and there are those who
have been disposed to abuse him on this ac-
count and TO accuse him of lack of proper indie.
pcndence in his political conduct. There are
, two sides to this matter, and it is not safe to be
hasty in reaching a col clusion. 1t is not nc
counted wisdom in q man to tear down his old
ho"o ooi'fo no 20 ~ ou'. ""o'h'i 49,
use a common Illustration, 10 jump out OF inc
frying pan into the fire. He is expected to re-
main where he is until he Is sure that he can
better himself by a change. Up TO the present
time no party has offered Afro-Amcrican citi-
zcns a better abiding place than the ltcpubli-
can party, which, with all its changes in pol
icy and with tho death Of the great men who
| controlled its earlier destinies has remained
,o''loneu y carrier aeslih,es' nus einulneu
in spirit tho party OF freedom and national
progress in n broader sense than any other
party, This is tho view of tic matter taken
s''.y. n' . u 'r'" NV n''''i N
oy the Atro'American citizen' ana US a ma
iority of American voters have taken the same
wi,y IN ,,,.ntvoi,ht nnt % tho thirtr:six vcars
~" - '"."'S y 'no s'"'
since the election OF Mr.. Lincoln to the Presi'
GenCy, or in seven out OF nine Presidential cleo
tions II is n fair conclusion that IN. Afro.
,"nS ~ - " ~, '"' - "
In the past the Airo.Ainerican citizen has
done less running after false political gods
ton. lie has preferred to stick to the RSepubii-
can party, which was instrumental IN giving
R 1Grr his HSea 1FoS stPsnt and m ,s has en- piE ST %aSt Of PIN hi, to Sit a
iIenship; II has, required very great provoca-
ton in local and State matters to make Afro
Americans desert the Republican party, ana
when they have done 50. it has been more IN
sorrow than in anger, more in resentment at
eTship Of III" patty "a th9n N sI disco on with the
general prin ciples and policy OF the party in
State and nation. This has h%appensd many
times in the States out of the Southern group,
but the disaffection has invariably been Of a
temporary character, disappearing with time
In all the. Northern and Western States the
Afro.Amcrican vote is and has been since the
war substantially unanimous in Its Republican
sentiment. The small percentage OF 1T that
has gone after tho Democratic party, Tor IN
siaeSsdi has IN G shs s '2S inFG ssii%s9s. And 70 pc it s0h Is
reasonable 70 conclude that this conuitlon VIII
prevail until such time as there shall be a
complete revolution IN all existing parties in
their treatment of the Afro. American as n
man and as a citizen. In the Southern states,
Democratic and Populist parties, without con
sidering their principles at, all. no AFRO Amerl.
self-rcspeCt and the respect of the members of
his, race. This has been demonstrated time
and again, and has so far become a rule Of con
duet that no man who values his standing in
the community has the nerve to disregard 1t.
do not desire to enter here into a discussion
tics which gives the Afro-American no choice
between being a Republican partisan or q
summed by the members Of his own race and to
be distrusted by the white Democrats who
profit by his acceptance Of the base and de.
grading terms upon which they receive his
utilization and suffrage. do not make facts;
As a matter Of broad patriotism we could all
In the republic could consider simply, the public
welfare in shaping his political conduct, with
out reference to his individual rights or race
rights under the Constitution. This would. be
the normal condition., but the normal condition
does not obtain In the politics OF any country,
and is not likely ever TO do so. as the ideal In
government, is unattainable. But the time
will come. l believe. when every citizen IN the
republic Will feel himself equally secure IN his
rights under state and Federal Constitutions
and thus be at liberty to support the partie:
and the policies which seem to him to be best
calculated to promote the general welfare
we nave seen 50 many revolutions IN pup.le
opinion in the past thirty years, IN al direct!omi
and affecting all the relations or the national
life, that this expectation cannot be regarded
as Utopinn, despite the views OF anch SPuiherl
men as John Temple Graves, bradley l. iona
son, Hoke smith and the rest, who habitual!y
expect the revolution IN ne Constltutioi
backward instead OF forward.
But while conditions remain as they are rep,
resented in the dominant political parties, lht
masses OF IN AZ thJ states o
the Union will remain true to the principles o
the Republican party, unmoved by the jeers o
the ignorant and me gibes oil the malicious
They may do 1t lnstinctively instead OF through
the higher and more difficuit processes OF rca
soning, but they VIII reach the same conclusion
which is the highest law governing human con