The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1897-10-14
Ridiculous.

Ridiculous.
No other caption would fit the meet
ing last night at the Court House in the
interests of the Negro Protective Party.
It was addressed by r. w. Christian, " no
admitted the aid accorded it by the Dem.
ocracy. He said the party had no prin.
ciples. 1t took no stand on finance, tar.
if, foreign policy or any national issue.
It was for the negro and the negro only,
and that with a great big capital N.
His argument was all on the loweplane
of political plunder. AS for himself he
believed in free silver and ridiculed the
idea OF protection. He gave the soldiers
of the Union no credit for their part in
liberating the colored man, but said
they Married to battle in the rear of col.
ored men, using negroes as their breast
works. He put forth the shameless as.
sumption that the Republican party had
hung the colored rapist at Urbana, and
had done it not because of his crime, but
because he was negro. He misrepre.
sented Gov. Bushnell, who did what he
legally could to prevent the riot, and at.
terward cid all he could to PUNISH the
lynchers. He knows as all others that
are posted, that the fault was with the
Sheriff and Mayor, who failed to apprise
the Governor of existing conditions un.
til it was too late. He said nothing OF the
white men lynched in the north, but
left his hearers to believe there were
none but the negroes. He said nothing
OF the Washington G. H. riot, where
Republican administration, called out
the State troops to protect negro. His
presentation of the situation was gross.
ly unfair and unjust throughout.
He claimed that the negro had re.
ceived no benefits, no recognition what.
ever, at the hands OF the Republican
party. The negro had worked out his
own freedom. He gave no statement OF
what the negro's condition would have
been without the amendments, which
gave him the franchise and his civil
rights as citizen. He left his hearers
to believe that the Republicans had
never appointed or elected a negro to
any position, but had simply used him
as door mat, to be trampled under
foot, and cast aside. He knew this was
not true. Beginning with Bruce and
Douglass the departments at Washing
ton have been we'll sprinkled with col.
ored appointees, and remained 30 until
Grover Cleveland went in with club and
drove them out, then erected the civil
service barrier and kept them out. If
there are not many negroes in the de.
partments now, it is the fault of Dem.
ocratic administration. But he didn't
tell them that.
There have been numbers of colored
men in Congress, everyone of them sent
there by white:Republican votes.
There have been many negroes elected
to our State Legislature. Everyone by
white Republican votes.
There have been....many negro EN-.
ployes in the State House and State in.
stitutions, not one of them put there by
Democratic choice.
OF all these things he never said a
word. But, throwing principle to the
dogs, he sought to rally the colored peo.
pie under the piratical banner Of spoils.
He said all the white men were in
politics for spoils. In this he lied. He
insulted the millions OF white men OF all
parties who vote conscientiously for the
promotion OF their chosen principles.
In the interest of John R. Mclean he
presented ridiculous falsehocds against
Bushnell and Hanna.
At the close of his wild harrangue
Rev. Prosser said he thought Mr.. Chris.
tian had been too strong in his language
denouncing every colored man who
would vote for Bushnell or Hanna as a
fool or coward, or knave. He was a
Republican and would not abandon his
principles for personal prejudice or the
hope of spoils.
Christian jumped onto him and in.
suited and vilifed him.
At last when the TRADE was over, Mr..
Prosser said he had never received a
dollar for voting or expressing his politi.
cal sentiments. He didn't propose to
handy abuse with a blackguard and
would vote his sentiments without regard
to the dictation OF John r. Mclean.
Then the petition for q place on the
county ballot was brought forth, and
the fire works were over.