The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-07-30
Justice Due the Negro.


Justice Due the Negro.
The National Protective association
Of colored men, an organization aiming
both to uplift the negro individually
and TO secure for him his lawful rights,
has addressed to President Mckinley a
petition in which are set forth several
seemingly just grievances. Passing
over the subject of lynchings, from
which the negro race in the south
suffers incalculable injustice, but
which are very largely beyond remedy
from federal sources, and in prevention
of which the association recommends
personal education of the black man,
punishment of the practitioners of
lynch law, and indemnification of the
families of victims of lynchings, the
petition proceeds to enumerate certain
things which in it's opinion the federal
government can and ought to do, in or
der to give vitality to the last three
amendments of the federal constitution
and set the negro on an actual legal
equality with the white.
For example, the Acknowledgement of
the negro and his investiture with the
full panoply of citizenship carried with
it his legal qualification and privilege
to testify in court and have such tes-
timOny duly considered; to serve as
juror, grand or petit, in state and
federal courts; to vote in state and
federal elections and have his vote
counted as cast: and TO hold office,
elective and appOintive. All these
rights and privileges were, as the petit
tion sets forth, the absolutely neces-
sary means for the negros protection,
in view of the prejudices existing
against his freedom and citizenship.
But the petition asserts that in effect,
in many places, ell of these rights,
privileges and immuntos are denied.
If the negro testihes in court, the jury
is packed with whites and his race is
weighed against him, no negroes being
allowed to serve as Jurors. This dis
elimination is in direct violation of an
act Of congress, but as the petitioners
say to the president, neither United
States grand juries, district judges nor
marshals pay any attention whatever
to the law on the subject. The presi-
dent is urged TO cause this law to be
enforced, inasmuch as its non-enforce-
ment opens the way to limitless Confu-
! sion, ill-feeling and outrage.
Continuing the petitioners remark:
| '"Hbn violation Of f1Its oil, unl YriNri
| legcs as voters, in certain states and
parts of states, especially South Caro-
! lima and Mississippi, and the almost to-
| tai disfranchisement practiced against
| us, is well known to your eXcellency,
| and we have only to call your attention
to the Republican party's platform
| declaration Of 1896 on this subject to
suggest to you that we confidently look
| to a Republican president and congress
| to enforce, by proper legislation, the
! intent and command of the fourteenth
| amendment; namely, either to see that
all citizens of the United States, who
| are bona-fide citizens of the respective
states, be allowed to vote and have
| their votes counted as cast, or imme-
! diately legislate to reduce such repre-
scntatlon in congress. Mr.. President,
as the Republican party With whom
the negro has practically cast his for
| tunes, declares in favor of all citizens
of the United States freely exercising
the elective franchise, we take it that
neither can your eXcellency nor the Re
publican congress take sides with such
states that pretend, by an assumption
of power, to require an educational and
taX-paying qualification as a pre-
requisite to the voting privilege, espec-
tally when enforced against but one
race, and when its only purpose of cur
failing the negro vote is openly de-
clared by those in authority in such
states, even by their highest courts, as
in Mississippi"
These demands-for though couched
in the language of supplication they
are really and rightfully imperative
are just, and the Republican party
must heed them. 1t took the negro
from slavery and gave him the paper.
of citizenship. Whether such actor
was pSllOiASi WIN JuuiClouS cure anC
deliberation or not is not now the point,
it was performed and it cannot bC
Cancelled. Consequently the party
which did this deed must accept The
consequences. If there is strength il
government or potency in the plea o.
justice, the citizen whose skin is blacl
must be sustained in his claim to tn,
actual possession and enjoyment o.
rights nowhere denied to the citizeI
whose skin is white.
The Hartford Courant calls for tht