The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-06-14
FIRST COLORED VOTER.
He Was Shelton Morris, and Cast a
Ballot for w. I'll. Harrison

j. A. Watrous in Chicago Times-Herald
i guess the. first man with African
blood in his veins to vote for President in
Kentucky was Shelton Morris. He was a
great admrer of Gen. William Henry Har-
rison, the Wing candidate in 1910, and he
Yentured TO the polls and voted for him"
The remark was made by a descendant OF
Mr. Morris.
shall make it text for an interesting
chapter James Morris of Virginia. a
brother of Robert Norris famous in the
war of the revolution, left his State to be-
come resident of Kentucky late in the
last century lie was man of much
wealth at that time and invested largely
in real estate. mostly in Louisville business
ard residence lots. He was the father of
four children, their mother being an octo-
room. woman of much beauty and very
Intellectual When he died he was the pos
days. All of his wealth was left to mis-
four children, share and share alike. AS
stated. much of his property consisted of
lots in the business and residence portions
of Louisville, as can readily be seen by
consulting the records In the office of the
recorder Of jefferson county Kentucky.
Mr.. Morris's eldest son, Shelton, was given
something of an education, but concluded
to learn the BARRIERS trade and soon
His complexion was so fair that stranger
would never think of him having even
tinge of African blood in his veins.
In 1910. on election day he turned the key
of his shop. went out upon the street and
saw men who could not read, write or speak
the English language walk up to the polls
and vote against his favorite, General Har-
rison He knew that the few drops of col
ored blood in his veins made it unlawful for
him to vote, but he also knew that he was
a better American citizen than hundreds he
saw voting, and his mixture of the best
Virginia blood and the blood of his proud
octoroon mother was stirred 10 the point of
Indignation as he thought that his favorite
might be defeated through the votes Of
men wholly ignorant of the men and meas
bringing his jaws firmly together he walked
straight to the poll in hiA precinct and
This without doubt was the first vote
ever cast in Kentucky by man of color
claimed. Nothing was said about it at
first, but it finally leaked out The horrible
fact that nearly white nephew of the
great Robert Norris had voted in Kentucky
became known, and there was a mighty
uproar. While Morris had large business
and was prosperous the uproar made him
so indignant that he left Louisville and To-
Gated in Cincinnati where he soon played
a prominent part in the management of the
underground railroad" upon which many
a Kentucky slave wendell his way to lib
erty.
The discussion over Mr.. Morris's vote was
taken up by all the papers in Kentucky
and many outside of that State the Louis
vile Courier then a leading publication.
taking prominent part in condemnlng the
act. The old files of the Courier IN the Of
fee of the Courier Journal are referred to
to verify this statement. Having LETT
Louisville, his property IN time passed 10 10
real estate before the fateful vote The
other three. members of James Morris,s
estate that to-day is worth many millions
One of the sons of Shelton Morris, Hor-
ace died at his home In Louisville 1eW
weeks ago! Like his father, he would not
have been taken for person of color IN
any community unacquainted with his his
tory He acquired a good education. Pos
sessing rare talent as writer and being
a deep thinker, he made use of his GIFTS ana
contributor to a leading daily paper in his
State, one of the first editors of Ken
lucky. famous editor OF that time saia:
But for the African blood in his veins
Horace Morris would long ago nave Oeen
the editor-in-chief of the best daily In Ken
lucky He possesses all of the ability, hon
esty and industry needed for such a posi-
ton, but he is barred because Oh mat
blood"
the service of the government and remained
until the end. When the Freedman Bureau
was organized he was elected CASHIER ana
manager of the Louisville branch. po-
sition he held and whose duties he per-
formed with marked ability and strictest
honesty until the failure of the enterprise.
He was the only man of color who was
given so high a position in the manage
ment of the bureaus FUNDS Al the time OF
in the Freedman's Bank but was too hon
est to withdraw a penny of it. After that
Norris held pos1 Waahn m one
When General b. II. Bristow became sec
rotary of the treasury he offered him the
position of private secretary. This was
high compliment for the Kentucky states
man to pay a man of color from his own
State But owing to failing health and
desire to return to Louisville and be with
his family the offer was declined.
The school system introduced in Louis
vile that has been of such great advantage
TO the colored people of that and other
Southern cities owes much to Horace Nor
ris. He was ever tireless in his efforts for
the benefit and uplifting Of the race White
and black respected him, and there was
nothing within the gift of the colored peo-
pie that they were not always ready TO
bestow upon him. He was an ardent Re-
publican from the birth of the party, speak
ing and writing for ii whenever an OPP
portunity offered. He left family Of
ing well educated and highly respected
young ladies, are teachers In the public
schools of Louisville. Mr.. Morris was a
Iarge-hearted man. His sister Maria
Frances married the late Prof. l.. w.
Minor one of a family of four, the children
of a rich Louisiana planter. Whe were
about the first students to enter Oberlln
College. Upon his sisters death In 1870,
Mr. Morris took her three children to his
home and raised them as his own. One,
a young lady, is still a member of his fam
ily and a successful teacher in the public
schools One of the sors is editor and
proprietor of the Republican a weekly
naper published at New Orleans, and the
other Shelton Morris Minor, has been q
respected resident of Milwaukee ever since
1886 He also has been newspaper man.
He cannot remember when men of color
i'm the United States hadn't the right 10
vote but his old grandfather, the first
colored man TO vote in Kentucky, lost a
fortune in an attempt TO aid in the election
of General Ben HarrisonS grandfath Their,
nearly sixty years ago