The Independent. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1895-1905, 1897-10-04
Continued from 1St page.)

would be unjust to reproach them
for it is more than we reproach the
patronage hunters who demand
recognition for the Irish vote or the
German vote or the Norwegian vote.
On the contrary, the colored people
are, on account OF their scanty OPP
portunities and OF the peculiar diff
ficulties they have to contend with,
entitled to far more lenient Judge
ment.
But owing to the race feeling
against them they are as politicians
laboring under disadvantages OF
serious nature. When organizing
for political action and the eventual
attainment OF political reward in
the shape Of public employ ment,
they are apt to fall under leader
ship which may not be, morally aud
intellectually, very much inferior to
that representing and guiding other
organizations OF spoils politicians,
but which usually, although some
times unjustly, strikes the general
public as much less deserving OF
respect. The colored politician, IN
less he be a man of acknowledged
ability and character, ordinarily
fails to be taken seriously. When
pressing his "claims" for recognition
with energy, he produces not seldom
the impression of droll forward
ness, which is calculated very great
~ to weaken the influence which he
otherwise might possess. Worse
still ia the inclination now and then
shown by negro leaders or clubs OF
colored voters to compel attention
to their wishes by the threat that
unless the "clams" of the colored
vote be sufficiently recognized by
the party which they have support
ed, that vote will be transferred to
the other side. Such threats cannot
but strengthen the apprehension
already widely entertained that the
colored vote is, or at least is apt to
become, generally venal vote. The
more this apprehension grows into
an accepted belief with party man.
ayers, aud the more it is acted upon
by them, the more will The colored
citizens as class be regarded and
treated as a band of mere merce-
naries 10 politics, and the more de
moralized and degraded will the
negro politicians and the great body
of colored voters inevitably become.
II ia, therefore, as to their character
and the responsibility OF their ST and.
ing, OF the highest Importance to
them that their political leaders
should not be mere spoils hunters
or patronage moDgers, but men of
principle, genuine public spirit, and
true self-respect. At the same time
it must be admitted that 30 long as
spoils-hunting and patronage mon
gering play great part in politics,
there is no class OF voters more apt
than the colored people to fall un.
der the influence of persons who
promise them the distinction of
public employment with good pay
for easy work, or for no work at all,
as the prize of political activity.
Although the time when the
rights and welfare OF the colored
race were especially cared for, not
only by hosts of philanthropists,
but also by one Of the great politi-
cal parties, has passed away with
the abolition of slavery and the re-
construction period, the negro does
not by any means lack sincere and
solicitous friends among the white
people. Those friends have perhaps
become somewhat sober and dis
eliminating, but they are none the
less earnest and faithful. They gen.
orally believe that the social and po-
litical advancement of the colored
race cannot be accomplished by
legal enactments or in other ways
by rapid strides, but by gradual de-