The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-12-02
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THE lNTELLIGENCER.
wHEELINc. nEcEMBEa q, 1901
IVES, vIrvInla,u ooIorea Vote.


In continuing its effort to persuade the
colored voters of West Virginia that the
Democratic hearts in West Virginia are
overlooking with love for them, and that
the Republican party is no friend to
them, the Charleston Gazette makes an
asffort to reply to some questions pro-
pounded to 1t by the Intelllgencer few
days since. The replies embrace re-
iteration OF the arguments that the Dem
ocratlc politicians generally use when
trying to ALLEVIATE the colored vote from
the Republican party, and which have
been used without much effect for many
years.
The editor of the Gazette will ascertain
in due time that he Is proceeding upon
wrong premise, that the conditions he
describes do not exist in Yves. Virginia,
and that he Is simply wasting his ammu-
milton. II his purpose is TO ALLEVIATE the
colored ntheKanawharegion in the
hope of carrying county or two in the
interest Of his favorlte candidate for the
United States senate, ne will fail. The
matter has been tried before and It fail
ed. The colored voters are not deceived
by the specious arguments OF political
enemies, who would take their votes
from them altogether II they had the
power TO do It.
The Democratic politicians in this state
should be the last TO talk to the colored
voter regarding his political rights. We
all know how those rights have been re-
spected in certain Democratic states;
that only short time since the state OF
South Carolina adopted a new cOnstitu-
ton, the avowed purpose OF which was
to deprive the colored population Of its
vote, and that Louislans is about to do
the same thing. The West Virginia col
ored people remember how, no longer ago
than 1892. the Democratic state machine
epent large sums of money in the effort
to stir UP race prejudice in this state in
some portions by charging that Repub-
llcan SUCCESS meant mixed schools and
negro domination" in West Virginia.
Had the editor OF the esteemed Gazette
been in the state then ne would have
doubtless been up to his neck in this
scheme. Notwithstanding his complaint
now because thts predicted domination"
has not come about and mixed schools"
haven't been dreamed of under Repub-
llcan rule, and the colored people haven't
asked for these things.
The truth is that our esteemed Char
lesion contemporary exhibits an I'M
familiarity with the conditions in West
Virginia regarding this subject. A glar-
Eng example OF this lgnorance-and we
do not mean to use the term Ignorance"
in an offensive sense-is the following
statement in its editorial columns:
II is estimated that one-fourth OF the
voting strength Of the Republican party
in West Virginia Is made up of negroes.
Without the cold negro vote, no Repub-
lican could ever hold state office In
West Virginia; no Republican could go
10 Congre5s-in fact, without the negro
vote the Republican party In this state
would be Il harmless, dress parade affair.
Colonel John T. McGrlw, who Is famil-
iar with the voting population of the
state, should furnish his organ with in
formation that would avoid such reck-
less exhibitions as the above. Where
did the Gazette learn that one-fourth OF
the voting strength of the Republicans
In this state Is made up Of colored men f?
Docs II know that the entire colored pop
ulaaeR OF West Virginia, including men,
women and children, according to the
census OF 1890. was only $4,000, and that
the colored persons of voting age num-
bored but 9,2O2? In that year the total
vote OF all classes. according to the cen-
sus, was t9OGO2, but In the election OF
that year, being an Off year, simply a
supreme judge to be chosen only 1880
votes were cast, 7O,107 being cast by the
Republicans. Last year the total vote
cast was 1921, Of which the Rcpnbli-
cans cast iOi4ii II every coloral vote
81 West Virginia, to man, was cast last
gear for the Republican ticket It did not
amount 10 onc.tcnth the total Republic
can vote; II could have been spared and
tho state would glill have been carried
By Mckinley and Atkinson, since tho
Democrats polled but O2,O27 and other
parties pollcd about 5000 This allow
for about the Same percentage Of In.
i crease In tho colOrod vote NJ In tho white
Another evidence Of unfamtlarlty with
the conditions nppcaro IN the Gazette
assertion that without this vote no re.
publican could have ever held 8 state
olllce or gone to Congress, The Ga.
sclto should know before II 'ln1uIga1 IN
this rocl,lcasnc3l, mli the great mniorI.
" VI the cdlorod yoto " confined to d
single congressional district the Third
.horo being q comparatively email color
Il vote In the other districts. We tru5I
we have enlightened The Gazette sum
clenly 10 convince II that It doesn't know
ghal ii is loiginB about. it may 10 on