The Washington bee., 1898-09-24
REVOLT OF THE NEGRO
VOTERS.
From the indianapolis, Qnd.,) World.

From the indianapolis, Qnd., World.
Under the above caption, we repro
duce an article from the WASHINGTON
BEE, which is we'll worth reading as it
is in the nature of new departure.
Brother Chase, editor of the BEE, is
evidently getting his eyes open and
sees the handwriting on the wall.
The negro race is no longer to be the
goods and chattels of one particular
party. They will no longer, like the
Glbeonites of old, remain hewerS Of
wood and drawers of water for self
appointed taskmasters. As the race
grows, becomes educated, learns to
read for itself and think for itself, in
chafes under its leading strings and
longs to assert itself. 1t was inevita-
Bile that change would come sooner
or later. All thoughtful observers fore
saw this and now the signs Of the times
times plainly point it out to most care
less lookeron. The time has come for
the negro to divide on lines of princi-
pie and policy and to be tied up in
knot BY legends, traditions and race
environments He has found out that
he is man and citizen, and as such
must think and act for himself instead
of running to some boss to get his cue.
In such condition of affairs it is nat
ural that negroes will not consent TO an
unnatural political alignment on strict
ly racial lines He will look around and
select his party associates according
as they agree or disagree with him on
the various questions OF local, state
or national government.
He will not deem it to be his duty to
be republican because his father was
such. Nor will he be afraid TO become
a democrat because of inherited pre-
judice against that party. If after ex-
animation, he prefers the republican
politics, he will and ought to be a re-
publican. If, on the contrary, he likes
the princlpales advocated by the DEM
ocrats he will join that party. But he
will not necessarily be a republican
because he is negro or refuse to be
democrat for the same reason.
He will see the folly of being "born in
a party as if it were matter OF rell-
gion, and will discover that parties
are means to an end and not the end
itself and that they are assemblageS OF
men thinking alike on certain ques-
tions of governmental policy and CO.
operating together to carry them out.
There can be no such thing as tradi-
tional politics. Politics is a matter
for today. for the needs of the passing
hour. The party you cooperate with
one, two or more years ago may not
fill the bill at all for you as you see it
today. On the contrary, the party
which you once opposed and even
hated may, at the present time, repre-
sent all the things which you want
most. In other words, it is matter
for the exercise of judgment and not
mere sentiment that should govern a
man in selecting his political asSo-
crates. 1t is purely a business matter
and not sentimental affair.
There are special reasons why no
race should be perpetually huddled
up in one political party. Our insti-
tutionS can't be run successfully in
class or race lines. We don't want
a party made up of Jews or Gentiles, or
Irish or Germans or Catholics or Pro-
testants. All classes, creedS, races
and beliefs should join their parties as
individuals and as sects or guilds. !
Otherwise we should have all the
evils of tyranny of race over race,
church over church, creed over creed.
When the members of race or relI-
gion are scattered among all parties,
will be anxious to proteCtit members
and will be free from desire to
perSecute them as a class. The rights
of all will be subserved, not on
account of their private beliefs but be-
cause they are American citizens.
Race prejudice and religious prejudice
are curses to any nation. They have
been the causes of untold horrors and
centuries of misery and persecution.
The Irish question is unsolvable when
all the Irish are on one side and all
the English on the other. This causes
the battle of Boyne to be fought over
at every recurring anniversary for
hundreds of years. But when the
parties are made up of Irish and En-
glish indiscriminately, contending not
On race or religious lines, but solely
On political basis, then there is hope
Of just settlement. The latter was
The plan OF the great Gladstone and it
made an Immense improvement over
he old Dennybrook fair style of
heads every time English
nen and lr1Shmen met.
Similarly, the American negro must
1emand his rights, not through one
party, but all parties. This will be
lone by acting for measures rather
han for men, for principle instead of
Inherited sentiment always on COM
non sense lines instead of by passion
md impulse. Rest assured that eyery
political party will protect its own
'oters and do all it can to retain their
;ood will. Any other course means
destruction. Therefore when the mem
oers OF race are scattered among all
he parties, zone of them can afford
o inoulge IN measures for the oppres-
ion OF a race as race. 1t will be
l,appy hour for the negro race when
hey all learn to think, act and vote
Independently on the merits of avery
question as IT comes up. That, in the
opinion of The World, is the nrine
actor that is to finally solve the much
nooted race problem.