The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-05-05

| lSGI and their lineal descendants, for
ever shall continue to vote, notWith-
standing the amendment, /. e., all the
white people but the class who had moi
the right to vote previous to that time
shall be disfranchised by this amend
ment. Is not that plainly disfranchise-
ment on the account of a previous con-
dition the very thing which the consti-
tuition forbids?
If l were a lawyer / should wish for
no palmer case. All that is necessary
Is to put the men who framed this
amendment on the stand and swear
them. AS honest men they will be OBJ
lged to acknowledge, under oath, what
they have publicly proclaimed-that
this amendment is intended to disfran-
chise the negro, and not the white man.
/ would bring the defendants to the
bar and prove my case out of their own
mouths. The disfranchisement on ac-
count of a previous condition is tao
plain to escape the notice of a man
with half an eye l do not see how any
man, with this light before him, who
has taken an oath to support the con-
stitution of the United States, can vote
for the amendment without perjuring
himself.
Now, there is no necessity for this
amendment The white people can mon
age the negro vote il they choose to do
so. If they will come down to the ne
gro and reason with him on political
matters as they do an all other matters,
they will not find any difficulty in Sc
curing a very large portion Of tn enc
gro vote, and then there will no longer
be negro problem"
In everything else they govern the ne
gro by winning his confidence, and this
is not a hard thing for white man TO
do if he wants to. In politics they take
an opposite course; they start out to
shake the Negroes confidence, or, rather,
they proclaim themselves the Negroes
political enemies. They tell him that
this is a white mans government and
that he (the negro has no part in it.
They do not win the vote of foreigners
who scome to this country by telling
them that this country is for native
Americans, and that they have no part
in it,; they would not succeed on that
line.
Now, human nature is pretty much
the same, no matter what the color OF
the skin. And whatever fools may say
to the contrary, the negro is human
being, and to secure the best results he
must be treated as such. 1t is not the
forty-acres-a nd-a mule nonsense, of
which we have heard so much, that has
caused the negro to vote solidly the re-
publican ticket; neither has he followed
blindly after party name. No, he has
been moved by higher motive. He
has believed that his political rights
We're at stake, and he has got this i'm
preston from the declaration of demo-
cratic speakers and the democratic
press, and from the conduct of demo-
Gratis towards him. He knows the white
men Of the south as nobody else does.
and the fact that they can come so near
to him in every other matter, and stand
so far off in politics, seems suspicious.
1t is therefore not hate, but fear that
has kept him from voting the demo-
cratic ticket. The democratic press and
democratic speakers have insisted that
great mistake was made in giving the
right of suffrage to the negro. / once
heard democrat say in a public speech
that the platform of the democratic
party was composed Of one single plank,
namely, unceasing, untiring and eternal
opposition to negro suffrage. This of
course was an unusual extravaganza;
but various notifications Of the same
sentiment have been frequently express |
ed Now, one such democratic speech
has done more to render the negro vote
soldly republican than q hundred re-
publican speeches could do.
Now, if this negotiating sentiment |
were universal, our cause would be
hopeless. Then I should agree that the |
best thing to do would be to get away.
But + believe, in splits Of appearances,
that there is an evergrowing sentiment |
in favor of helping the negro to throw
off his shackles.
In time this feeling will be the domi-
nant feeling, and the best thing to do
Is to calmly await 1t. The talk of meet
ing violence with violence is useless and |
foolish. The proverb that he who lives
by the sword shall perish by the sword
Is too true.
The ministers attending the confer
ance are as follows:
Presiding bishop-Right Rev. J. w.
Hood.
Associate bishop--Right Rev. J. b.
Smalls.
Presiding elder-Rev. S. c. Birch
more.
]. e. Smith, foreman of the A. M. E.
Zion Publication House, Charlotte,
Y. c.
Elders-Revs. S. G. Birctmore, New
Haven; John Evans, Merlden; G. III. S.
Bell, Waterbury,; Daniel Davis, Provi-
lence; w. J.. Smith, Cambridge, Mass.
J. E. Robinson, Norwch G.. l.. Black
->.J.t |