The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-08-16
IMPORTANT ]iR, i, ii; 10 NEGROES

rs - M 7fssi. ~ x AZ
Is the Present Political contest-Ad--
verse Legislation Should Demand
Adherence to the Republican Party.
washington Post, August 10, 1900: !. /.
Editor. Post = The present contest,
with the Democratic forces on the ono
side and the Republican forces on the
other, is by far the most important to
the American negro Of any other since
the election Of the martyred Lincoln In
1860. K & VI
The recent laws discriminating
against the negro, enacted by the Dem
ocrats In the states where they have,
control, not only make this contest the
one above all others in Importance to
the negro, but 1t also clearly defines his
best and safest position in the field Of
politics. The Democrats show clearly
by these enactments that they do not
want the nesro's political support, nor
do they mean to accord him the rights
Of IN American citizen. d 4
With these things In View, I am sur
prlsed when l see colored men doing a
single thing or saying singleiword
that will IN the least help this party In
to power. No rational man would be
mean enough or SO sillberal as to say
that all Democrats sanction these ne
farlous laws, for that would be; base,
untruth. But those who do not are a
small part OF the number that furnish
the vote OF the party, and thus become
the controlling element.
A man holding an office from which
he gets his daily bread. under either a
Republican or Democratic admlnistra-
tion, should have the manhood to sup.
port the party to which he is indebted
for the chance to make this daily bread.
Some would call this political slavery,
but II is not; 1t is rather political con-
sistency. x y
The question for, the negro to settle Is
q plain and simple one, and there Is
only one. While all has not been done
for the negro that is due him from the !
Republicans. the question Is, Has more
been done for him. has he. received
more under them than under the
Democrats? This is the only question:
so far as the negro as a race Is con-
cerncd. To be sure. there are questions
affecting the country's veal or woe,
that the negro. with other American
citizens, must help to settle, but to him
as 4 struggling racer the paramount
one Is what has just been stated.
The battle is on, and there is no time
for skulking in order to see which side
will win. It is the time now for every
man to, show his colors In justice to
himself. he should be on the one side or
the other. do not mean by this that
a man should go Into the streets yell
ing for Mr.. Mckinley, or Mr. Bryan,
and thus make public nuisance of
himself. but do mean that he should
be fixed In this matter, and not always
ready to jump upon the band wagon
that seems 20 be making the most
noise. regardless of consequences. Men
should cast their lots with the party
that appears to them to be for the right
and II that party goes down to defeat,
go down withit. By so doing they will
have more self.satisfaction, and can go
home and look their wife, mother, or
sister. squarely In the face with the |
consciousness that they have done
what they believed to be right.
II q man is Republican. he should
do all honorable that is in his power for
Republican success. II he is a Demo.
crat, and believes that party right he
should give It the same earnest sup
port. In short, he should be man.
WILLIAM T. M'KINNEY,
President West Virginia Colored Re
publican Association.
&