The age-herald., 1900-08-10

from the politics of Alabama and the tire South. Justice demands that the suf- frage qualification should apply to white and black alike. No man should be denied the right to vote because he is black; neither is it right to permit man to vote simply becauN he is white. I write freely to the Democrats of Alabama, because I am an old-time Democrat. and have fought as many battles for democracy during the past ten years as any negro in Alabama. Right is right, since Sod is God,
 And right the day will win;
 To doubt would be disloyalty,
 To falter would be sin.
 The Democrats have done much for my race since George S. Houston redeemed the State in 1874. Five hundred million dol lars have been expended for colored public school education, and normal and indus trial schools established at Huntsville, Montgomery and fusKegee. At Talladega a school for the deaf, dumb and blind of my race has been established, and l look forward to the day when the warm hearted white people will give my people reformatory and industrial school for wayward boys The whites pay 95 per cent. of the money for colored public schools. Let us be honest and speak the
 
 sufficiently intelligent to learn and dis cuss the political issues of the day-any thing to defeat the Democrats is their slogan They are ignorant of the history of this country and the platform and prin- cipes of political parties. They do not know that the Republican and Democratic parties were born of theories of govern ment advocated by Hamilton and Jeffer- son. They do not know that thousands of Northern Democrats were in the union a1my, and that the Emancipatio ton Procla- nation was a war measure They know nothing of the great issues in the pending national campaign, and should be educated out of hatred and prejudice and how to vote
 These are square facts, and every intelli- gent colored man will admit that I speak the truth. There are some white men in Alabama just as ignorant as the negroes. We need more schools and a longer term of schools for both races. Thank God Hon. John w. Abercrombie is blazing out the way for better school system, and during the past four years the public schools and common people have had strong friend in him.
 The earlier the suffrage problem is set tied the better for both races. May heaven deliver us from a State of blood and riot, as has existed in North Carolina for four years.
 The elimination of the illiterate voter
  forever prevent clash between the races in Alabama Sensible negroes want peace and harmony, so that they can better ac- quire education, property and character The Alabama Penny Savings Bank gives the negro more commercial prominence than the negro Congressmen. We need to make solid substantial growth. We held office too soon. It has taken the Anglo Saxon one thousand years to reach his present high height. My race was not given it's freedom until yesterday.
 The white people of Alabama are political sues as long as the illiterate voter endan- gers the body polite. Eliminate the illit- crate voter and strike the shackles of slav- cry from the limbs of Gods natural born freemen, then men can divide on the tariff, currency and economic questions without endangering the liberties of free people When this is done white Republicans and negro Democrats will be less lonesome and man will not be oStraclZed on ac- count of his politics.
 Already the negro is practically disfran- chised in Alabama but as long as he is seduced by politicians to line up on elec- tion day against the whites bad feeling will exist, and it is only a question of time when race riots will break out and spread over the State.
 For the good of my race and for the in- tegrity of young white men who are trained how to manipulate and carry elections the Democrats of Alabama, in the name Of God and their wives and children, should call constitutional convention.
 DAVID w. PARKER.