The colored American., 1900-10-13

last nights Times which suggested that
he should read to the audience the let
ter addressed to the Democratic Ma
tional Committee by Bishop Turner, of
the African NJ. Il. Church, in which
that gentleman announces his intention
to support Bryan. Il have no obiec-
ton to saying what think of the bish-
ops acrObatic flop into the Democratic
party" said Mr.. Anderson, land as it
has been suggested that l read his let
ter l will do so. | hold the clipping
from the Times in my hand. Bishop
Turner'S letter begins as follows:
am declaring my preference for
William Jennings Bryan for President
because he represents the same broad
principles that Abraham Lincoln es-
poused, and / believe it will be for the
benefit of the people to vote for him.
AS Abraham Lincoln was a friend to
the cOlOred race, SO is William Jennings
Bryan. All of this silly sentiment of
adhering to the Republican party be-
cause of LincOln'S proclamation of
emancipation is misapplied. The Re
publican party of Lincoln and the he
publican party of Hanna are distinct
ly things apart. Lincoln is dead, but
his principles of personal liberty still
live, and verify the mantle of Elijah
never fitted the shoulders of Elisha as
perfectly as LincOln's mantle fits the
broad shoulders Of Bryan
"William Jennings Bryan first came
| into public notice as an inferior MEM
Der of Congress from an inferior West
ern State" said Mr.. Anderson, laying
down the clipping temporarily. -Four
years ago he secured the nomination
| for President by making a dramatic
speech before the Chicago convention.
He had as one of his principal cam
paign managers in 1896 a man who,
when there is any political filth around,
can dive into it deeper, stay under long
er and come up looking cleaner than
any other man living-Ben Tillman, OF
South Carolina. Can you imagine
abraham Lincoln running for the Pres
| idency under the auspices Of such a
man? Can you imagine him speaking
throughout the country for four years
for revenue only, dividing his spoils
with the men who are preventing the
colored men of the South from exer-
cising their rights of franchise?
| THE Republicans have lied to us
about our freedom anC citizenship,
continues the bishop. Our freedom
was a war necessity, an1 was dearly
bought with cOlOred arms 100000
strong, and our citizenship is a replica
| of SerfdOm.'
Eyes, 100000 colored men did fight
against the Confederates in the Civil
War. We fought them because they
| were rebelS-and there wasn't single
Republican among them. We fought
the Democrats with bullets then, and
I've come here to ask you to tight them
with ballots now. Bishop Turner has
been going up and down this country
for ten years telling the people that
the United States is not the place Tor
colored men-that we should be trans
ported back to Africa. But L want to
tell you that as one of those who had
father and a brother among those 20O,-
600 men, l don't propose to leave the
country for which they bled and died.
This is my country and your country
and it is not the Republican party
which is preventing us from being cltl-
zens in reality as we'll as in name.
| "Tincoln never believed in govern
ing without the consent OF the gov
erned.' saws Bishop Turner. why Is ne
so solicitous about our governing a few
aapt-footed POlynesians on the other
side of the globe without their consent
while he is not at all SOlicltous ABOUT
Governing some millions of colored peo-
6Ie right here at home without ther
consent? Why, bless you, Blsnop
Turner himself is governed without ms
| .4. bo EvoS in the South, and