Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1900-03-29
PRETENDED SYMPATHY.

People would have more confidence in
the sympathy the Democratic politicians
are SO loudly and constantly expressing
for the Filipinos and Porto Ricans, if the
conduct of these same Democrats had
not been so cluel and unsympathetic to
certain classes of our own people. The
Democratic leaders, from Mr.. Bryan
down, are now greatly disturbed about
the civil aud political rights of the Fill
pinos and Porto Rcans; but their solici-
tude is not occasioned by any honest,
tender, human feeling for those peoples,
but is assumed for the purpose of raising
an issue that will be hurtful to the Adj
ministration and to the Republican par
tv. The conduct of the Democratic par
ty on this question is very much like the
man who is smiling and kind to every
body he meets away from his home, but
vino is abusive and brutal to members Of
his own household.
The inhabitants of the Philippines are
all of dark races, many of them black,
and numbers of them mongrels. The POr-
to Ricans are also of mixed breeds, many
of them being mulattoes. If we are to
Judge the Democrats by what they say,
they are seriously alarmed lest our Gov
eminent shall trample upon the rights
Of these peoples, and deprive them of
some right which our Constitution guar
antees to them, and which a feeling OF
humanity should compel us to accord to
them. This sentiment of the Democracy
would be most commendable if it were
sincere; but its insncerity is fully estab-
lshed by the course which the Southern
Democracy has pursued to the colored
men of the South, which course has been
condoned or approved by the Northern
Democracy. Under the Constitution the
colored men are invested with the poliii-
cal rights that belong to other citizens;
but those rights are violated by fraud
and force, and the Democrats boast OF
the Outrages. Senator Tillman, in the
United States Senate, has on several
occasions boldly declared that i'll South
Carolina they stuffed the ballot boxes,
cheated the negroes aud hunted them
down with shot gurs.
On the 23rd inst, when the Porto Rican
bill was under discussion in the Senate,
and the Democratic Senators were wiping
their weeping eyes over the outrage that
was being inflicted by the bill on the Porto
Rcans Senator Spooner and Senator I'LL
man got into heated controversy, and
Mr.. Spooner reminded Tillman Of his late
remarks, in which he CTillman) had JUST
fled ballot box stuhing and the employ
ment of the shot gun policy against the
negroes Of the South. Tillman replied
1--WE did all those things, and | have no
apology to make for it here or any where
else" Senator McEnery, of Louisiana,
has also declared in the Senate that the
negro is treated the same way in his State,
and attempted to justifyit.
That is not all. The negroes of the
South are not the only citizens whose
rights have been trampled upon by the
Democracy. Look at the situation in Ken
lucky. Consider the conduct of the Demo
Gratis of that State toward the Republicans,
who are nearly all white citizens. A de-
termined effort was begun to steal the
Governorship of Kentucky, and that
crime is still sought to be performed.
When it was thought that Goebel had sue
ceeded in cheating the Republicans out of
the Governorship Mr.. Bryan was among
the first to wire his congratulations; and
when Goebel was still pursuing his plan OF
outrage and robbery and fell before an as
sassins gun. a vail of sympathy was heard
from the Democracy as if it was over the
death of one who was engaged in the pur-
suit of some lawful and righteous enter
prise.
Who has heard of one word of disap'
proval from Mr. Bryan, from Democrat
ic Senator, from Democratic Congress
man, from Democratic ledueI at lil0 III
pudent effort of the Kentucky Democrats
to steal the State offices and defeat the
popular will of the people ? How can the
Democratic leaders expect intelligent men
to believe them sincere when they weep
over the Filipino and Porto Rican, and
smile with joy when the civil and political
rights of American citizens, white and
black, are violated in the interest of De-
mocracy?
WHAT did the wOrkingman plead for in