Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1901-11-20
SlEBER'S SPEECH.

ly acknowledge our mistake or yester-
day, in predicting that no note OF pa
triotlsm, no plea for the maintenance
Of simple justice, no cry for right
would be uttered upon that occasion.
1t was a lonely appeal for the DIS
charge by the Republican party OF
what 1t always has avowed to be a
party duty but it was not the more
remarkable for being alone than for
the courage, good temper, strength ana
truth of the Senator's argument.
No man who denies to his fellow
man the civil rights assured to him
by the law-and whether such denial
comes by fraud or fear, Is II Democrat
in any Just sense of the word, although
he may belong to the Democratic
party.
1t matters not now whether the
right was originally conferred wisely
or not. 1t should be enough for Il
law-abiding citizen to know that 1t
is guaranteed by the Constitution. To
a patriot, the added fact that 1t was
placed there by the great men of the
mast. as their matured conviction OF
right and duty, and AS the harvest
gathering of a long and bloody war.
Al iri, npin
TO make 1t too sacred thing to be
set ut naught by the narrow and de
grading spirit of caste which obtains
il large sections of the country today.
We wish we could truthfully say
that either of the two political parties
has any desire to see this Constitu-
tional right respected or enforced. we
might indeed claim for the Democ-
racy that only for Il brief time since
the great war have they been In pow
er in all branches of the government
and hence have been In no position to
do justice to their professions of po-
lltical equality. Even then, Grover
Cleveland was so busy In paying Wall
Street off for landing him In his chair
that such II thing as the rights of
voters were entirely neglected. And
we fear too--if the fact must be told
that the disposition ms well as the
.,,,,,,,. t,n., I,nnn lnni,inn
The Republican party are wholly
insincere In the matter They have
promised, over and again, TO secure
the rights of the Constitution TO all
the people, If they could only he en-
rusted with power Over and again
have they pawncd their sacred wore
to this end, And yet they have mad,
no effort to redeem their pledge, ant
Il Is manifest that they do not inten,
to do 1t. They viii continue to winl
at the miserable subterfuees embodie,
In the constitutions of the Gulf States
and will keep on apologlzing for tn
part taken by the North in the wal
hoping thus at least to divide the whit
vote of the South and win few pres
dental electors In the future.
For this reason, the Senator's speech
although 1t may strike responsiv
chord among the people. VIII he re
ceived most ungracously by the LEAD
ers OF his party.
The man who tells such wholcsom
truth to party which is dcnyin
all rights of Independence to some mi
lions OF men, not even black, but onl
brown, and who breaches about keel
ing party promises and preserving pal
" consistency, at this time of day,
apt 10 be persona non grata in Repul
lican circles.
Whether the eloquence, the courage
and the truth Of Mr.. Seber's appci
shall avert from his head such Il fat
remains to be seen.
For our part We cannot help thlnl
ing that II Is n mistaken policy,
well as being wrong In principle, Z,
the whites In the South TO defraud Il
blacks of their votes. The party th,
can satisfy the latter that II can {
10 more for them than its adyersar
can get their votes. All they nee
or are entitled to, Is impartial trea
ment If it shall he said that tn,
are ignorant, TO cheat them viii n
make them less so. Rather, cnfor
an educational test, but let II app
TO illiterate whites as well. Or b,
ter still, furnish them with facilitI
for education, and, being an lmitati
race, they will take care of themsely,
II education will not fit men for Sc
government, then indeed Is our Repl
lie, sooner or later, doomed TO fallu
II 1t is fact that the people
the country are against the enfor