The Washington bee., 1903-01-24
NOT BARRED BY COLOR.
Numerous Leaders Of Negro X &c
Elected to office in the North.
CHOSEN BY WHITE VOTERS
Examples Recounted to William (.
Curtis By Register Of Treasury Lyon.
BY William F.. Curtis
Special TO the Record Herald. !

Washington, Jan. I8.-"As soon seek
roses in December, ice in June, hope for
constancy in wind or corn in chatt, be
ieye an eptaph, anything that IS false
before YOU tTuStIn critics, said Judson
w. Lyon. the eminent COloTed man,
Who occlpies the responsible post OF
register of the treasury, and is also
member of the Republican national
committee from Georgia. LAS early as
1888 Tohn NJ. Langston was elected TO
a coully Office il the State OF Ohio, and
thus it was that the No IN commenced
the election OF capable and worthy
Colored men for representative posi-
tions three wears before the late un-
pleasantness. From the time Lee fur
led his banner at Appomattox TO the
present, It is safe TO say that no single
year has passed that has not Witnessed
a score or more of COlOred msn oCCu-
pying representative OmceS, To which
lhey were elected by constituencies
nine-tenths OF whom were white. in VA
riouS states north Of Mason and Dix
On'S line.
"rhe Presi lent of the United States
is sworn 10 defend the Constitution and
execute the laws of the land as they
are found on the statute books. He
does not find anything in those laws
which makes the Colored man any less
a citizen than any other man. On the
contrary. The law says that he is cit
izen, ard lhe history OF the great par
ty to viii n he belongs and the dearest
traditions of it with which he IS wholly
familiar are insepaTab entWlned about
the man and brother so that the
fulfillment Of his oath be could not
ignore him If he would, and in justice
10 him, ! don't believe he would If he
could. Ia addition to his oath OF office
he has the striking example OF the
great stat 5 OF the north which have
from time 10 time called Colored men
10 representative places by the suf-
frages of their fellow citizens in com
munities frequently where the race did
not have 5 per cent of the voting
strength. "
- mere is hardly state in the North,
however small the ColOred population
therein, which has not elected and ap-
pointed ColOred men TO representative
offices. IL happened TO be in western
New York last summer, where ! met
a cOIored gentleman who was city
treasurer. UIon inquiry found there
were only forty colored voters in that
city, although the white voters NUM-
bered several thousand. He was a
man of high character, and when the
people wanted to fill that important
office they did not think about his col
or.
Hamilton County, Ohio, has had
Colored man on its delegation 10 the
CEREAL assembly of that state righ a.
leng for perhaps more than twenty tive
wears. IreCall the following names:
George w. Williams, ihe historian;
Colonel Robert Harlan, George H.
Jackson, Professor w. n. Parham, w.
(. Co 1eland azd Mr.. Hill. There are
many others, whose names | do not re-
cali. B. w. Arnett, now bishop. repre-
sented Xenia in the legislature at one
time. Harry c. Smith, Jerry Brown, w
h. Clifford and John P. Green, who
was both representative anc 5 nator,
have represented Cleveland in the gen.
eral assembly.