The broad ax. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1895-19??, 1904-08-13
Mental or Political
Slavery
Is The Greatest Curse to
the Negro.

Iother Negro who may happen to diieT
with him along religious lines, but he
places his Republican politics ahead
of his Lord and his religion. for with
a few honorable exceptions he is viii
ling to tear to pieces every Negro who
assumes an air Of political indepen-
dence, that is one who fails to blindly
vote and act like himself.
Those who are constantly giving
expression to the shallow and falla-
cious idea that it is unnatural for
the Negro to be anything else in poll
tics but a Republican, and that the
leaders Of that party must forever be
permitted to use and vote him like a
lot Of sheep, for no logical reason
whatever, fail to take into considera-
ton the fact that they are simply
assisting those who contend that the
Negro was nc cast in the same
moulds with the other races OF men,
that he wears the stamp Of inferiority
upon his brow, that it is unnatural
for ten million people to solidly aline
themselves with any political party
on all questions and issues for long
period of years, that these tendencies
seemingly render him incapable Of be-
coming a full fiedged American cid-
zen. .
In this connection it may not be i'm
practicable to state that many honest
men and women residing in all parts
Of the world, have been taught to look
upon physical slavery with horror, but
physical slavery with all its demoraliz-
ing and heartrending scenes, is nothing
TO compare with mental or political
slavery, for in the majority of cases
individuals and whole races of man
kind, regardless Of their color, have
possessed the manhood and the
strength to break the chains of physi-
cal slavery and ever afterWard stood
erect and defed their former owners
or Oppressers to re-enslave them; but
mental or political slavery dwarfs or
shrivels up the mind or intellect to
such an extent that It is very seldom
that those who are affected with it can
ever escape out from under its blight
ing and pernieious influence, for it
causes whole races Of men to become
mental or political towards and ser
vile slaves.
This Is true OF the Negro to a great
er or less. extent, for he has permitted
his blind leaders to enslave his mind
to the one sole idea that for no plaus-
ible reason he must forever remain
the mental or the political slave Of
the Republican party; by systematic
ally interfering these false or errone-
Gus ideas OF impressions into the
mind Of the Negro has been the means
Of causing him to feel entirely de-
pendent upon some one else to fight
the battle Of life for him.
What the Negro needs above all
things is to be taught manhood and
political independence, then he viii be
able to free himself from the cold and
deadly embrace Of mental and politi-
cal slavery. Then he win learn that
the supposed freedom which was con-
ferred upon him by the Emancipation
Proclamation and the Amendments
have been-to him more Of a curse than
blessing, for they have led him 10
believe that he could or can come
into the full possession Of the price
less Jewel, Liberty, without paying
the full price which she demands.
Then he win realize that Liberty never
descended from the starry heavens az
rayed in her native purity for the.
special benefit Of any one race Of
people. but all who desire to enjoy
her fruits to the fullest extent must
raise themselves up to civil and po-
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