The Colorado statesman., 1906-10-20
w. I. Vernon
Register Treasury Delivers Great Address Topeka
Tuesday Night "The Republican Party the Negro"

My entire career has been given to
the advocacy of those things which in
my opinion were for the best of the
race which | am proud to defend and
whose interests and destiny are linked
with mine forever.
This is no new theme for me. Those
who are familiar with my public ut
terances and written productions
know that / have been uncompromis-
ing in my Republicanism and have
stood for the principles of this party
without fear or favor.
| number among the Democrats of
this state some warm personal friends,
but our personal friendships have not
Influenced me one iota when it comes
to championing these principles which
to my mind make best for my people.
Nationally, the principles and tenets
of the Democratic party are entirely
against the Negro and the Negroes in
terest. 1t is not necessary for me to
say that the states of the South con-
stitute the backbone of the Democratic
party of the whole country.
What has been the history of the
Democrats of the South for the past
hundred years? The most CALLING
slavery, suffering and toll the world
v<has ever known has been the part of
my people. No home, no marriage
ties, no education, no enlightenment.
They barred their breasts and went
to war that black men might still be
slaves. My grandfather was slave,
my father was a slave.
If it had not been for the Republican
party / would have been a slave and
you, my race, and our beloved ones
would have been slaves.
AnpnmatOy was fact Lincoln 8
work was done. He passed a martyr
belond the skies and four million of
helpless, suffering, ignorant slaves,
like dumb driven cattle, were told that
they were free. The South was un-
willing to accept that which has been
accomplished and Lees scattered
army had hardly reached their homes
where Negroes had faithfully kept
vigil, had worked and fed their wives
and children and protected them, be-
fore these same cecessionists 1mme-
diately set about to re-enslave the
faithful blacks who had been all to
their families while they were away
in the traitorous war.
Then came the "Black Codes" sue
cession of laws among which was one
to the effect that unless the Negroes
or citizens own fifty dollars worth of
property they would be arrested as va
grants and sold on the auction block
to the highest bidder.
AS a result thousands of black men
were Immediately seized, sold, and put
to work. They were not allowed to
have the overplus of their earnings as
an accumulation over fifty dollars; but
this money was to be used for the sup
port of the orphans of the country"
and thus he was to be kept vagrant
perpetually. Thus originated the pres
ent peonage system of the South.
In other words, the freedman was
sold again and made slave and his la
Dor was taken to support the orphans
of men shot to death in their efforts 10
blot out the American flag and to
erase our country from the map of the
earth.
The thirteenth, fourteenth and fif-
teenth amendments to the constitution
were passed by the Republican party
led on by the immortal Sumner and
others who sought to protect the ex-
slaves, left naked in the hands and
lands of the enemy. 1t was argued by
the Democrats of the South that the
Negro should be disfranchised because
of illiteracy.
1t is a well known fact that instead
of educating the Negro out of his illit
eracy to know and to do his duty as
voter after Acknowledgement, they
sought to prevent his education. to
make his vote harmful to the COM
monwealth and thus have an argument
for denying him the right to vote.
Furthermore at the close of the war.
the rebel states refused to return to
the union on righteous and even char
liable terms on the part of the North
and as a result northern men argued
that it was best to set up a govern
ment in the South to be operated by
the enfranchised slave, who, il he