Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1906-09-22


and ask your earnest aid and sup
port I'm the Cause which we now un.
dertake.
REASONS FOR OUR DEMANDS.
AS race. since We were endowed
with the right OF suffrage as Amer
can citizens II has been our high
pleasure until recent years To stand
by. aid and support the republican
party. locally as well as Nationally.
Locally II has made TO the negroes
promises of various kind. and the
same have never been kept. In our
last Municipal election and campaign
they promised TO w 4. Brown. n
member of our race. the position OF
iailer for the city of BlueReld. West
Virginia. To him they did not keen
this promise but gave II To a demo-
crat. In whom there is no guile-one
who contested every inch of the cleo
ton until the vote was declared. thus
they have ever done.
Though constituting an important
part OF the republican vote our wishes
concerning the ticket have not at any
time been consulted. even I'm the least
but they, the local leaders, have con
jurd to themselves the idea that the
time for the negro has not yet come
and have on the other hand said to
us, boys vote for the entire ticket
and We have done so. Now they are
coming To us with similar PROPOSE
tions as In times past. This time we
do not propose to submit II Will be
proposition of applying the Golden
Rule-giye and take.
There is an absolute prevailing
tendency among our so-called repub-
lican friends to ignore us In the sim
piest yet most sacred rights or Amer
lean citizenship. When aspiring for
Office some of them will promise us
anything mentionable within the gift
of mankind, but when once they are
elected and are in office they turn a
deaf ear towards our desires forget
ting their promises and look upon
our conditions as mute as the Niobe
OF Nation and by their actions invite,
permit and encourage every indigni-
ty, insult and the most bitter hostile
determinations against us in almost
every walk of life
II is the representatives OF this
kind and character whom we have
favored with our unanimous support
and landed In office and who failed
and refused 10 lift his voice against
the "Jim-Crow" cars passing in and
through Mercer county. out of the
metropolis OF the county. IL is he
also. who discOurages vehemently
negroes aspiring for office, sitting on
juries, or even being appointed to Of
fee to serve the county or municipal
ity.
Then. fellow citizens. we cannot
appreciate too fully the magnitude
and importance OF our position at this
juncture or cooperate too zealously
In meeting these obligations.
OUR CAUSE ~ JUST.
None but slaves can continue to
follow these hagrant Inducements OF
such political demagogues as we have
heretofore allowed to be our leaders
Every right thinking negro will
hail with delight the breaking Of the
dawn OF negro liberty in Mercer
county. To prevent us from being
manly the stick Of Disfranchisement
and Jimcrowism IS held over our
heads. with threats for the purpose of
forcing us In line as usual but today
our eyes are opened and we know
that II Is possible for us to take
care Of ourselves.
OUR COURSE.
The only course now left for us
to pursue is TO meet together and
nominate a full ticket. and put on
the same the name Of a negro who
is able to respectfully and intellect
ually represent the race n elected
TO the legislature
II we are to have democrats In Of
fice, then let us vote them there our-