Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1910-09-02
ABE L|NCOlKS
SECRETARY WARNS
NEGRO VOTERS
w. 0. Stoddard, of Madison,
Bids Those Of Jersey Beware
of BallOt=Buyers.

y William O. StoGdard, of Madison, who
was one of the private secretaries CT
!. Abraham Lincoln, acting in cooperation
n with John Hay and Nicolay, has ad-
dressed a letter to the negro voters Of
4 New Jersey.
sasf The letter is of especial interest,
,9ewing, to the fact that MIR. Stoddara
IN copied the first draft of the emancipa-
/ y4ation proclamation and made the first
r address to the colored hremen IN the
.contraband camp at Washington.
Mr.. Stoddard is now a well-known
journalist and author. His letter, in
/ part, is as follows:
B f MIR. Stoddard's Letter.
september 1, 1910.
aTo the Colored Voters of New Jersey:
my Fellow Citizens-I have been
asked to say a few words to you with
reference to your action at the coming
primaries. [ have consented to do so
without any reference to party lines or
Questions. for reasons which | will try
w to give.
1T is well known to many of you that
was one of the old-time anti-slaverN
u .sgnen. and moreover, that for a long
I time was intimately associated with
your good and great friend, Abraham
e4s lincoln. In my last talk with him ne
ssnsfbade me do all III my power toward
sg e. securing manhood suffrage for the col
sG cred man. The promise l gave him
then have faithfully kept; often, IN
the old days, at the risk of my life.
.It was and is my conviction that the
possession and exercise oil civic rlshts
..rsa nd duties is an inestimable agent in
the education of men, white or coloreu'
as freemen. [ have been told In repIy
5that the colored man is by nature unnt
/ fo,. ench ! responsibility, that he Will
never act Independently, but Will al
ways obey such orders or Instructions
as he MAJ receive from some other
man.
sovs. 800 Your own Thinking"
- az wish To saw therefore, speaking in
gdividually and personally to each COL
: ored voter who may read TINS, / nave
Aduring all these years, watched Win
stntense interest every upward step IN
Atba advancement of his race, and l now
sask him to think and act for hlmseii'
IF he does not, he places himself on
tho level of the vast herds of human
cattle. white and black, who are driven
into this or that party corral under
The LASH or at he bidding of some
boss or overseer, Or set of overseers.
"Rut there is still a more serious point
In be considered. | have been told re-
Deatedly that the polltlclans IN lnls
M .and other states can easily obtain the
An colored vote for whatever purpose they
~ desire-by Il promise of a job, a dollar
ar two. or a glass of whiskey-it Is
only a matter of purchase. The In
telligent colored voter knows that the
~ right of suffrage marks. him as a free
"A mericar citizen. When he sells this
right he has been bought just as truly
az the slaves were before the war.
you may sometimes find it hard TO
slte9ateIl which side TO vote for. OF one
sns thing you may be sure-the man who
offers YOU any price whatever for your
vote is your enemy.
no not sell the liberty that was paid
for bv the blood of thousands of noble
n men for a glass of whiskey or any
other bribe that dishonest, corrupt poll
ticians can offel you,
aKnow whom you vote for, know why
YOU vote for him, and prove to the
neople of New Jersey that you can
not he bought fer a price, but are men
indeed"