Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1913-02-14

| Prepared and Delivered to the Con-
ventIon by A. Clark, Chairman Of
the COMMITTEES on Address, Feb. -
18th, 1868, and Which Re-
#Ft suited in the Amendment to
il the Iowa State Constitu-
ton Giving Negroes the
.-a Right to Vote.
TO the People of Iowa: To every
true, honest and liberty-loving citi-
| zen of Iowa do the colored men of
your proud commonwealth appeal for
sympathy and aid in securing those
rights and privileges which belong
! to us as freemen. Having established
our claim to the proud title Of Amsri-
can soldiers and shared in the glories
won by the deeds O. the true men
OF our own color, will you not heed
and hear our appeal? We appeal to
the sense of justice of the Legislat-
ure and Of the people of our own
State, for those rights of citizenship
without which our wel-earned free
dom is but shadow. We ask no
| privilege; we simply ask you to rec.
onize our claim to manhood by Civ.
/ ing to us that right without which
we have no power to defend ourselves
from unjust legislation, and no voice
in the government we have endeav-
ored to preserve. Being men. we
claim to be of that number compre-
hended In the Declaration of Inie-
pendence, and who are entitled not
only to life, but to equal rights in the
pursuit and securing of happiness
and in the choice of those who are
to rule over US. Deprived OF this, we
are forced to pay taxes without re-
| presentation: to submit, without APP
peal, to laws however offensive, with
out single voice in framing them;
to bear arms without the right to say
whether against friend or foe against
! loyalty or lisloyalty. Without suff-
rage, we are forced into strict sub
lection to govsrnm emit whose coun-
ellis are to us foreign, and are called
by our own countrymen to witness
violence upon the primary prin-
cip'es OF aarepuhlican government as
gross and outrag eous as that which
Justly stirrd patriot Americans to
throw overheard the tea from English
bottoms in Boston harEor and to
wage war for Independence Let a
consistent support be given to this
principle of governments founded on
ly ION the consent Of the governed"
TO this kevstone in the arch Of
American liberty-and our full rights
as freemen are secured. Our de-
mands are not excessive; we ask not
for social equality with the white
man, as is often claimed by the shall
low demagagua; for a law higher
than human must forever govern So
cial relations. We ask only that priv
ilege which is now given to every
white, native-born or adopted, male
citizen of our State-the privilege of
the ballot-box. We ask that the word
white" be stricken from the Consti-
tuition Of our State: that the organic
law of our State shall give to suffrage
iFrevoeable guarantees that shall
know Of no distinction at the polls
on account Of color; and in this we
simply ask that the two streams OF
loyal blood which it took to conquer
one, mad with treason" shall not be
separated at the ballot-box; that he
who can be trusted with an army
musket. which makes victory and pro-
tects the nation, shall also be in
trusted with that boon of American
liberty, the ballot, to express pref.
ersnce for his rulers and his laws.
We demand this as native born citi.
zens of the United States, and who
have never known other allegiance
than to its authority and the laws of
our State, and as those who have
been true and loyal to our govern.
ment from It's foundation to the pres
snt time, and who have never de.
serted its interest whilst even in the
midst Of treason and under subjec-
ton to it's violent enemies. We ask,
in the honored name of 100000 col
ored troops five hundred of whom
were from our own Iowa, who, with
the first opportunity, enlisted under
the flag OF our country and the ban
ner of our State, and barred their
breasts to the remorseless storm Of
treason, and by hundreds went down
to death in the conflict, whilst the
franchissd rebels and their cowarGly
friends, now bitter enemies of our
right to suffrage, remained in quiet
at home, safe, and fattened on the
fruits of our sacrifice, toll and blood
We make these demands as one of
right and nee assity, If not expo diency,
and are unwilling to believe that a
powerful, ruling people, streng thenedSI
by new victories with the aid Of our
hands, could be less magnanimous IN
purpose and In action. less consist
sent with the true theory Of a sound
democracy, than to concede to US our
claims. We believe that with expsdi-
ency even our demands are not at
war, but that with right does public
policy strike hands and unite our
votes. as 1t did our musEets, to The
PILE -: :ss . !!!@ "A!
yly Exnlains the Mid Medical Trast.