The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1920-10-28
THE coLoRED VOTE

The letter written by Principal Nc
Call Of Howard Academy was sensible
and timely. and the Star was glad to
print it. The Star can corroborate
McCall's statement that many of his
race are working not only for their
uplift but the common good: There
are number of colored people in
Marion county who have sided with
the whites on moral and economic is
sues. A good many colored men vot-1
led dry in 1915, and it is probable their
votes enabled the prohibitionists to
carry the county. They have also
voted intelligently and disinterested-
ly on economic issues. and we hope
that when election day comes most of
them will be found voting against
the higher taxation with no guaran-
tee of adequate return that the bond
amendment threatens to saddle upon
IL.
Southern men, who don't expect the
negro to vote anything but the repub-
lican ticket in this election. The race is
in state of mind regarding politics
that makes it unreasonable for a mod
crate and well informed man to expect
them to vote democratic Republican
ism is not politics with them; it is a
religion.
As in some other religions, the de-
voices are badly deluded. Just after
the civil war there was reason for
their apotheosizing Lincoln and sup
porting the republican party with fa-
ratio devotion. Lincoln and the repub-
lican party had a right to claim they
|set the negroes free. There were
hundreds of thousands of democrats
in the Union army, the war could not
have been won without them, but
they fought to preserve the Union,
|and the democratic party never would
have freed the negro. But. had rea-
son prevailed, the combined sense of
fright of the nation would in a few
more years have freed the slaves.
Reason didn't prevail, war came and
iset the negroes free and created a
lproblem almost as bad as slavery.
The war ended, the soldiers went
home. and the republican politicians
took charge. They have exploited
the negro ever since. They gave him
the vote and used him for their own
selfish purposes. They climbed into
office over his shoulders and gave him
next to nothing in return.
The white republicans who had a
genuine interest in the negro are
dead, and their places are taken by
men as much opposed to them as the
democrats, and far less honest. The
democrat tells the negro that he shall
| not have office and that he does not
want his vote. The republicans ask
| the negroes for their votes, but no
white republican is going to vote for
a negro for any Office, or allow him
to have it If he can prevent it. The
democrat is honest about it; the re-
publican isn't.
had five presidents who fought in the
lcivil war. The first was Grant, GER
Itainly great general. Hayes, Gar
field, Harrison and Mckinley were
good soldiers, but did nothing as sol
ld:ers TO distinguish themselves. On
the other hand, Hancock, the demo-
cratic candidate in 1880, was one of
the Unions most distinguished gen
erals and always a hearty. whole
souled American.
The day will undoubtedly come
when the negroes will divide their
votes and support what they believe
to be the best measures and the
best men, irrespective of party. But
that time is affair off yet. and in the
meantime we must get along as best
we can.