Year: 1876

THE RADICAL PARTY ANN Nh II


AMEND GS-THE POOR NE


GRO!


There are thirty amendments to the
Candy Constitution now pending be-
fore the people for ratification. The
Democratic party has in open oonven-
ton formally endorsed them. The
Radical party has in an equally open
and public way in convention assem-
lied formally condemned them; but
strange to say, that is if any action of
the Radical party can be strange be-
cause of its Inconsistency. the individ-
ual members of thai party have not
been so violent or So general in their
oppsition. Indeed the journal of the
proces dings of the Constitutional
Convention of last year shows
that majority of the thirty
amendments now pending met
with not a single opposing Radi-
cal vote in that body. And three
more met with nearly equal favor, two



posing votes to ninety-six IN their
favor, while the third received only
three opposing votes to 113 in it,
favor. OF the whole thirty amend
ments only four met with unanimous
opposition of the Radical party. And
yet in the face of all this the Radical
party as party condemns the amend
ments and protests against their rati-
fication!


But we do not have to go very far nor
do we have to look very closely to find
reason for such inconsistent con
duct. A single glance at the com.
plexion and composition of that party
explains the whole matter. A party
that is composed of nine tenths ne.
groes and tenth whites, even
though the whites do monopolize all
the offices, must pandar to the negro
element. This is the price white Rad
icals pay to negro Radicals for the pos
session of the profitable places in the
gift of their party.


The game was a plain one. In the
Convention, white Radicals voted for the
amendments to satisfy the better por-
tion of the handful of white men who
belong to their party; out of the Con-
vention they protest against them tC
satisfy the negroes. 1t matters moth
ing to them how inconsistent the two
things may be. A Radical cares little
for consistency, and indeed it is
very small matter to one who has
made up his mind to become the
companion, political or social, of ne
groes or of white men like Tourgee,
Hester, Pool and numbers of others
that might be aned. When a man
comes to that pass, a man born and
reared, We mean, in the South and
living in the South, he cares for moth
ing save the loaves and fishes of office


The negroes are indeed to be pitied
They are without education and With
out the intelligence necessary to ali
understanding of the condition in life to
which they were SO suddenly elevated,
and the result is they have been and
still are the dupes and tools of the few de
signing white men who will stoop low
enough TO gain their confidence-that
is to say those who consent to re-
cognise them as equals. This is the
only thing that will gain negro s
political confidence No matter how
exalted and pure a white mans char
acter in all respects may be, no negro
will trust him politically, unless he
proclaims the doctrine of equality
This conceded, however, aud no matter
how vile the white mans character
may be the negro will trust him inn
plicitIy with his dearest rights.


Now this iis the explanation Of the
ease with which a handful of white
men manage their negro followers,
and of their Indifference to all appear
snce of consistency upon the amend
n,ents and all other questions. Civil
rights is at the bottom of it all. "Civil
rights" is sure bait to catch negro
votes with-a bait that Traitor Tom
Settle knows how to fish with aswell
as the next man.