124                  CHURCH REVIEW.

for his apostacy. When he presents himself for admission to
the party, I can readily fancy that he may be met by a white
Democrat with some such welcome as this: "Well, Negro, you
have come here, not as a Democrat, but simply with a view to
gain the friendship of the Democrats.  You have said so.  You
are willing to take our name and march under our banner, and
to seem to be what you know you are not, simply to gain our
good-will and to avert our well-known hatred of you.  You have
said as much as this at various times and on many occasions.
You are not a Democrat, and only pretend to be such for a pur-
pose."  And you say, "Yes" to all this.  "May I then ask why
you deserted the Republican party, and why you did not seek
its good-will in the same way by which you are now seeking our
good-will ?  You say that it proved false to you.  Indeed! And
have we ever proved true to you?  You say that by voting  for
our party you will reform us.  Did your voting for the Repub-
lican party reform that party? You say that in that party you
were treated like slaves; that you did the voting and that the
white men took the offices.  May I ask if you expect a different
result with us?  If you do you will be very much mistaken.  Is
it not more reasonable to expect that like causes will produce
like results ?" "Yes, I suppose so." "So, then, you are deserting
a party which has endured all manner of abuse for defending
your rights in order to join one which has consistently and per-
sistently stamped out such rights."  In such a dialogue what
answer could a black Democrat make? He could give none
which would not make him appear like an idiot or a knave. For
there is no way for an intelligent black man to get into the
Democratic party that does not dishonor his head or heart, or
both.
   But he insists that he will try the experiment, and that if he
fails he will retrace his steps.  Vain hope! So thought Daniel
Webster, Stephen A. Douglas and Horace Greeley.  So thought
some of our civil-service reformers, and so have thought all
others who have sought by a sacrifice of associates and the
abandonment of principle to conciliate the spirit of slavery that
dominates the Democratic party.  Each, by the act, lost prestige
and power. Each failed to gain the confidence and support of
the party he espoused, or to regain what was lost in the party
deserted.
  But our black Democrat tells us that the way to break up the
solid Democratic vote of the South is to break up the solid Re-
publican vote of the North.  This would, of course, put Demo-
crats in possession of the State governments at the North, and
thus make the whole Union solidly Democratic.  For this is the
logical conclusion of their argument. Could human folly and
absurdity go further?  Is it not manifest that what the Demo-
crats have already done where they have the power, that they will
do the same wherever they can get the power?  They have put




			

African Methodist Episcopal Church Review, Vol. 09, Num. 2

Negro in the Present Campaign

Volume:  09
Issue Number:  02
Page Number:  114
Date:  10/01/1892