The broad ax. [volume], October 05, 1895, Image 1

About The broad ax. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1895-19??

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Vol. I.
SALT LAKE CITY, "UTAH, OCTOBER 5, 1895.
No. 6.
THE TENDERFOOTS
APOLOGY.
It is with much reluctance that
the editor of the Bboad Ax ob
trudes anything of a personal
nature upon the public, through
the columns of this paper; but
being a comparative stranger in
Salt Lake City, and having been
called a "carpet bagger, "mi charged
-with other offenses not in keeping
with good morals, we take this
occasion to explain to the public
who we are, and why we are here.
In the first place every good busi
ness man and reputable citizen
should be able to give references of
his character in places where he
has formerly lived. The following
gentlemen know us well, and if any
of our enemies or friends care to
write to any or all of them, they
will find we have been considered a
tolerably decent fellow. Our refer
ences are as follows: Hon, W.-N.
Roach, U. S. Senator, Hon. John
D. Benton, Ex-Mayor W. A. Yerxa
of Fargo, John H.Hansen,Ex-Coun-ty
Recorder,Major AW. Edwards,
editor of the Forum, James S.
Campbell, Dan W. Marrita,minister
to Australia, C. H. Anchier, bank
examiner of N. D., Hon. W. B.
McConnell, U. S. District Judge,
and Hon. G. S. Barnes; all of the
above are of Fargo, N. D., also,
Reade & Garrett, Joseph S. Wood
ruff, T. W. Magill, Hon. T. S.
Quincy, IS. H. Morris, and many
others of Chicago, HI., as well as
the following of Salt Lake City,
who knew us years ago: S. H.
Babcock of the R. G. & W. Ry., C.
F. Mitchell, A. C. Keeley, J. L.
Gavegan, John Milton, H.- Milton
and Robinson Bros. We could
double the above list, but space for
bids. We were born in Virginia 41
years ago, spent 12 years in Phila
delphia, went to St Paul, Minn., in
1878, thence to Fargo, N. D., in
1879, at which time we were mar
ried to our present wife; after re
maining there ten years removed to
Chicago where we lived until the
spring of 1895, when we came to
Salt Lake for the benefit of the
health of Mrs. Taylor, believing the
people of Zion would deal with us
as justly and as generously as the
people of other places, and in which
we have not been disappointed.
During all of the time above men
tioned we have been engaged in
business on our own account, ex
cept one year in St. Paul. In
1888, we visited Washington, D. C,
and on a letter of introduction from
Hon. John D. Benton we called on
President Cleveland, in the interest
of the colored people of North
Dakota; we received a most kind
and hearty welcome from the presi
dent, was presented to Mrs. Cleve
land, and remained to the afternoon
reception. We have the honor of
being the first colored grand juror
appointed west of the Mississippi
river, having served in that capacity
1885, at Fargo, N. D.,appointed by
Dan W. Marrita, the Democratic
U. S. Marshall. With the above
we drop the subject, and will only
add, that we regret that there was a
seeming necessity for a plain state
ment of facts in view of the un
founded charges appearing in an
obscure city paper. We again
apologize to our readers for thus re
ferring to these personal affairs.and
trust there will be no occasion for
further allusion to the subject.
Julius F. Taylor,
Editor.
than they loved the negro. The
threadbare argument, that "the Re
publican party freed the negroes,and
that hence they were in honor
bound to vote with that party," is
without reason or truth. Such an
argument appeals to prejudice, and
not to the conscience of the voter.
It is debasing and enslaving in its
results, as the negro, while freed
from their southern masters, would
become the abject slaves of the
Republican bosses, and dishonest
politicians.
It has been charged that the
Democrats are unfriendly to the
colored race, and that the Republi
cans are their only true friends.
However, the facts and history of
the past twenty-five years, do not
verify that statement. Let us see:
In 1885, President Cleveland ap-
WHO ARE OUR FRD3NDS?
We have, through the columns
of the Broad Ax, on several occa
sions, pointed out the absurdity
of the colored men aligning them
selves with the Republican party,
simply because that'party was sup
posed to have the credit of freeing
the slaves. Let us, for a short time,
see if there remains any good rea
son why they should do so. In the
first place, the emancipation of the
slaves, was one of the fortunes oi
war; a military necessity. It would
never have been done, even by
Abraham Lincoln, had it not been
considered necessary to put down
the rebellion. The proclamation of
the president provided, tbat if the
South would lay down their arms
by a certain date, they Bhould keep
and retain all their slaves, as they
had done before. From this alone
it is plain that the Republicans
cared but little for their dark
skinned brothers, as they were will
ing to forge the fetters of bondage
closer than ever, to gain a victory
at arms, and bring a surrender to
the party in power. During the
great political campaign of I860,
no greater insult could be given the
Republicans than to charge them
with being favorable' to the aboli
tion of slavery. And during the
war, tip 'to 1863, to say it was
waged simply to "free the ne
groes" would be resented -in the
most violent language, and would
frequently result in a personal
combat. The spirit of the North
ern people has been that of envy
toward the South, before the war,
and their pretended regard for the
colored man was the offspring of
that jealous feeling. In other
words, they hated the South more
B. H. ROBERTS-
pointed C. H. J. Taylor, a colored
man, minister to Bolivia, the hrst
time in the history of this country
that a colored man had been sent
as minister to a white nation. The
same gentleman is now recorder of
deeds in the District of Columbia.
Isaiah Montgomery, an ex-slave
of Gen. Jo. Davis, was the only
colored member 'of the late consti
tutional convention of Miss., elect
ed as a Democrat, and is now in the
treasury department, appointed by
Cleveland. Mr. Ashwood, a col
ored man, was appointed by Presi
dent Cleveland to a consulship in
France, but a Republican senate
refused to confirm him.
There are over two thousand
colored men now holding positions
in Washington, under Democratic
administration. When Ben. Har
rison was president, he discharged
Coachman Hawkins, a colored man,
and appointed an 'alien English
man in his place; and when Presi
dent Cleveland was re-elected, Haw
kins was reinstated. The Republi
cans have never nominated a single
colored man north of the Mason
and Dixon line, for a federal office.
Fred Douglass, in 1887, in a
speech before the Commercial Club,
of Boston, said in substance,
"that while he ,vas a Republican,
he was free to say that President
Cleveland was the only president of
the U. S. who had the courage to
invite a colored man to a reception
at the White House; that he, him
self, was present, and received the
highest and kindest consideration
from all present."
No free colored man was al
lowed to vote in anv Northern
state before the war. The laws in
New England states, and in JNew
York, Pennsylvania and New Jersey
all recognized slavery rrom t their
earliest history until a few decades
ago. And in many of them the
laws were cruel and oppressive upon
free colored men.
From all this, how can an hon
est, intelligent colored man feel
that the Democrats are their natu
ral foes?
In the South, the Democrats un
derstand the colored people better
than do the Republican Yankees of
the Ncth. They have been raised
with them for many years; they,
know their wants, and their hearts
are in full sympathy with the
struggles and difficulties of our
race. There is, therefore, no rea
son on earth why a colored man
should be a Republican, any more
than a Democrat. The history of
the past shows that the Democrats
are as thoughtful of the needs and
rights of the colored race as the
Republicans.
In conclusion, let us again urge
upon every progressive colored
voter to strike down this feeling of
prejudice, and vote and act as a
thinking, reasonable being, and be
either a Republican or a Democrat,
upon logical grounds, and be gov
erned by the principles and policy
of the political parties, and not
by a false sentiment, that only de
grades you and keeps you in po
litical slavery.
LEAVES THE G. O. P.
Mr. H. Durham has resigned as
vice-president of the Abraham Lin
coln (colored) Republican Club and
has left the Republican party. Wise
men sometimes change, but fools
never change. Brother Durham
has the reputation of being one of
the finest speakers in Utah.
First Unitarian Church, 44 Main
street. Services at 11 o'clock Sun
day, a. m. Bey. A. L. Hudson,
Pastor. Subject: "Faith in God."