Morse And The Colored Vote

Lamslng, Mich.., Sept. 3.- Editor oí The Tribune: The Detroit Evening New oï the -2d iris-t, published a letter signed by ('. Fabe Martin, of Dowaginac, giving reasons wh.v lie and other colored vot-ers should support Judge Morse at tlve coming eteetion. Mr. Martijn bases his argument upon the opünion rend'ered by .Judge Morse sii the cape oï Fergusoji vs. (iics. I.rt u- l'ook tor Q moment at the ïa:-ts iüi the case. In 1885 a bilí was intioiiiu'ed into the legi-lature by the request of Mr. Martin skins tor "equal and exact justiee beiore the law, ior all ci'tizems oï whatever class, con(ütion or color." The bill waa passed by a largely republlican legislaturi and voted for by every republKan member, loth in the senate and twuae. Does Mr. Marti'n for a moment tlrhik that a like bill introduced Vn the last legtelature would have over left the commáttee-room? This l)ill haTing by pepnbllcan vote.s become a law, Jlr. Fergnson brought suit to recover damagcs from Edward Gies, a demoerat. because said Uies refused to serve lxiin with relreshments ou the ■white" sidt' of his .saloon. Judge Gartuer, beiore whom the cse wa tried in the Waynfc circuit, instructed for thie plalntiff on the grounds that the reaöonings of ('hief Justiee Taney (a democrat) and his opinión in the Dred S-eott case were flallackras and eontrary to the principies oí law. Then the enrancipation of sla ves, by republicasos, followed, and then the lifteenth ainrmlniont, introdueed and cari-ied by republicana iiiainst the solid opposition of the demiocrat party, placed the colored citizen upan an equal footing with white citizen?. The case wias carried to the bupreine corart and the decisión of Judg-e Maree, which ■was concurred in by every member oí the court, Ava to the effect that the rule d'iscriminating igaiiust colored persons was a tioni of tlue common law ol tlie state and of the deelarafrory law passed n 1S85 by a republican legislatura. 'ünder that law," ays Judg-e Morse, 'no line can be drawn," Judge Mtir?e strengttoens his posltlpn by numerous decisions rendered by a republican United States court, and distinctly says that the adverse deHsions were rendered in ante-bellum days, "when in nearly ome-hall of the unión lie (the ïwgro) was but a chattol." In plaia lanjruage, thereiore, before the war, when Michigran was demioratic. it was not common aw, but since tlue republicans have establfched the precedent, Judge Morse Baye that then "the negro was but a cliattel." Wh o lifted him from being a cliaítel, woTth so niuch a head, to the dignity and treedom of a man and placed upan hiiim the priceless value of an iimmortal soul? Was it the demoerat party, Mr. Martá'n? Judge Morse says t-lïat the negro is now, by the constitution of the United States, given full cltlzénship with the white man, and all the rights and privileges wherever he goee. gare hilm that constitutional ri'ght, Mr. Martin, and what kind oí a judige 'would he be whose deciKjon would be different from that rendered by Judge Miorse? He woiild be obliged to ignore the common law established by the republicans and the Law passed by a republican le.gislature. In hls letter Mr. Martin refers to the republfcan United States supreme court as decía rilng it-self unable to protect its citizens, but his petition to the legiislature oí 1885 he says that "The United States supreme court díeided not that the civil rights bilí was wrong, but that the matter was íor state and not national Iegislation." The republknn party may have been remáiss in its care oí thé helple.s race frced by iits hands, and bli'ged, of necp.-slty, to be left at the luercy of demoerats, but if there is any source on God's preon oarth f rom whieh they can gét protíction and just.ice it is in tlie party which struck off tlieAr chains. The only thinf? "svhich -vill stoip thO nnirders, the lynclwjnjï?, the cruieltlée and imprigonments in the Southern states, solidly demiocrat, by th way, will be the oilled toree bilí, which the dMiiocrat are, uoY straining (M-ery nerve to iitilize as a campaign hoodoo. The very able and common-scnse opinión of Judge Morse exei'tod commont only because it was written by a bitter partksan and uneo'rapromising demoorat. Had it been writtcn by a republican it woiild not havo attracted more tban notice. Under the law no other decisión was possible. Judge Moiwe individually may be an advocate of Afro-American rights, but U so he no doubt inherited the sentipment trom republfoan parents or it Instilled into him while he was yet a repufolican, but he has seen fit to leave the party which bestoAved upon us all thO coiLstiitutional rights we now enjoy. If hte political affiliationis are not consistent with his vfews on this subject for gTacfoua sake let the colored man vote with the parry that allawe'd h'.m to don blue anid figlfl far his Ufoerty and nat be begru.iled by a man who has lorsakm calling. ÍK' has Bimply uplu'lil ome of the many laws of repuWLfcain birth. Where is there a ilike law oí democnat birtli, state or naUunal? Not niiore than threo vneiéke ago I hoard o-ne of the leadlng dcmofrat attorneys of th.fe city say that the law was unju-t and ougWt to le repealed. Tlülis is the Kontiment o the majority oï the party in the iiorth, aud. l!i" sentiimrnt of two-thirds of the party in tlue south, and Judge Morse :.- npt stroim' enough to ehange it. Mr. MartiUi, if it is ihie welfare of rac?e and not Belt you have at beurt, ho'v abont the Blair bill, and the uatüonal eiecticm bill? "Who are advtosatüng and who opposlng these ineaure.s? ïlie same meddfclne the uat.fo'ii takes the several states will ha-f tu aïgeet. It i .said that liistory repeate itself. From 1803 to 1870 tlie.se same parties jjlayed an iiniHirtant part ior and against the Aïro-Ameri_-an. It Is repeated now - the same party,. in opposition with tlie sanie advocates. The (irmo.rats told U-? then that we were iiot fit to bec-om citizens oï the United States, and that citizenship was a nienaeo fpowsfJit wi'th great (langer to the matton and the Aïro-American as well. We here them usinpr the saine argument s today. Ilead th demoerat platiorm, read Clevland's letter to thie Demoerat Club at Xew Orlean, read the Ivew York Sun, and thcn cxmsiSébt that all tiiis has been indorsed by the party in Michigan. Have we heard a pro'test froni Jinl.nv M catee? Has he not indorsed all this? Wíll lie yate íor (Mnerdl Harrison bccaii'iso h was a fellow soldier and repudiated tlve stay-at-uomes? I think noii. There muy be a íew Afro-AmcrLcane ivlw thl'nk ns Martin writes, büt 'J'J omt oí 100 of them when left alone fti the election booth, will place M.-s stianip in the rigiit Space, and in the proper column- whiUi will not be tue-adied by "Cleve" or "Steve," or by Une rii;hte-aus judge who silently stands apon the saime platform with tlieni.