| OCR Text |
Show NEGROES IN THE DISTRICT. " they Want the Suffrage Kestored BecaoM They Charge Discrimination. At the next session of congress a mon Iter petition will be presented by Representative Repre-sentative Murray of South Carolina, the only colore man in either house, praying pray-ing for the restoration of tha rights of political suffrage in the District of Columbia. Co-lumbia. It will be signed by a majority majori-ty of the negroes of the District, headed by Frederick Donglass and ex-Senator Bruce. This move grows out of the refusal re-fusal of the commissioners of the District Dis-trict to appoint a colored man as one of the members of the board of assessors recently created by act of congress. The colored men had an applicant in tha person of Daniel A. Murray, an assistant assist-ant in the congressional library and a member of the board of trada. Frederick Douglass especially interested himself in behalf of Mr. Murray, but th9 board refused re-fused to appoint him. The colored people peo-ple made a stubborn fight for the assess orship, and now that that has been denied de-nied them no offices are left, and thef propose to memorialize congress for ths restoration of the right of suffrage in the District "When the suffrage was in vogue ia the District, the negroes were an important impor-tant factor in the government, and a part of the patronage was accorded them. There was a negro assistant district dis-trict attorney, a tax registrar and a city marshal, and other lucrative offices were filled by them. But with abolition of the right of suffrage they have been cut off one by one until the assessorship was the only place filled bf a negro. Now even that has been taken away. Frederick Douglass says that the gov eminent of the District is an oligarchy, and it is a wonder to him that the people peo-ple have tolerated it as long as they have. Under its present form of government gov-ernment he thinks it impossible for the 85,000 colored people to get any civil or political recognition. Ha says the trend i3 now against the negro, but that a reaction will speedily set in. The sentiments of Mr. Douglass are Indorsed by other prominent colored citizens cf the District,, who 6ay that if they are not successful in their move they will at least let the Tvorld know they feel keenly the discrimination on account of oolor in the government of the District The pastors of all the lo cal churches are in favor of the movement, move-ment, and the petitions will be placed at the several churches from Sunday to Sunday for signatures. Washingtos Cor. Now York Sun. |
