Rensselaer Republican, Volume 23, Number 8, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 October 1890 — INDIANA POLITICS. [ARTICLE]

INDIANA POLITICS.

The Freeman, the independent colored organ, haakes the following observe, ions on Indiana politics. “When we swung to the breeze The Freeman we had but one great idea In view; that idea was the elevation of the negro. For him* We live, and for him we wbuld be willing to otter up our life- Despised, spit upon and bedraggled. he is a fit subject for commiseration. To us it has always, appeared tha,t an independent political attitude, as a publication, would give us a broader field <Hn which to serve our people. In this respect we have nothing to regret, since the leading men of both races have endorsed our course. Our independence is mainly from the fact that it takes up the leading patties, scrutinlTbA them. selects the one which we think best subserves the interest of the negro, the State or the Nation. The ticket selected is supported without equivocation as far as practicable. Because of such an attitude some have felt disposed to denote inate The Freeman as a Democratic organ, which we positively assert is untrue. Neither is it a Republican organ os others have asserted. It is an independent, illustrated, National. negro newspaper reserving for itself the right of entering the political field in support of that party which we believe and know will best care for the negro race. These state- 1 ments ought to be clear, and we desire that the full force of them should be understood.

In the last issue we declared for the Republican State ticket in Indiana, and we shall continue to declare for it untill the polls are closed in November. Our reasons are obvious; first, the Democratic representatives of Indiana in Congress, repeatedly voted against the interest of the race, fighting stubbornly to abridge our rights as a people and to leave us entirely at the mercy of a prejudiced section. Second, the Democratic platform of Indiana endorses this animosity to the race by its emphatic endorsement of the tactics of the minority in Congress. The Democratic party of Indiana is without doubt in sympathy with the Democratic party of the Nation; the Democratic party of the Nation, through its representatives unceasingly labored to defeat the will of the people, and to the very last fought the admission of Langston and Miller to their lawful seats in the House of Representatives. For these reasons, and others, we declare that the Democratic ■St iteVickeFls undeserving of support, and that it would be race treachery for us to declare .otherwise. Then, reserving still our independence, we conclude by saying that the Republican ticket of Indiana should receive the unwavering support of every Indiana Negro.

Records are sometimes very inconvenient things to those who wish to float a false report, and very convenient to those who wish toestablish the truth. The following record of votes on various pens'ion bills is a sufficient answer to the claim that the Democratic party is the soldier’s friend: The Arrears of Pension Bill—Passed Jan. 19, 1890. D mocrats for the bill ..... ...... 48 Democrats against the bi 11........ 61 Republicans lor the bill 116 Republic,hs agsius the bill None Tbe Widows’ Pension Bill—Passed Feb. 2, 1886. (Increasing Widows' pension from J 8 to Jl2 per month.) Democrats for the bill ...„. u 80 Oemocratsag Inst the bi 11.....; 66 •Repu > leans for tbe bill-... 118 Republ.c ns against tbe bill -.None The amputation Bill—Passed Aug. 4,1886. Democrats for the bill ; 75 Democrats agrinst t e bill. ............. 61 Repu licans for the bill _ 91 Republicans against the The Widows’ Arrears Bill—(Giving arrears of pensions from the death of their husbands, to widows entitled to pensions. Passed the Senate by the following vote: Democrats for the bill 1 Demoera >■ again t the bill 20 Republicans for the bill 22 Republicans against the bill None The Disability Pension Bid in Fiftieth Congress Vo:e to pass over President Cleveland’s veto: Democrats for the bill ........ 37 Demo rats against the bi 11... 12> Republicans for the bill 13,8 Republicans against the bllL None Failed for lack of two-thirds major ity. The Disability Bill in she Fifty-first Congress—(Gives pension to all disab -d soldiers, and to dependent parents and children ) Democrats for the bill 28 Democrats against the bill 66 Republicans for the B bill 11; Republic nssgain. t the bill None Same bill in the Senate: Democrats for the bill 3 Dem-cratsag-iust the bill is Republicans for tbe bill 31 Republicans against the’bill None The Prisoners-of-war Bill—(Gives pensions for term of imprisonment to all who were prisoners of war for thirty days or more.) Democrats for the bill 24 Democrats uga ust the bill 78 Republicans for the bill 119 Republicans againt the bld None The Democrats voted three to one against the bill, and as itlacke 1 five votes for the necessary two-thirds, it was defeated. ___ ij "J • 1' Dan Voorhees is making the same old greenback speeches he made before Cleveland silenced him. The men who have watched his course will not be deceived by him again. If he was re-elected now he would be ento play the same old game over again. The best opportunity he had was when his party had the President and the lower house. The claim that the Senate was in the way won’t do. The Senate voted against permitting the National banks carrying out their purpose of contracting the currency while Cleveland was President, and voted foi* freelcoinage of silver since, whjch is good evidence that if the Democratic congress had passed either a free coinage law or some other currency measure for the relief of the people, it would have become a law. Indianapolis Leader-Greenback.