The Muskogee Cimeter. (Muskogee, Okla.), Vol. 10, No. 15, Ed. 1, Friday, February 5, 1909 Page: 1 of 8
eight pages : ill. ; page 16 x 11 in. Digitized from 35 mm. microfilm.View a full description of this newspaper.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
"4'- -alw...-w
it
The Muskogee Cimeter.
Vol 10
JI&usUojjqo Ohla. Friday February 5 1909.
JVo 15
THE EDITOR1 BUSY
The editor boinr busy in
court this week ana next the
paper is under the control of the
advertising manager A. J
Sinitherman and xve desire to
apologize for any short coinings
in matter.
A. J. Smitherman. Ad. Mgr.
Too Much
At Stake.
An effort has been made by cer-
tain parties to get a number of Col-
ui gen from Muskogee to go to
Grayson Rentiesville and Eufaula on
next Wednesday to cast an illegal
ballot at the county seat election to
be held in Mcintosh County upon that
day to determine the permanent coun-
ty seat.
We do not believe that there is
a colored man in Muskogee who
would so far forget his manhood as
to undertake to violate the laws of
his stateas to vote or try to vote
Illegally at any election for the con
sideration of a few dollars and cents
and It Is also a matter of shame
and disgrace that any man who
poses pr pretends to pose as the
friend of tho Colored people shoaid
so far forgot his manhood as to try
to harter with the manhood of our
istate hy not only persuading but
actually paying them to trangress
the law of the' land.
As we have said before wc do not
believe It is possible for them to
succeed but that the world may
know who tho violators ofthelaware
we would say that a mighty close
watch la being kept upon the men
who are suspected of trying to barter
away the liberties of our citizens
and as a stimulus to those who may
have an opportunity of knowing we
will give ?25 in cash to each man
who will furnish us with the proper
affidavits that they have been ap-
proached or solicited or that an ef-
fort has been made to pay them to
go into Mcintosh county and vote
for cither the town of Eufaula or
Checotah.
In. fact it has been said by tho
euemleB of our race at Guthrie that
one reason why the Colored people
should bo disfranchised is because
they permit themselves to bo In-
fluenced "by financial consideration in
the casting of their ballots. It is
now up to tho colored people of this
part of tho state at this election
to show both fiionds and enemies
of the 'Grandfather" measure that
the Colored people can be entrusted
with tho right to vote and that they
cannot be lulluenced 1y a few dol-
lars and conts In tho hands of un-
scrupulous men either black or white.
As we said In another article In this
paper this Is the crucial period for
the colored people of Oklahoma. In
Mcintosh county Ihese people have a
right to demonstrate tho fact that
In casting their ballo they are In
fluenced by the consideration of their
best Interests nnd thnt they are capa-
ble of knowing horn to vote and
casting their ballot after they have
known.
Let them be no question about
the stand this paper has taken that
no Colored man within tho city of
Muskogee wo.ild for one moment en-
tertain the proposition to barter his
manhood as well as to violate the law
of his stato be allowing any man to
Induce him to undertake to cast an
Illegal ballot. We believe our people
are equal to the emergency.
R enties ville
and
Grayson
Colored
Voters.
Under ordinary circumstances it
would be immaterial to the Cimeter
as to how the Colored people of Ren
tlesville and Grayson cast their vote
in the county seat conteet in Mcin-
tosh County that will end February
10 1909. In fact if that was the
only iesue involved we would refrain
from anything but the question of
where the county seat of Mcintosh
County shall be located is the small-
est issue in the campaign so far as
th eColored voters are concerned.
There Is not a Colored man In all
Mcintosh county but knows that this
is the crucial period In the history
of the Colored people of Oklahoma.
A bill known as the "Grandfather
law has been Introduced Into the leg-
islature which If passed will abso-
lutely disfranchise the Coloivd vot-
ers of this state. Senator Beeler of
Mcintosh county has lead the fight
against this bill and so far has lined
up fifteen democrats in the senate
who have pledged him that they will
stand by him against tho measure.
Senntor Beeler is now in Mcintosh
county nnd tho only return that ho
asks for his services is that the col
ored voters of Mcintosh county be as
true to his interests as he is to the
interests of tho Colored people. We
want to say now that if there is a
Colorod man in Rentlesvlllo or Gray-
son or in all Mcintosh county that
will lot himself bo purchased to vote
against his own interests and the
wishes of the only mau who is in a
position to confer upon him tho
greatest blessing thnt o'.ir race now
seeks that of the use of the ballot
than man cannot complain if ho
should be deprived of his right to
vote.
If. Senator Heeler was asking tho
colored people to do anything that
I was not right wo would ba the last
ones to try to impose upon them by
asking them to carry out his wishes
but there is not a man in either of
these towns but that knows that Jio
is voting for the best interosts of
himself his family nnd his neigh
bors when ho cass his. vote for Che-
cotah for the county seat of Mcin
tosh county. We beg of tho Colorod
voters of Mcintosh county to con-
sider this mntter as they have never
considered It 'before because tho
future welfare and the future happl
noss of our race In this stato depends
to a great measure upon our Colored
citizens showing themselves big
enough at the election on February
10th to cast their ballots as their
best judgment dictates.
Senator Beeler has an engrossed
copy of tho "Grandfather" law which
he will read and present for the In-
spection of tho Colored voters of
Mcintosh county before the dato of
the election. Lot nothing stand be-
tween the Colorod voter and his duty
In protecting his franchise and tho
franchise of his children who shall
follow him.
Congressional
Lines
On next Wednesday the vo
ters of Mcintosh County will do
cide hy their hallot. whether all
of that county will he brought
into the Third Congressional
District or whether the bound-
ary line shall be moved the
south line of Muskogee County
and all of Mcintosh County be
placed in the Fourth Congres
sionul District.
This is a matter of great im-
po tance to the colored voters of
the entire county and especially
to the colored voters of both the
north and south portions of the
county. All that part of the
county north of the south line
of Checotah lies in thoThi'id
Congressional Distrit while all
of the county south of that line
lies in the Fourth Congressional
District. The Fourth Congres-
sional District has a Demaciatic
majority of nearly fifteen
thousand and is now represent-
ed in Congress by a Democrat
who would never confer a favor
or do anything for the benefit of
the negro while the Third Dis-
trict is safely Republican and is
represented in Congress by
Hon. C. E. Crenger of Musko
gee. who is recognized as a
special friend of tho colored
people.
Now the question is whether
it is better for tho colored voters
of Mcintosh County to be influ-
enced by people whose motives
are purely personal and selfish
or whether Lhey will do what
they know to be their duty both
for the present and for tho fu
ture. We believe that we have
the right to ask the colored vo-
ters of tho entire county of Me-
Jlntosh to fctmd by the request
of Congressmen Crenger to vote
for Checotah and thus put the
permanent county seat of their
county in the Third Congres-
sional District and by so doing
insure the entiro county of Mc-
intosh County being brought
into this district. The matter
of personal prejudice or the in-
fluence of men who are actuat-
ed merely by the di sire of per-
sonal gain in the way of dollars
and cents or political prefer-
ment should have no place with
our peoplo in the election of
Fvbruarv 10th.
A Square Deal at the Polls.
Cnrdinnl Gibbons talks out plainly
against tho proposed enactment in
Maryland which alms to shat tho Ne-
gro out from the ballot. As a promt
ncnt dignitary In a grcal. church ho
'believes in tho brotherhood of man
especially as that brothorhood is
guaranteed by provisions in tho Unit
ed States constitution. Ho Is against
race proscription of nny sort particu-
larly that which through tricky stat-
utes seeks to evade plain provisions
o ffederall aw. While he favors an
educational qualification for tho suf-
frage he wants that qualification to
Ibe applied to whites and blacks alike.
An Ignorant white man Is Just as
much of a menace to freo enlight-
ened government as an Ignorant black
man can be.
This eminent Catholic prelate takes
the same position regarding tho pro
posed Maryland anti-Negro ennctment
as that which has been announced
by Mr. Tart and which Is taken by
nil other fair-minded men of overy
party and of every element of so-
ciety. Race or class distinctions havo
no place In a republican government.
South Cnrolinn Mississippi Louisiana
and three or four other states have
by dishonest statutes or constitution-
al provisions virtually abolished tho
black man as a voter. In doing this
they havo aimed to steer clear of tho
stipulations of the fourteenth and fif-
teenth amendments to tho federal
charter. In letter there Is no viola
tlon of the federal enactments but In
spirit those guarantees of equality at
the polls are flagrantly and ostenta-
tiously assailed.
Cardinal Gibbons is one of Mary-
laud's most distinguished citizens.
Horn In Ilaltlmore three-quarters of a
century ago ho has resided there
ever since. Ills political affiliations
aro not known to the general public.
Ho has tnkon no active part In tho
strictly partisan discussions of tho
day. As a great religious teacher
and public-spirited citizen however
ho wants honesty and fair play at tho
polls. Probably his protest against
tho effort of the democratic politi-
cians of his stato to disfranchise a
whole race will turn many votos
against it. All of the decent citizens
of that state who havo dono nny talk
Ing on this proposition havo de-
nounced It and in Maryland as In
every other stato tho decent people
will rule If thoy try to. If this as-
sault on tho olemontary principles of
political morality should succeessfully
run the gauntlet of enlightened pub-
lic opinion a hard blow would bo
dealt to Maryland's reputation for
civic honesty and intelligence. Globe
Domocrat.
The Catholics have always beon
fair and square on tho Negro ques-
tion as well as other public ques-
j tlons. Ed.
y
U.
i&viZZS
iT..iTnT53:-
"5iMjzJtfr-
Ll w
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This issue can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Newspaper.
Twine, W. H. The Muskogee Cimeter. (Muskogee, Okla.), Vol. 10, No. 15, Ed. 1, Friday, February 5, 1909, newspaper, February 5, 1909; Muskogee, Oklahoma. (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc70131/m1/1/: accessed April 26, 2024), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.