The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1875-09-08


The Daily Times of last Thursday con-
tanned nearly a column ON what it calls
the color line !" bugbear," in which It
appeared only to desire to understand
The CLARIoN's position. 1t did not I'M
dertake to gainsay one single fact which
we have proven from the records, nor to
define its position, but supPOses a case,
and then asks certain questions, viz
Now. suppose question is presented
shont which gentlemen differ-all the white /
Democrats and a few white Republicans
vote one way, and the other Republicans
vote the other. LIS IL, then, true thaC We
whites are drawing the color line on tlle
blacks? AS to races, they are divided Out
who il responsible for the divisionI
And again Suppose that none but cOlOred
men vote one way, and all the whites vote
the other, who then Ia responsible TOT draw
ing the color lineS Again, who Is right
and who Is wrOnRy
With suppositiOns, on a matter Of SO
much importance to the taxpayers, we
have nothing to do. We deal with facts,
and the records show that it was not "all
''the white Democrats and a fea0 white
Republicans" voting one way on those
questions, but it was all the white mem
bers except STEW" who went with the
black line.
1t would have been child's play in us
to have shown merely that the whites
voted one way and the negroes the other,
had we not also shown that the one race
we're voting for honest and economical
government, while the other, as a race,
we're voting for high taxes, dishonest pay,
and oppressive and insulting laws. The
first was the white, the last was the black,
race.
The Times asks, which side is right ?"
and again, "who is right, and who is
wrong% We answer:
A reduction of the salaries of members
of the Legislature was right. The
whites, as a class, voted for, the negroes
as class. against.
The biennial sessions resolutions we're
right. The whites voted for them, but
they were killed by negro votes.
The Metropolitan Police bill was
most infamous proposition, whose intent
was solely to keep the thieving ring Of
Warren county officials, which the Times
has itself denounced, in power, and to
wreak vengeance upon the bowling
taxpayers of that county for their manly
and noble attempt to overthrow the ring
of official thieves. The whites voted
against the bill, the negroes for it.
The proposed reduction of numbers
and pay Of hangers-on of the Legislature,
was right. The whites voted for, the ne
groes against.
The bill to reduce the school tax was
right, because it gave relief to the tax
payers without in the least injuring the
school system. The whites were for, the
negroes against.
Is the Times satisfied which side was
right and which wrong; or does it go
with the " few whites to the black line,
and proclaim that the negroes were right
in their votes, and the whites wrong?
AGAIN, the lines asks
But if the CLARION is not publishing the
" color line record" to justify the white
line. and In support Of that policy, we ask
what is its object!
After which it proceeds to enormously
reply to its own question. When the
first series of those FACTS appeared in
The CLARION, the reason for their publ
cation was given, and it is a sufficient
reply to the Times question.
From THE CLARION, August 18th:
The facts which we will present under
this heading are not designed for the
consideration of the whites only, but Of
the blacks also, who need to be warned
of the dangerous, insurrectionary and
disorganizing proceedings Of the leaders
OF their own race, and admonished TO
repudiate a course of action which, if
persistently followed, will inevitably in
vOlve both races in the most caIamitous
consequences.
1t Is not our purpose to give in this
article any of the many color line votes
upon minor points, such Us adjournment,
tabling, ETC., and on local bills, in which
the negro men bers voted for or against
motion or bill in which there was no
significance to the taxpayers. There
were many Of these in which the negroes
voted for or against motions or bills
merely because they were introduced by
negroes, or conservative white men. as
the case might have been. But we in
tend to give those acts in which the tax
payers were materially interested and
their expressed wishes were contemptu-
ously disregarded.