The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1885-02-05
THE RACE issue SOUTH,
Grave Problems Awaiting Solution.

''"" " ilkeiy 10 present another and a
erayer problem, invnlving the two races
OF the South. After yeats of fretfu,
strife. made mainly by advenrurers WIN
Appealed to the ignorance, prejudice and
cupidity OF the blacks, the whites rule
The entire South, with the active 60
| Operation OF considerable Gumber of
the mere intelligent aud thrifty blacks
rnd with the entirely passive assent of
the others. Here, as elsewhere in the
! Union, and q. elsewhere in every civil
za.ion of the world, intelligence, in,egri
| ~ and property, when combined will
inevitable rule in the end and the battle
1T the blacks for political! mastery even
1t honestly and wisely led, could have
attained only fitful lriumphs. AS il wa.
most c"rruptly and unscrupu!nusly led
without fidelity to either whites or blacks
ana without respect for the interests of par
ty"r race, defeat came speedily in disre.
gard OF all the pnwer and appliances of the
Nat'nnai Government, and when it came.
u 'eit only monuments of shame for
TREND and foe. The prnhigacy aud theft
~ negro rule in the South alenated the
lew OF the race who saw that freedom did
not furnish corn and bacon, and that
nlacks, ike whites, must earn their own
oread by the sweat Of his brow and
others soon learned that the bewildering
promises OF adventurers who organized
aud voted the blacks, were made To the
ear onl y to be brnken to the hope. The
result has logically been that as negroes
became industrious and thrifty and the
"wners of property, they have either
voted with the whites To assure the safety
of both person and property, or they
have retired from all participation in
politics. There is nothing novel in this
feature of the race question in the South.
The blacks OF the South are employed
and fed almost wholly by the property
owners. sud they have everything to lose
by political antagonism. In the North
and in no Northern State more than in
Pennsylvania, tens of thousands of intel.
ligent whites vote with their EMPLOYERS
fur the same fate AZ the blacks of the
South, il they voted against the capital
that gives them labor. The same i'm.
mutablc law thut governs the pnlilical
relations between employed ia the North,
governs in the South, only it governs a
much larger measure o: intelligence and
pride of manhood in Pennsylvania than
in Alabama. If intelligent citizens of
o"J A'oshhCtb SlhtC VIII lUok them
among their own people i'll political
campaign, they will see the clear expla-
nation Of what j. called the failure of
the black vote ct the South. u is the
question of corn and bacon in tie South :;
II Is the question of bread and rament
in the North, and that tells the whole
Story.
THE RACE PROBLEM OF THE FUTURE.
The political revolution hat retires
tbe Republican party from power after a
reign of nearly Quarter OF century,
will end all effort at political organiza.
tion on the race line. 1t has been prac
tically a failure for year, past, when
there were many circumstances To inspire
the hope Of partial success; and now
the whole race issue pershes by the
change of national authority. To day
there is nothing left Of the ruce organ.
zalion in politics. There was a shudder
among the blacks Immediately after the
election of Cleveland, because they
feared the fulfillment OF the predictions
Of their leaders thst they would be
remanded back TO slavery but they
already see that their leaders were delib.
erateIy untruthlul, aud all apprehpnsis.ms
Of hnrshness to their rnce because of n
change OF political power have persisted.
Every possible appeal was made to their
ignnrance and prejudice befure the late
election, as has been usual in all election
campaigns OF the last fifteen years, to
consolidate the colored vote as the only
way To defeat n return to bondage; but
now Democratic success has come the
whites have in no degree changed their
friendly relations toward the blacks. aud
there are lew. of the colored race so igno.
rant AZ not to understand that no change
in political authority con limit their
civil rights. The blacks are, therefore,
satisfactorily assured on the one question
that disturbed them, and that assurance
has taught them more pUintedly than
ever befnre that leaders are charac,erless,
untruthful aud dangerous to the peace
and prosperity of the colored race. Aud
when it is considered that the active
taining the race issue in politics, are the
ruce organization must be clearly appe.
change Of the Federal officers in the
Son,h can hardly be matter If doubt.
Civil service reform imperatively de.
Hthuuo lts uS I.uc lSutuo vi luCtIl huNO
pr''stituted their powers to the meanest
partisan or penonal ends, and most of
them are conspicuously lacking nike 10
competency and character. lnstend of
regarding public Office as public trust,
they have, ~ rule. employed their po.
sitions not only in the most unscfupulnus
way in politics, but they have persistent.
ly and systematically disturbed the bust
ness and tranquility of the South, and
inAamed the pr.judices of the ignorant
blacks to array themselv against the
pe"P'e from: whom they must receive
employ ment and sustenance. The civil
service OF the Suuth, taken Us whole,
has been one Of the terrible cures OF
both races, and it will stand out in his
tory IA one Of the indellible blots upon
the Government. It will now be changed
and reformed, aud that will end all race
organization in politics. The Federal
officials understand 1t, the blacks under
stand it, the whites understand il, and
henceforth the blacks will generally
divide in politics without regard to the
lines Of thrift and intolerance, which
have been the only lines of division
among them during the last ten years,
and the division Of the blacks presents
the new problem to be solved in the
South.
BOTH RACES WILL DIVIDE.
I have not Keen an intelligent politi
clan or business man in the South who
does not look upon the nnw assured
general division of the colOred voters
with grave apprehensions. The race
issue in politics. although largely broken
in recent elrclinna. coerc1d the practical
unity of the Whiies. The cnnflicts Of