Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-11-21
TIE SOUTHERN PROBLEM

We have observed no more significant
utteTance upon the SUI iact Of "the
Southern question" which now engages
SO much OF the attention Of tie
Republican press and leadership,
than the srticie reprinted in
yesterdays GAZETTE from the Toledo
(Olio) Blade. The source OF this ex-
preston attaches peculiar interest to it.
During the civil war and pending the
construction ers, the Blade attained
pro nineuce SIS one Of the organs Of the
extreme wing Of the Republican psrty.
The "NAsby" letters written by its editor,
the late Mr.. Locke, did much to fan the
flames of sectionalism and to keep alive
the spirit of which Wendell Phillips and
John Brown were the most
noted apostles. The rspsr ia new
conducted by son CT the noted abolition
journalist, and so fer he has given salts
factory evidences OF being a chip OF the
OLD block.
The suggestion, from ouch 8 source,
that the South should settle the race
problem, once for all by disirsnchisemert
Of the negro, for it amounts to that, will
fall upon Southern ears IS startling
proposal. II sucl suggestion be not con.
tanned ia the following sentences then we
fail 10 catch the drift! Of the. Blades sug,
gestions:
awe are not di,po.ed In the least to under
estimate the grave difficulties of the situation
In the South The supremacy Of an ignorant
voting majority, led by self ST ekirg donna
gogues, is calamity anywhere, Norta
or South, East or West. But We
contend that he methots employed by
Ihe South are Wrorg. Tue whites are
in full control of all these states. Let them
use the power they have in the enactment of
new election laws restricting lhs suffrage.
= Or, II this Is not advis BILE, let the South
ern congressn III tie in an amendment to the
federal eonsti ut!on that the south will OBJ
serve to take the place of the nulllfed fifteenth
amendment, and urge Its passage by congress
and Its adoption by the states. We assure our
So them friends tina any ste? they may take
looking TO an honestand fair for to solve the
Southern question, in spirit of iusLire to all,
Will meet with q candid and hearty response
from the Republican party of the North"
1t is rot for purposes Of criticism that
We csll attention to these ut.erancee
Of the Blade. On ihs contrary,
they are made ir tone OF
candor ard justice CT which unfortunate.
~ the South hiss expe fenced but little in
the conduct OF it's Northern critics. It
would be manifsstiy t1discreet 20 sgItate
in the South the suggestions Of the Blade
until they ers ratified by prevailing North
ern sentiment, which might be autagon.
tied BY premature Southern endorse.
meut. This much, however, 1t is proper
70 say The ides ta.t the grsvsr Issues
which irresponsible suffrage force upon the
South ara regarded as Of leps conse-
quence than the political strength which
that suffrage confers, does grave In
iuslics to the Southern conscience
There sre undoubtedly those OF pollt cal
prominence in the South who would
haz.rd the most vital interests to win
political prestige, but they represent
PERSONAL ambition rstherr than popular
feeling.
When the North comes 10 understan
and when It ceases to underestimate ",the
grave diff culties OF the situation in The
SOUTH" when It has learned that the race
Issue represents simply q struggle be
tween lntellif cree and ignorance for gu
ard not an attempt to re-en-
shsc kle or in any way to Cypress the ne
gre, there will be little difficulty in |
re aching an smicGble solution of the |
Sou !hern problem.