Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-11-20
Toledo, Ohio, Blade.

pliced the national executive and con-
gross in the hands OF the Republican party
has suddenly brought the Southern quss-
ton to the front IN national affairs. This
is largely because the Southern press has
begun sgitarng the matter. The discus
sions ia the lape 3 OF THAI section are not
IS 70 tae proosOls policy Of the new sd-
mtnistrstion as whole, but "Wiat will
it do TO tie SJuth"
To sny unbiased observer, such q dis
cussion is the height OF sbsurdity. There
is but one aas yer TO the question put by
the Southern press, and Il is this: The
Republican administration will know no
sec.ionslism. The policy 1t will pursus
toward Mississippi, or Georgia, or South
Carolina, will be Identical with It's policy
toward OHIO, and lows, and New York.
II will be the came for Gil the states. No
state Will bs fayoGed, and no STATE will De
Injured.
Whist would be thought Of the press OF
this state, for instance, were II to soherIy
ask the question whist the policy Of Har,
rison's administration will be toward
Oai0? The limitations Of federal power,
and OF the reserved rights CT the bta es,xre
well known. There is no more reason to
usurp the latter with regard TO any
Southern state than there is fear OF tle
same thing In any Nortnerr, or Eastern,
or Western state. It will be- & nstionsI
administration. II will trest every state
the same Sc every other state It's rule
OF action within the well Getioed limits Of
its power will be the sans 81 over the
Union. The United States is g nation,
and no member of 1t has sny rights or
privileges not shared by every other.
HbSt is the "S0uthern question:"
theI?
Simply the fact that the whites fear the
supremacy otthe negro politically. Herce
the prSciic suppression OF the colored
vote, which is kckao wledged by Sou
err Democrats themselves. The pIsia
fact seems to be that the negroes are IN q
condition Of moral duTess. In very many
sections the RSss OF them do not attempt
10 vote. They find, sll things considered,
thSt they get Along better win their white
neigh0ors bg ignoring their own right to
the ballot. This moral restraint is sup
plemented by election laws framed to
make 1t difi;ult for them to vote, and In
some states by white supervision OF the
count OF ballots, which efactuslly pre-.
cludes the possibility Of the negroes,
where they are IN majority, obtaining
power.
Nov all this has the result of rrscti-
cally multiplying the fifteenth amendment
TO the constitution of the United States,
which provides as follows:
Section I. The right OF c!tiz ans of the
Uaited States SC vote shall not be denied
or abridged by the United States or By
Guy state On account Of race, color or
preVlcus conditions CT servitude.
Sec. The congress shsll have power
TO enforce this article BY appropriate leg
islktion.
The disqliet Of our Southern brother,
then stated pIsinly, is simply the uneasi
aess OF the vlolLtor Of law, when s new
executive, enc who is not believed to feel |
disposed TO shield him, steps into power
instead Of an official who !s not disposed
TO interfere with his violation.
ThEt Is the legal aspect OF the case.
Now let US look st It from the Southern
standpoint. Several of the states which g
few yesrs ago were in rebellion have now
maj ority OF colored voters, snd in all
the negro vote is very large, and its pro-
portion is continually increasing-5ecsuse |
the colored population increases more |
rapidly than the white. An absolutely
free ballot, With elections wherein every
citizen, white or black, Is as free IS he is |
IN Ohio to vote as he chooses, and whore |
the votes are honestly counted and re-
turned, would mean negro domination. |
The loca! Cflices-ci;y, scou1ty snd state !
would be filed by the candidates Of
the coloTed men.
Ths contention Of our Southern brath- |
ren lie, thSt such domination would be un- |
n n In ~, ~ Ia
by demagogues, By thieves, by incompe- |
tents; that the state, county aud city |
treasures would oecome the prey Of rhs-
Gals who could control the colored vote, |
taxation would be enormously increased, !
the revenue be sQusndesed, and the pro- |
gress OF the common wesiths under such |
rule be impedsd.
To this ie added natural repugnsnce |
TO being ruled By what is regarded SIS an |
inferior race, one from which the stigma |
OF serVitude Is not yet removed. The |
plea is that self-preservation is the high |
est law, and thst control by the whites is |
nee sssisy.,
There Is basis OF truth In all this. We |
sre not disposed IN the least TO UNDER |
estimate the grave iii ;ulties Of the stu |
alton IN the South. The supremacy OF An |
Ignorant voting majority, led BY SELF |
seeking deuagogues, IL cslsmity any |
where, North or South, + EST or West.
But We contend that the methods |
employed by the South are wrong. They !
give to the dominant party in the ststes |
which employ them 5 political power In |
the senate ana house Of representatives &c |
which II is not entitled. Il has resulted |
N poiiticsl combination between the !
white Democrats il the South and the |
Democratic party in the North, which has |
t0r years controlled the house Of repre- |
seutatives, and which in 1854 Obtained !
control CT the presidency Itself.
The method is wrong Snd must be |
abandoned. The Southern states must |
no. be allowed political privileges which |
nc other state dreams OF attempting 70 |
assume.
The whites are in foil control CT sil |
these states. LIST them use the power |
Il ey have IA the enactment OF new cleo
lion laws, restricting the suffrage. This
cannot be done 'becsuse of race, color,
or previous condition OF servitude," but
1t cEn be done go as to exclude the ignor>
SEI mss>es rem voting, whether they be
white or b!sCk Then see that every man
a tErlaJ 60 y,,, up1ar th,t Ia y hsa n from |