The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1889-01-03
THE RATIONALE OF THE SOUTHERN
PROBLEM.

Under this heading the Baltimore Sun
of December "a had long editorial on
the southern question, beginning as fol-
lows:
"The so-called southern problem ought
to be as easily disposed of as the question
of snakes in Ireland, and in the same way,
for there ought to be no southern problem
to dispose of. And yet we find it con-
stantly referred to and the various policies
of the next administration canVassed as
if it had TO deal with some foreign power
instead of a component part of the union.
Why is it that this relation of the white
and colored races OF the south towards
each other should be eVerlastiDgly played
upon by politicians and kept hanging in
terrorem over a section which ia Just as
much entitled to be let alone as is that
which borders on the Pacific or the lakes?
Under democratic rule there has been no
difficulty of any kind, but, on the con-
trary, widespread feeling of content
ment and rest, which has largely promoted
the development and progress of the
country. This was one reason, and we
thought an important reason for con-
tinuing the present administration in
power, but everything was lost sight of in
the tariff discussion of the campaign" =.
The Sun, published in a stat
overlooking with undoubted inter
est in and we'll wisher
for its neighbors to the further south, has
only the kindliest regard for the people
of these extreme southern states in their
effort to properly adjust the race issue
quietly and fairly among themselves. And
it discusses this race question in the very
faires5 way, treating it on plane above
politics, and in the broad light of justice
and right. The Sun strikes the key note
of the southern trouble when it places the
cause and occasion of discord there at the
door of politics, and contends that a
''let alone policy" from the north
would soon win for the colored man
in the south even all the rights republic
ans declare are now denied him. The
Sun in brief says;
"This everlasting talk about the rights
of the negro has been so often revived by
political cranks and agitators that many
of that race have come to believe that
they are endowed with some peculiar
rights not enjoyed by anybody else. The
very worst thing they can do is to give
heed to the counsels of such people. They
are simply citizens invested with precisely
the legal rights of other citizens. TheJ
are entitled TO just as much liberty as
other people enjoy and no more. 1t is
their policy not to antagonize the white
race, just as it is the policy of the'white
race not to antagonize the negro, for the
simple reason that they are mutually de-
pendent on each other. The country is
quite large enough for both, and there is
no conceivable reason why the two races
may not dwell together in peace and hap
piness except the unprincipled interfer
ence of reckless, irresponsible Politician"
If every negro in the south could have
these words and the truth of them
brought home TO him, if every designing
politician playing on sthe credulity and
fear of the colored race could be muzzled
or exiled from the south, tho better class
of the negro element and the true southern
people would soon work out a just and
equitable adjustment of this race issue,
and even the most bigoted partisans of
the north would have no cause or excuse
for complaint.