Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-09-03
POLITICS IN THE SOUTH.
A Talk With Ex-Representative Nor.
wood Of Georgia.

HE SAYS THE REPUBLICANS CANNOT BREAK THE
SOLID soUTH-NEARLY ALL TARIFF REFoRMERs
DOWN THERE-rEDERAL ELECTION LAWS WILL
BE DEAD LETTER-THE NEGRO IN poI1r1cs.
STAR reporter met ex-Representative Nor
wood at Wizards today. He has grown little
grayer since he left the House, but the bright
eyes OF the satirist light up his grizzly visage.
Ex-senator, ex-governor, ex-Representative
and author, he is full of experience and is an in
teresting talker. He is a southerner through and
through, thinking and acting with his people.
He has just returned from a visit to the east
and will be here for q week or ten days before
going to his home in Georgia. He expresses
himself as not much troubled by the efforts of
the republicans to break into the south. He
thinks they can't do it.
"Ninety-nine out Of every one hundred of the
intelligent people Of the SOUTH" he said, ''sre
tariff reformers. The great mass of the people
don't know what tariff is. They follow the
ninety. nine, and the hundredth man, who is a
protectlonist on account Of some perfonal in
terest, has no following. The republicans can
do nothing with our people on the tariff ques-
ton"
THE SOUTHERN VIEW OF THE NEGRO PROBLEM
Speaking Of the prospect Of federal election
laws by the next Congress to regulate the elec-
tions in the south he said: They may pass
their laws, but they will be dead letter. 1t is
too late to interfere with the affairs of the
south In that way now. Our people will
not regard any legislation intended to place
the negro over them. And the sentiment in
among us as rapidly as he is capable of,
and the best thing is to let him
alone. Thinking people all over the
country see this. 1t is only few politicians
that are trying to keep up the agitation. We
are not savage and brutal people; We are
than that, we know him. He is not capa-
BILE of government and the intelligent
people Of the south will not permit
themselves to be dominated by him. Any at
tempt to force him forward by Federal legisla-
tion will result to his own disadvantage and to
the injury of the person that attempts it Let
US alone and we will take care of him. He is
the laborer OF the south, as necessary to the well
fare Of the section such, is the labor in the
factories in the north. We have no inclination
to, and cannot afford to oppress or i'll treat
him. What man OF reason wants ignorance
voter
THE NEGRO Is FAILURE.
After twenty-five years Of fostering and educa-
tion you have, for an example, those negroes
in Georgia leaving their work and their homes
10 lolloW and worship crank who says he is
the saviour, and when he is put in the insane
asylum they fall down and worship one Of their
one number who jumps up and proclaims him
self as God.
The ballot with the negro, take him as a
whole, is toy he has got tired of. He has no
idea of the purpose of the ballot or how to use
it. He has used it in blind sort of way until
he is tired of it, and he doesn't 20 to
the polls now unless there is some special
reason for it, If he is working
for a man who wants him to vote, he will 60
up and cast his ballot because his employer
wants him to. Otherwise you must give him q
drink or a quarter to induce him to vote. Some
such reason as that must influence him. He
would rather stay at his work than lose the
time.
Some republican politicians accuse rs Of sup
pressing the negro votes, because they are not
cast. The fact Is merely that the great mass
of the negroes not knowing the use Of the bal
lot, have got tired now that the novelty is worn
OH and they do not want to vote. They stay at
home