The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1889-04-20
Shall White Minoritles RuIeP

Judge Tourgie, in the latest num-
Der of The Forum. says:
"The negro question is unquestion-
ably the most momentous problem
of our civilization-considered with
regard either to its scope or character
it is almost unprecedented in import.
ance. difficulty, and the possible peril
involved in its solution. The present
phase of the question is a controversy
touching the negroes right to exercise
freely peacefully and effectually the
elective franchise and to enjoy with
out hindrance its exulting incidents.
In order to appreciate the importance
of this question it is necessary to con-
slider both its character and its scope.
In the former it is question of rela.
tive rank between two classes of peo-
pie in republic whose laws guaran-
tee equality of rights and privilege
to all. Both classes speak the same
language. profess the same religion,
owe allegiance TO the same govern
ment and are legally entitled to exer-
else. man for man, the same power
in its control. The one is black, more
or less the other is white. The one
has been the bondsman of the other
for two centuries and half he has
been freeman toF % years aud cit
izen for 81 years.
In scope the negro question en-
braces the political and economic re-
lations which eight millions OF our
people must sustain to the remaining
seven-eights of our population as
well as to the people of the States in
which they are chiefly to be found.
Three-fourths of the entire colored
population are to be found in eight
States. Virginia. North Carolina,
South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama,
Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi.
The colored race in these States in.
creases in numbers much. faster than
the white race. Since 1890 they have
increased 564 per cent. g.; in the same
time the whites have increased only
343 per cent. The northern white
man cannot compete with the south
ern negro as manual laborer. The
negro will work more hours for less
money, wait longer for his pay, live
in cheaper houses, endure more hard
ships, claim fewer privileges, and in
crease more rapidly than the north.
ern or foreign white laborer.
Admitting the inherent SUPERIOR
ity of the white race, there are but
three ways by which the rule of the
white minOrities may be accomplish.
ed.
The most direct method would be
to restore the term "white" as an
essential qualification for citizenship
in the State constitutions. The in.
superable objection in Che Southern
mind, however, to this method of
eliminating the power of the negro
as political factbr is that the repre-
sentation of those States in the House
of Representatives and the Electoral
Colleges would be reduced in proper
ton to the number thus excluded
from polical power. Another meth
cd in which the desired result might
be Temporarily attained is by impos-
ing an educational qualification upon
the voter. The difficulty in the way
of adopting this plan is that one. fifth
of the white voters in the States
where such method might be con-
sidered advisable cannot read the bal
lots they cast. while like proper
ton of the colored popuIs ton would
retain its right to vote. In one
county of South Carolina the census
reveals greater number of colored
people who can read and. write than
of whites. In Kentucky there are
more white men who cannot read
and write than there are blacks. For
these reasons an educational qualifi-
cation, which is the most popular
remedy among northern theorists, the
Southern politician conceives to be
utterly impracticable. There remains
only fraud or violence, which are
frankly admitted to have been in OPP.
Grafton for dozen years or m ore, and
which it is Enthusiastically intimated
are to be continued, as means of
perpetuating the rule of white minor.
tiles. There are two obstacles in the
way of the successful operation of
this plan in the future. The first is
the inequality it establishes between
the power of the white voter living
at the North and one dwelling in a
Southern State. The other is in the
colored man himself. Twenty-four
years ago, the five millions of newly
enfranchised freemen were not worth
all together five million cents. With
in twenty years they had $4,000, 900
in the savings banks alone. To-day
they pay taxes on property valua-
I ma