The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1889-09-12
The Negro Is Still at the Fore in
American Politics.
Ncao York Herald.

Riots, outrages and bloodshed in differ.
ent parts of the South have recently be.
come painfully frequent
The old war between the two sections
of the country has ceased, but an ominous
conflict between the two races which in
habit one section has begun.
If cool counsels prevail this matter can
be conducted to safe conclusion. If
handled by hot tempers We shall soon find
ourselves on the eve of reign of terror
the outcome of which may prove perilous
to the Republic.
The question of race relations is not
Southern question merely, for it cannot.
be confined to ono locality. 1t is also q
Northern question. In other words, it is
rapidly becoming g national question.
Massachusetts and Ohio are equally in.
terested with South Carolina and Georgia
in lts Just solution.
Up to the present moment this momen.
tous puzzle has been played for all it is
worth in the game of party politics.
That must end at once, or we shall find
ourselves involved in serious trouble.
Barrels of gunpowder should not be han
died by fanatics, for if an explosion
occurs the fate which overtake5 the idiots
will also fall upon the government.
To the Republicans Of the North the
negro is simply an element of campaign
success. Their chief business has been
to array the blacks against the whites as
natural enemies. An opportunity to 70.
ment discord is never neglected. The
chiefpeculiarity of every national canvass
is the delivery Of 6rebrands into the hands
of the colored people with the advice to
use them. -z..
The consequence is series of uprisiDgs
in various States, accompanied by outra.
ges which imperilo our national reputation.
The feeling is widely prevalent among
the colored people from the Potomac to
the Gulf that they have q right to rule and
should assert that right by violence and
pistols. This lesson the republican party
has carefully taught them, and they are
beginning to practice itwith.a vengeance.
During the four years of Mr. Cleveland
the South was peaceable and quiet. The
negro question was left to the common
sense Of the Southerners, who haYe every.
thing at stake. The processes of evolution
went on slowly and normally, and if that
policy had remained in force a few years
longer this vexed problem would have
solved itself without 80 much as ruffling
feather.
But disturbance in the South is the
Republicans capital in trade. 1t is with
him not question of national economy
but of party supremacy. He either never
dreams that some matters are too grave
to be used for party purposes, OF knowing
tits ready to sacrifice the welfare of the
whole country for stronger grip on the
perquisities Of Office. The fact that be is
committing a crime when winking at
conhagration and murder is subordinated
to the more important fact that no oppor-
tunity to get his hands into the national
treasury should be neglected.
Under this constant goading the South
has atlength lost it's head and its temper.
It must recover both, or ne shall soon
have in that section regime of anarchy
and social chaos. 1t is silly to talk about
colonizing the negroes in some other part
of the globe, because it is utterly imprac.
ticable. It is equally silly to talk about
q government that shall be exclusively
white, for the constitution stands in the
way and its provisions cannot be abroga-
ted. The negro is where be is BY circum.
stances beyond control. He will probably
stay there to the end of time. No power
on earth can remove him. -
The only duty of the future, therefore,
is to apply to him such educational infu
ences as are within reach and to make
thoughtful citizen of him as soon as pos.'
sible.
To suppress him, as some democrats
would do, is a crime against civilization
to compel him to vote, to station federal
soldiers in the southern States in order 10
urge him to gain control of city and State
governments, and to do this because he
will probably vote the republican ticket
and give the party longer lease of life,
is to manipulate ignorance with the skill
of demagogue and to sell the country
for another thirty pieces of silver.
The negro should be let alone by both
Northern Republicans aud Southern
Democrats. Ifhe wants to vote he should
be as free to do 30 as white man; if he
doesn't want to vote that is his business.
Hands off is to be the motto. Fair
play is never losing game. The repub.
lican party i. one thing, the democratic
party is another thing. We can better
afford to lose both than to place the Re.
public in peril.