South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1889-02-15

Gov. LEE ON THE RACE PROBLEM
The Richmond correspondent @,
the New York Herald qUotes Gov
Fhshreh Lee as saying in q recea nj
interview:
~ Gen. Harrison were to send fol
me- to ask my advice on what he
ought to do for The South l should
say, Mr.. President, such and such
are present conditions. They are
not altogether or cur own creating,
but we have done the best We could
under the circumstances. So far as
negro suffrage is concerned you can.
not do anything. The same cons,i.
tuition that gives you certain pow
ers gives US certain rishts Which ycu
cant infringe. Tho Stats were
careful to safeguard our rights when
they made up that document. All
regulations touching the management
and counting or ballots are admitted
~ 5 ate regulations, matters %, oper.
Nv belonging to State Legislatures,
Uncle Sans rights at polling places
being respected. If you apply any
special rules TO US the same must APP
ply with equal force in Maine and Mas.
sachusetts, IN New York and Indi.
ana-in fact, you can't apply apy
law 10 US that will not apply 10 the m
in precisely the same way. The
South like each OF the ether sections
of the country-if you must continue
10 have 's'ctions'-has her destiny in
her own hands. She will work cut
her own sa'vation. But she must
have the same control over her
tffairs as the North, East and West.
You can, however, do US one great
favor. Appoint respr ctable men 10
federal ffices. Keep cut tie seal.
awaGs and rascals VITO made repub.
lican rule in other days q by word
and reprcach. Put decent men in
pos!otfices, so that when cur wives
and daughters 90 for their letters
they will not be insulted. Put men
in the custom.house who will honest
~ protect the revenue and protect
home interes'. Give us talent and
purity in the United States courts
which will administer justice a.d
not be mere carpet bay politics.
D!scoun' enancc the oil republican
policy of irritating the colo.ed man
IN cr'!er TO use him for merely par ty
services. Leave Linn to learn some
thing u'etuI; permit him to STARE IN
The general prosperity by cultiva,ing
conditions hat will insure him Pre- fit a.
BILE employment. You Can Illus help
the South to Der position as an in
tegral part Of the. Union. We won't
ask for anything better, and We think
we arc entitled t. ask Ills much at
lea I. But If Il e negro is misled ard
made troublesome, Why, The worse
for him Tuis is ny statement, and
| have nothing further TO add
Speaking OF the CONN.,, nts o, GER
tain northern editors on The above
remarks, Gov. Lee on Saturday spid !:
Some of the North,rl vecple do
not July understand nor apprce late
the full scope Of this question so fa:
as it concerns the South. We are
friendly to the colorcd man, tut soci,
al equality among the white and
blacks is out of the question. No in
teiligent white man Of reputation OF
the South will for moment think
of such Thing. see that in The
comments CT one oftbe leading New
York papers it is assumed that tie
Southern negroes do not desire or
contemplate such condition of aft
airs. Why, Langs,on, the defeated
colored republican candidate for
Congress in the Peter burg district,
in his recent speeches in South Car
DINA, was quite pronounced on this
subject. The counting OF The negro
vote in States and cities where that
race is in the majority timpIy means
domination Of such State or com
munity BY the negroes. Suppose the
negroes carried two or three of the
Southern States, what would be the
resultY III such a domination were
TO be maintained IL would force all
the white people to sell their proper
ty for what they could get for it and
seek homes elsewhere Such an I'M
fortunate condition Of things could
not possibly benefit the balance Of
the Union. 1t would practically de-
stroy the State in which the negroes
were in the ascendency without ben.
citing that race or anybody else.
No, sir there is no way to meet this
grave question but by local govern
ments themselves. ! do not believe
that Harrison thinks that any federal
legislature can meet this emergency.
II be does. he will soon End out bis
mistake. Harrison is a strict partisan,
but do not believe that be has any
idea that he can force upon the South
any. leg islation that would not be
NEED out TO the North.
Auditor Frank Rufin, who was
present, said i believe that trouble
will grow out Of this race question:
well, added the Governor, If it
must come, let it come