Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-06-16
Unfnendly Legislation.

All the signs Of tho times point TO n
6erce and angry contest in the next House
of Representatives of the United States
between the friends of constitutional
yoyernment and the advocates of IA grand
consolidated central dcspotism at WASH
ington-between those who would the
machinery Of government rs the fathers
Of the republic intended 1t to be run ana
those who would convert the national
Government into a Great Iron Wheel, 10
crush out the life of the several States,
and TO porpetuate the power of the Ke-
publican party at the expense OF the Wel-
fare of the country.
We need not name the leading Republic
cans who have declared themselves IN
favor of placing all congressional elections
under the control Of Republican partiSans.
The first step was taken last winter when
bill for that purpose was introduced by
Mr.. SHERMAN "by request" The scheme
has since then 50 grown in popularity that
every Republican candidate for Speaker Of
The next House of Representative Will pro-
badly deem il necessary to come out boldly
for its adoption.
II would be good policy for'the Demo-
Gratis TO use their great strength IN
the House 70 prevent the election
of any such man to be its Speaker.
IF any one f the Republican aspirants
can keep away two Republican MEM
bers from the Republican caucus and
get their votes in the House for Speaker
the Democrats, as the House now stands,
can place him in the chair. The Republic
cans have 1G4 members. The Democrats
have 161. Take two from the Republicans
and add them TO the Democrats and the re-
suit would be 163 for the bolter and only
I62 for the man who favOTs the policy OF
providing by law that the national Gov
eminent shall forever remain in the hands
of the Republicans. If the Republicans
get four out Of the FIVE new members VINO
nreto come in from the new States fthe far
Northwest, it VIII be necessary for the
boilers 10 secure only four votes from the
jos Republicans in order TO enable them 70
put into the Speaker chair friend Of tree
government. 1t is IA question Of life and
death TO the Democrats and 70 the Union
itself. is importance cannot be exag-
gerated. The southern negroes have of
course taken up this abomlnable scheme.
They understand what the maliGnants de
sire them to do, and they have ALWAYS
proved themselves 20 be obedient servants
of their new masters The Negro State
Convention held in Mississippi last week
declared itself ia favor of national
election law. meaning the scheme which
L. ~ no az 0r
from Mississippi. BLAND X. BRUCE, wrote
letter TO the Mississippi Negro Convention
in which be limited at the proposed oblec-
tionable legislation when be said that the
constitutional powers Of the national Gov
ment supply important agencies III the So
luton of this problem Though be did
not also come out for mixed schools, he
intimated that he was in favor Of them.
We let him speak for himself. lie said:
"Our advancement Is also impeded by q
prejudice which finds such expression IN
the administration of law as limits the eX-
ercise and enjoyment of both the civil and
political rights which we legally possess.
This deprivation OF rights Il not only an
abridgmeut of comfort and convenience,
but is a serious drawback 10 progress, be-
cause neither the individual nor the COM
lrit voluntarily TO the surrender of a right
without losing self-respect and iDsensiOly
yelaxing effort for Improvement. The
prejudice referred 10 exercises a farther
Ind more subtle and indirect, but no less
burtful, influence upon race development
tn that it practically segregates us from
the community among whom We live and
thus deprives us of the community sympa-
thy TO which we are entitled, robs MS of the
educational influence which should be re-
ciprocally exercised, and at the same time
cSTayeS US Oh sII 20 b os
around Us"
If separate schools practically segre-
gate" the negroes from the whites, they
do just what the self-respecting whites
would have them do, and what they were
designed to do. The southern whites
would abolish the public schools alto
gether rather than see them converted into
mixed schools.