The Brookhaven leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1883-1891, 1889-11-07
Judge CalhoOn and Senator
George.

Agreeable 10 dpPoh'
distinguished gentlemen and Demo
cratic leaders addressed the people OF
lincoln county at Brookhaven last
Saturday.
Our people have seldom, if ever,
been more agreeably entertained or
profoundly impressed with the wis
dom of what was said than on this oc-
cosion. Both speakers spoke as from
frank and honest hearts, and their
earnest, sincere manner, gained and
held the attention of their large au-
dience from first to last.
Both speakers addressedthemselves
TO the race problem in politics, and
particularly as applied to Mississippi.
Judge Calhoon, who spoke first, said
he could not undertake to solve the
yexed problem-that no one had been
able to offer satisfactory solution as
vet-but that until it is solved, the
white men of Mississippi must stand
together in the Democratic party like
brothers and settle all their differences
among themselves. Let the tariff nor
any other issue divide us until we can
divide without jeopardizing our high
est interests.
He showed that the negro race is
incapable of governing in its present
inexperienced and uneducated state,
and had shown itself incapable of
wise self government in Hayti and
elsewhere. SO far as Mississippi is
concerned, we have tried it once, and
we could, in his judgment, better
submit to repatriation than endure it
again. Education has been suggested
as the remedy. Mississippians arc to-
day taxing themselves far heavier, in
proportion to their means, for the ed
ucation of both races, than any North
ern State, and if left to themselves
may ultimately work out the problem
to the highest interest of both races;
but they cannot do so if interfered
with by officious Intermediates from
the outside. He ridiculed the idea of
any white man in Mississippi pretend
ing to be an independent or Republic
can, and said one had as we'll talk
about q white black bird or musical
alligator.
Judge CalhoOn said that he would
not go into discussion of the consti-
tutiOnal convention question. He
would only say that the white
men of the State must stand to-
gether and remain united, not let
ting their differences of opinion on
that or anything else divide them. If
the majority favored the calling of a
convention, let the minority gracefully
yield; if the majority opposed con-
vention, let. the minority yield in that
case also.
Senator George referred to the race
problem as the great overshadowing
one of the day in Mississippi, and de-
clared boldly and unequivocally in
favor of a constitutional convention.
He reviewed the aptitude and ca
pacity of the Anglo-Saxon race for
lt-governmcnt, and secuted the idea
that Il convention Of the true, loyal
men of Mississippi could not be trust
ed to frame a Constitution that would
rebound to the honor, glory and pros
perity of their mother State. To deny
their ability to dOsO was akin to BIAS
phemy against the white race and
God Almighty Himself. 1t is to ad-
nit that the white race are incapable
of government. He referred to
the rapid increase of the negro pOpu-
latiOn of the State as compared with
the white, and said the next census
would reveal state of facts on this
subject absolutely startling. 1t is not
a question with the people of Missis-
sippi whether they will return to the
horrors of negro rule which prevailed
from '69 to rs. That is settled. But
the question is, with our rapidly in
creasing negro population, how to
avoid it unless we seek safety, while
we may, i'll Constitution adapted to
the new order of things.
We are glad that Judge Calhoon
and Senator George came and spoke
as they did, and we believe there was
not Democrat in the large audience
that did not endorse their views and
feel prOfited by their counsel.