Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-01-10
SUPPRESSION NO REMEDY.
Admitting the Failure Of Violent Meth
DDS to Solve the Race Problem.

From the Charleston News and Courier tdem.,
1t is not likely that the republicans will
obtain all that they want and claim in the south
at the election Of 1892; but, if General Harrison
pursues the policy which has been outlined, the
republicans can reasonably expect to carry two
or three Of the southern states and will increase
largely the number Of southern republicans in
Congress. The only reason for the solidity Of
the south 10 the fear of bad local government.
Remove this danger-and it is largely removed
already-and the white people Of the south
will be free to divide on political and economic
questions. Divide they will. And this division
will not weaken the national democratic party,
but rather will strengthen it. 1t was the Sec
tional feeling, together with the use of money
and fully as much sectionalism as bribery
which defeated Cleveland and Thurman at the
last election. With political freedom at the
south, and justice to every one, the democratic
party will gain more in the north and west than
it Will lose in the south and then, and then
only, will sectionalism be buried forever.
To return for a moment to the educational
qualification. it is conspicuous evidence of a
serious oversight on the part of Mr.. Williams
that he ignores the necessity of a change in
political processes in the interest Of the white
men OF the south. 1t appalls thinking men to
know, to see, that the present generation and
the rising generation of white men in the south
tons are failure and that elections are to be
carried, not by the honest vote of fair major
ity. but by campaigning which begins with
rank intimidation and ends in subterfuge and
evasion. 1t demoralizes the white men of the
south, and, for the sake of the young men es-
pecially, the Nesrs and Courier asks that their
slres and grandsires, who are still in politics,
will see to it that no pulling sentiment or sup
posed necesslty-or even the diminutlon OF
political power-shall prevent them from giving
their worthy countenance to any policy that
will save the young men from further degrade
ton and from the beliefs and methods which
corrupt their political faith, and so poison the
fountain of democratic rule at its very source.
The white people suffer more by the trickery
and malfeasance by which they score victory
than the colored people suffer. The supremacy
OF what, for convenience, is called Anglo-Saxon
civilization-though there is little of the Anglo
Saxon manners or of civilization in the mode
of securing it-must and will be maintained;
but it cannot be maintained without sectional
division in politics and without the mainte-
nance Of racial lines at elections. Mr.. Williams
ignores all this. To him the present situation
may seem uncomfortable, though he is not clear
on this point; but he makes no effort for its re-
lief. Thinking Of the danger by the negro, he
is oblivious of the danger to the whites. Know
ing the desire Of every county in South Caro-
lima to be represented by sound democrats. for
example, he turns his back upon the obvious
truth that the democratic party would be in
better condition to-day than it is if there were
a respectable and vigilant minority of republi-
cans in the legislature of the state. Demo-
cratic dissatisfaction and disintegration have
been in the direct ratio Of democratic power.