The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1889-01-12
NEGRO SUFFRAGE.

WIN AAO AAAtCA AVulAtAAocAOHs alu HAS
long been known to US, through able
efforts with tongue and pen in that be-
halfas man of high order of talent and
superior attainments. And now, in
tense Republican though he is, we say
without qualification that he has
given the very best presentation of all,
the most thoughtful and the fairest, of
the topic he treats. Intense deyotee as
we are of the solid South, the accom-
plishment of this substantial disfran-
chisement of the negro" having been
the chief burthen of our mind and the
main labor of our hands for nearly 20
years past; we can but heartily ap-
plaud this speech. For have we not
during all these years said that athe
first step toward dong anything is to
ascertain (state) the facts with alb
solute candor r Judge Taylor is the
first Republican of pro minence, in all
our reading, who admits and vouches
that "there are men In the South
thousands and thousands of them, who
are just, honorable, kind and patriotic
in all things else, but who will commit,
or aid others to commit fraud perjury
or murder rather than to submit to be
governed by negroes or the votes of
negroes For this we owe him much.
We note but two errors in this ad-
mirable and timely address. One is
the over-estimation of the force con-
tributed to Southern politics by "the
dream of Empire" and what there was
of this quality is vastly diminished
since the November election. Judge
Taylor errs again in the potency he at
tributes to Federal election law. If
he will pursue this proposition through
the analysis of the condition, he can
but see its impracticability. Who is to
execute such law? The answer to this
one question refutes the whole device.
But these errors occur, it is just to say,
in the turning over of the 'vain posi-
bilities' of this deplorably complex
problem.
We trust that Judge Taylor is war;
ranted in saying of the President elect
with whom he is on intimate footingl
that ''he will not trade the black man
to Southern Democrats tor political
support" as was the Birmingham pro-
posal. We would dislike to see even
Republican President do dastardly
thing.
The close of the speech breathcs q
patriotism pure enough for all points
to a craftsmanship broad enough for
all men of both sections. But in very
hopelessness we ask CAN not ought
." the South take the initiative?' Is
there even in the range of possibilities
such "plan" as our good friend calls
for? Verify it seems to us that we
are floating on
"a sea with never a shore in sight,
Drifting steadily into the night -
JUDGE TAYLOR's SPEECH:
But after all, the most desperately
difficult problem which the Republi-
can party has to face is the southern
question. What can we do; what
shall we try to do for the disfranchis-
ed negro?
The first step towards doing any
thing is to ascertain and accept the
facts with absolute candor. 1t has fall
len in my way to be in the south a
good deal for seven years past, and |
have talked freely with many southern
men about affairs in their states. No
one of them ever pretended to deny In
his conversation with me the substan-
tial dlsfranchisement of the negro.
They justify 1t as a political necessity.
They say that to allow the negroes to
vote and to count their votes as cast
would be to give them control of the
local government, and that to do that
would be absolute and remediless ruin
to every social and buincss interest.
Many Democrats-all that have ever
talked with, deplore the existing state
of things in the strongest terms. They
admit its injustice toward the black
man, and they say that its demoralizing
effect upon the white man, and especi-
ally upon the young, who are thus
made familiar with intimidation, fraud
and perury..in politics from their entry
into manhood, is even worse result
of 1t than Its wrong to the black man.
There is no doubt that the carpet
bagger was one of horrible misgovern-
ments in the south. When the war
ceased, host of adventures from the
north renamed, and with the aid of
the freedmen took possession of all
the machinery of government. There
were some good and honorable men
among them who ought not to be con-
founded with the others. but the great
body of them were unprinicpled plum
derers. This class of men have dis
appeared. The most of the white Re-
publicans of the south TODAY am
referring specially TO the far south,
are men who have gone there since
the war to engage in business, and have
had little to do with politics. Many
of these are the noblest Republicans
of us all. They have passed through
years oftrying experience. They have
had to bear the shame of the doings of
men unworthy of the party name,
wnom they could not control. They
have felt the sting of scorn of the
community around them in their busi-
ness and their homes. They have en-
ioyed none of that animation which
springs from the hope of success, even
in those who have no ambition for
office. Year by year they have voted
the Republican ticket, knowing well
that their votes would count for
nothing at all except as witnesses in
the courts of their conscience of their
fidelity to the principles they professed.
1t may surprise you to be told that
men of this class. while not countenanc-