The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-10-07
A solution Of the Race Problem

| a Solution Of the Race Problem
Mr. William NJ. Thomas, of Charleston, S
c., has presented to the public what b
thinks is a solution If the race problem HI
points out that the whites aud blacks arr
separated in the cars, theaters and churches
and he does not see why they should not b'
separated at the ballot-5ox.
He proposes that, in South Carolina fol
instance, there snail be Senate composed
of 100 members who shall be elected by the
taxpayers. each taxpayer having one vote
for every dollar of taxes ne pays. There shall
be one House OF Representatives composed
of white men and another composed Of
black men, the two houses having Jointly
one hundred Members apportioned between
the two houses on the basis of the voting
strength of each race, as ascertained from
| the registration. IL the blacks, therefore,
should have the greater number OF regis
tered voters, the black House of Represen-
tstives would have the majority of the one
hundred representatives. Mr. ThomaS
| solution provides for electing senator's and
representatives annually. Only taxpayers
can vote for senator's, but any one being of
dso dLl reg ActoACA NtAl fObp Abi CoSAba-
tives.
Mr.. Thomas solution further provides
for the filing of all other offices.
federal, state, county and municipal, by the
legislature. And it forbids the use of
printed ballots
Mr.. Thomas solution will do very we'll to
talk about, but it is extremely doubtful if
it would be found to be satisfactory in
practice. Like many other solutions it
seems at first to be worth more than a pass
ing notice, but on investigation il loses its
attractiveness and fails to impress one as
being likely to be fruitful of good results.
According to the solution, bill can be-
come law only by 1.-The consent of the
majorities Of two OF those houses" mean
ing. of course, any two of the three houses
The Senate, which would be composed
wholly of white men, could, in conjunction
with the House of Representatives COM
posed Of whites, transact all the business
and fill all the state, county and municipal
offices, without consulting the House of
Representatives composed OF blacks, and
that, probably, is just what would be done.
The blacks wouldn't get any of the offices,
for the reason, principally, that they would
not be qualified to fill any of them. OF
course they wouldn't be satisfied with
that condition of affairs. Neither would
any of the bills originating in their House
stand any chance of being passed. Such
bills would be, as a rule, crude measures, or
measures suggested by designing white
men.
The only thing that Mr.. Thomas solution
promises is the empty honor for the blacks.
That might please them for awhile and the
compensation they would receive might be
acceptable, but they would see at once that
they were cutting no figure in state affairs,
and having gained something would make
greater demands than ever before.
Besides being cumbersome Mr. Thomas
solution is Objectionable for many other
reasons, the majority of which would sug-
gest themselves to almost any one who
would give it careful consideration.
The negro problem is one that time aud
experience alone will solve. If the north
ern republican politicians would let the
southern blacks alone the race differences
in the south would slowly but surely dis
appear. Differences which few years ago
were the source of serious trouble have
been satisfactorily adjusted, and so will all
others be in time.