Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1890-07-10

To Tie Business Men of Ndt0 E7lglGnd.' :
The fact that New England Representa-
tive in Congress has proposed law cal
culsted to destroy the harmony now ex-
listing between the two races which in
habit the south implies that such legisla-
tion is considered advisable by the con-
stituenoies of your section, and 1 am there
fore impelled to lay before your bueiaesS
men some views which, as a southern
Republican, think entitled to careful
consideration. -=.
The passage OF the Lodge bill would ct
once create racial friction, and, by way
of illustrating the manner and effect OF
such friction, let me state what would be
likely to happen in my own county.
There the laboring men OF both races are
obliged by law to work the roads side by
side. This is done in the spring and fall,
and at those seasons squads ranging in
number from 20 to so men meet in every
precinct for that purpose. The Weather
people rarely or never attend such gath
erings, but hire substitutes, SO that the
lsboring mon alone are found among the
road workers.
Now, the more ignorant and presump-
tuous among the negroes would become
insolent toward the white laboHers, and,
urged on by the IDEA that the Federal
government would sustain them in their
excesses, would surely provoke quarrels.
Bloodshed would ensue in almost every
instance. Race prejudices aud Antips-
thies, which are always strong among
laborers who come into competition at
every turn with laborers OF another race,
would be intensified. Riots and disorder
would prevail. The crops would be
neglected, and hence the ability to pay
debts, as we'll as the inclination to pay,
would be Iessened. Country merchants
would fail, business confidence would be
destroyed and the entire commerce of
that section parslyzed.
And what is true of my county is true
OF almost every other county in the south.
Az q market it would become worthless
to New England, whose merchants and
manufacturers would suffer great fnan-
ciel loss, both by reason Of the immedi-
ate bankruptcy Of our merchants and of
their inability to recuperats in the future
by reason of social and industrial dis
orders inseperable from the operation OF
an odious law. Investors in southern
railway stocks and bonds, and other
forms of wealth, would suffer in equal
degrNe. The revenues from that section
would diminish, il not cease altogether.
And yet in the face OF all these peoun-
iary losses the expenses of carrying out
the law would amount to millions, almost
every dollar OF which would have to be
paid by the north. 1 may add that such
expenses need not be calculated upon the
supposition of peaceful operation of
the law by any means. A military estab.
lishment, whose maintenance would cost
little il any leas than our present pension
system, would be required to insure its
enforcement. In my opinion the losses
that would be entsilsd by the passage of
the Lodge bill, including commercial
and industrial failures and the cost Of a
standing army, in addition 10 the pay of
officers provided for in the measure,
would not fall short of billion dollars.
All this expense and all this demorsliza-
tion are to be brought about as means
of comprising the sudaoious, dangerous
and revolutionary partisan schemes OF
man whose political creed is that the end
justihes the means--a man who is willing
to consign all the south TO the horrors of
internecine war, and imperil constitu-
tional government in this country, in
order to improve his own chances of
political prefermeut-a man who has
Justly been styled the Oentaur of our
times. Can you afford, on business prin.
ciples, to ind0rse such measure
JOSEPH BRADrIELD.
WASHINGTON, D. O., Monday, June Both,