The Brookhaven leader., 1890-09-04
NOT A LEADER, BUT AN Oh.
sTRUCTTONTST

STRUCTTONTST.
The people are beginning to feel
sorely disappointed in Senator George.
As one who trusted him fully and was
one of the first and most earnest to
urge his name as delegate to the
Constitutional Convention, this paper
feels little less than Inundated at his
present course.
As IT. had taken the lead in pro-
claiming the necessity for o conven-
ton, and based That necessity on 'he
sole ground that something must be
speedily done to prevent the politics
of the State from being hopelessly ne
groized, the people naturally looked
to him for something that would bear
the simiiitude of a safe and effective
solution of the vexed problem.
| But if they were bitterly disappoint-
ed few weeks ago when he promul-
gated his "plan" whereby he propos-
ed n stupendous gcrrymaRder of the
State into white districts to he
supplemented 10y the appointing pow
cr whereby the State was to- be thrown
into the hands of centralized Office
| holding oligarehy more to he dreaded
than negro rule, they have been much
more disappointed by later develop
ments.
Being great constitutional lawyer,
as he is, he has known all along that
there was nothing in the so-called
Fundamental conditions" to prevent
the restricting of the suffrage to Il
safe and intelligent basis, yet II is said
that as Il member of the Franchise
committee he has stubbornly opposed
everything that gave the least prom
Use of substantial ballot reform. At
the same time he has tenaciOHsly
clung to his gerrymandering scheme Of
making the Legislature safely Demo
cratic-presumably because that will
also make safe the United States
Senatorship.
1t is reported that he even antago-
nized SO mild measure in the way of
suffrage reform as the Australian bal
lot, unless it was so modified that one
of the election officers might stand
and mark the tickets for every thick
Tipped negro and white ignoramus who
did not know how to do it for himself.
lie has proved himself worse than a
blind leader of the blind, and actual
~ become an ObstructiOnist. Having
been chiefly instrumental in getting
the Convention called, on the idea
that something must be done to re-
strict suffrage and insure white supre-
macy, he will neither lead nor follow
the leadership of those who possess the
acumen and unselfish patriot !
ism to see what is needed and have the
courage to apply the remedy.
1t has leaked out that at the meet
ing of the Franchise committee last
Friday, Mr.. Mclean, the gallant
young Democrat from Grenada who
always has the courage of his convic-
tons, boldly tainted Senator George
with this and charged him to his face
with having deceived the people. Mr..
Mclean is right, and he deserves and
will receive the thanks of the people
for stating the case so plainly. Sena-
tor George has deceived the people,
whether designedly or not, and they
feel it keeuly. He and other men of
prominence were sent to the conven-
ton by the people, withOut mstruc-
tons, to do what was necessary to be
done to insure intelligent white SIT
premacy by peaceful and legal meth
DDS at the ballot box, and in whatever
is necessary to be done in this direc,
ton they will acquiesce, but they
want no "whipping the devil around
the stump" and indirect methods
that will bring the State to II more
dangerous condition in the future
than the present.
Alas! that a greaC leader whom the
people confidently trusted should have
proved himself so unworthy of lead
ership.