The Brookhaven leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1883-1891, 1890-03-20
CONVENTION TALK.
MIssIssIPPI's PosITION-HER MEG
EssARY GREAT INTEREST IN THE
RACE QUESTION.
Large and Growing Negro Ma.
jorities.
Hon. Frank Johnston Advises Looking
to Self for Escape From the Peril,
and Not to Outside HeIp--Sacrifice an
Absolute Necessity.

Hon. Frank Johnston, one of the
most progressive thinkers in the
South, and with ready power to ex-
press his thought, has never been a
seeker for place, though the able
chairman of the State Democratic
Executive Committee in 1881, and
often spoken of for the Supreme
bench. A native of this city, he has
served his State in war and peace,
and has earned right to be heard on
any subject of public import, as upon
all such he has pronounced opinions,
in advance, perhaps, of the ordinary
current of popular views.
The Commercial correspondent ask
cd him today what he thought of the
political situation in Mississippi and
its bearing upon the Constitutional
Convention, which inquiries elected
the following replies:
THE SITUATION.
"The situation of Mississippi is pc
culiar in view of its large and increas-
ing negro majority, and presents a
serious if not perilOus condition of
public affairs. 1t is probable that the
colOred majority amounts at the pres
ent time to $4,000 in a total popula-
ton of 100000. These people are
coming to the State in steady
stream from Northern Georgia and
and the Carolinas, while comparatively
few white people are moving into the
State.
mississippi holds today a larger
negro majority, and in correspond
ing degree is more deeply concerned
about the race and suffrage questions,
than any other Southern State. OF
course race antagonisms are not ex-
clusively political, but they are I'M
questionably intensified by the pres
ent political condition in the State.
"Any legal measures that would
take Off this strain necessarily would
harmonic in a measure the relations
between the races, and thus improve
the general condition of public
affairs.
"There was a time, notably in 1867,
when the 14th amendment was pro-
posed, that the question of negro
suffrage affected directly or sympa-
thetically the entire South, but the
tendency now is in the direction of a
complete localization of the problem
within the limits of three Southern
States. There are no indications of a
disposition on the part of the negroes
to acquiesce in the suppression of
their votes or to retire from politics.
And the probabilities are that the Ma
tional Government will ultimately
take charge of or effectually super
wise Federal elections in these
States.
"The Mississippi situation is regard
ed by all thinking men as full of peril :,
and this opinion is not confined to
the advocates of Constitutional
Convention.
II think we should admit real facts,
the whole truth of our situation, and
face it squarely, and do all that wis
dom and courage and justice can ac-
cOmplish in the direction of q just,
legal constitutional adjustment or
settlement of this question of para
mount Importance. We ought to
abandon the old Southern notion of
looking vaguely for some outside
help and rely absolutely upon our
selves.
at will come to this at last. The
Republican party and the National
Democratic party are equally for
the policy of changing the stuff
rage.
"The fifteenth amendment will
never be repealed. Certainly there is
nothing at present to indicate the pro-
liability of such an event. The his
tory of this amendment shows that it's
principle was of a slow and gradual
growth and not tie outcome of any
sudden impulse, fastened and devel-
Oped by the refusal of the South to
accept the fourteenth amendment as
the basis of reconstruction. Any
State policy based on the speculation
or theory of the repeal of this amend
ment will prove fallaciOus and mis-
| chieviOus in the extreme.
"There is no remedy except in the
State itself. And all State remedial
agencies and powers are circumscrib-
ed within the limits of the fifteenth
amend ment, which simply prohibits
race discrimination in the regulation
of the suffrage; except in this the
power of q State is absolute and pie
nary.
GAS a pure question of constitution
al law, the State has full power to
eliminate ignorance, illiteracy and pau
perism from the electoral body.
Whether these powers will be exer-
cised and put in operation is another
and different question.
"The white race at present is in alb
sOlute control of the government in
this State. 1t will dominate and con-
troll the Constitutional Convention.
And this race, which is the the Dem
ocratic party of the State, will hold
in it's hands this power to select and
define an electoral body for the State.
What it will do with the power, and
within what limits and to what extent
it will apply it, is question of states
manship, which should be treated with
bOldness, candor and justice.
at is important that the white peO-
pie should realize the fact that moth
ing can be accomplished of any value
without sacrifice on their part.
1--WE must make the best of our sit
uation, rely upon ourselves, and in
whatever we do recognize the spirit
and the letter of the Federal Consti-
tuition. Whatever remedy is adopted