San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1890-08-02

International Baptist MlSSlon-Sunday
Sunday school p. m; DIR. o. Ii. Love,
superintendent. Prayer meeting Thurs
AVERY GRAVE QUESTION.
THE LIGHT has had occasion hereto
fore to speak approvingly of the posi-
ton taken by the Galveston News on
the impracticable boycott scheme pro-
posed by the Atlanta Constitution.
The News has gone farther than this,
and more than a week since gave
utterance to the following:
The party In power wishes to pass
q federal election bill. Let it be fair
ly debated, then let its passage be
viewed with all possible calmness
and every lawful means be taken to
have 1t applied in the north as we'll as
In the south, or else lawfully resisted
and tested In the north. If unconsti-
tutional, the federal courts will decide
the fact. 1t Is regrettable that some
influential southern papers adopt
mode Of address promising the ghouls
of sectional politics feast of hate
and carnage. The result may be
necessity of wicked sectional politics
in some southern states as we'll as in
northern states, but If 1t exists it
exists for no good purpose for the
general welfare.
This utterance of the News lifts
that journal out of the ruts of section
tionalism and places it on strong and
,,pv,,; o. N I, a hIa national rrNund Dr.
this and similar utterances the News
has earned the right to be listened to
as courteous, fair and judicious adj
visor in matters of great public inter-
est. In this opinion, as thus ex-
pressed by the News, the great body
of republicans will concur. They
wish no election bill of q sectional
character. A law equally applicable
to all sections and equally enforced
by impartial authority, or none at all,
is the desire of the republican masses.
That some of the wisest and most far
seeing minds in the republican party
deprecate the passage of any measure
looking to the control, even of federal
elections, by federal agents, cannot be
denied. There is not q leading re-
publican in the south that
does not fear the result to the
colored voter in the end, as
fully as he feels the disability under
which he now labors. There Is no
measure that has been proposed since
the close of the war thatrequires such
careful consideration and such calm
and dlspasionate examination before
action as does this. 1t is not alone
what will be its immediate effect up
on congressional representation from
the south, but what its probable effect
upon southern Industries, upon south
ern development, upon southern labor
conditions, and upon the whole race
question in all its aspects. OF the
injustice, inequality and palpable de-
privation of rights under the existing
conditions, there cannot be two opin-
ions. That the passage of Federal
election bill will remedy this Unequal
ity and really improve matters is not
so certain. AS far as the republican
representation in congress is con-
cerned, there is no doubt that Fed
eral election law, equitably en-
forced throughout the entire
national domain, would add at
least twenty republican repre-
sentativss to the majority now
holding seats in congress, and, of
take away twenty from the
present democratic minority. This
would result, but would this gain
the colored man, who
would be comparatively unchanged
in industrial or social condition there
by, for the added unfriendliness, per-
secution, dislike and disfranchise-
ment in all state and municipal af-
fairs that would inevitably follow?
The federal election bill would per-
petuate republican rule, because of the
legally qualified voters of this coun-
try, the republican party has q de-
cided majority. 1t would also perpe-
tuate and in tensify political
and race prejudice to
the bitter end. The question is
one for national craftsmanship to
- Ntnnf