San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-08-22
AUSTIN CORRESPONDENTS
Politics and the Negro Problem
Discussed.

|
Discussed.
AUSTIN, August q, 1891.
Editor San Antonio LIGHT.
1t Is our pleasure to read q good
number of secular and religious news
papers, but none of them seem to be
able to speak with more wisdom
of coming events, politically, CONNER
cislly and enterprisingly than does
the LIGHT. We have read with great
satisfaction for many years the newsy
columns of the LIGHT, and can say
that 1t speaks with almost prophetic
certainty upon the great issues of the
day. Your views concerning the can
didacy of Mr.. Blame, accords with our
own, but if ne cannot, without injury,
though Internationally inflicted by
his friends, lead the party to victory,
why jeopardise the chances of certain
victory by nominating him? We
believe Mr.. Blaine deserves to be pres
ident rs much as any of the great
statesmen of America, and would
like to see him president for many
reasons; among which is his whole
souled republicanism and his power
full aid to elect the republican ticket,
regardless of who is placed at the
head of it; unlike many, who would
stand by and see the party defeated,
when in their power to prevent. Mr..
Harrison has given the country q
good administration, just what we
thought would result from his wise
selection of chief heads of the depart
ments; of that class of men who are
not political gamblers, b. 1T have chung
to the party through adversely, as
well as in its days of prosperity; true,
tried and trusty, with unfagging zeal
and undying love. We admire
the man Who neither compro-
misses nor covers before his foes
but who can afford to deal fairly with
them, as far as his dealing goes.
fault. Was speaking concerning the
some time since, and all of q sudden
he said "And Harrison has not done
justly by the negroes, he has not ap-
pointed many of them to office" We
replied as politely as we could, by
informing this gentleman that Mr..
Harrison had, for some reason, ap-
pointed more negroes to important
positions than any of his predeces-
sors, which might result from two
reasons: First, there are more COM
petent negroes now than ever before
In America; Second, he being q true
republican may have proposed to do
so from the first.
No man who has tax Ell the patient
time to inform himself, but what
knows that under any and all cir
cumstancas, the negro voter, when
ever he had q sho wing has been true
to the party that have champiOned
his cause IN and out of congress. He
would prove an migrate if he could
not appreciate that fact. Possibly the
dem ocratic party will never need the
negro vote; they have never made an
honest effort to win it hitherto. Its
efforts has been cOercive, and repres-
sive measures. The separate coach
laws adopted by many Of the south
ern states, is simply a big political
scheme, intended more to unite all
foreign elements against the negro,
either to force him, or drive
him. Why not invite him? In
vite him where? Answer to social
equality? No, for after all of the hot
blood and mean, strife-engendering
words, social equality must grow of
itself. 1t can't be forced by any
form of legislation. But political
equality, aud justice before the law
is all we ask. Notwithstanding all
the hue and cry made about the
negro's ignorance, he certainly un-
derstands the American people
equally as we'll, if not better, than
the mass of foreigners who flock to
the American shores. Having no
other civil manners, or notions OF
government and commercial views
than those which are purely Ameri-
can. We have seen with much pity,
the many uncalled for aud
unjust attacks upon the negro, and
many and grievous complaints against
him; but every we'll informed person
knows that he is not wholly to blame
The latest assault made, we notice,
was by the IcOnOclast, a new maya
zine or pamphlet, published in this
city. Among the many unreasonable
and uncharita0le charges and criti-
cisms brought against the negroes
are: The negro vote is dangerous.
We can't Just ind erstand what he
means, but we do know that, with a
timely and proper action, that vote
could have been reliably controlled
by the democratic party in the south.
He says: "Do not wonder that the
shotgun sometimes cracks, in the
b ack districts; that men whose an
cestors wrung Magma Charta from
King John, ETC." "The presence Of
the negro in the south has kept
this section a century in ar
, rears of what it would other.
, wise be-" But he fails to
| tell us just how this was done. at
has kept white immigration out.'