St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-01-02
RAsED ON PREJUDICE.

People have not been reading the de-
bates in the senate on the force bill to
any great extent. There has been an
impression, perhaps, that the opposition
was more expansive than was essential
to relieve mIsapprehensions about the
bill. But there is much of interest in
the debates. The efforts of acute Re-
publican senators to draw out state
ments that they could use to fire the
popular heart and excite prejudice
could not have been fruitful in the re-
suits sought. There has been, however.
a good deal of light thrown upon the
race question in the South. 1t is not
claimed that the conditions existing
there are ideal as regards the relations
of the whites and blacks, but many
facts were adduced in evidence that
false and perniciouS coloring had
been had to excite prejudice and
find room for schemes like the
force bill. The two states of South
Carolina and Mississippi have been sim
gIed out for attack as having cOlored
maiorties, and have furnished most
of the object lessons to be held up to
indignant observation. The fiery cham
piOnS of the alleged victims of the bull
dozers, HoAR and EDMUNDs, had pre-
pared categories of allegations and
charges to oyerWhelm the senators from
the states named. Sepator WALTHALL,
of Mississippi, was fnterrogated like a
witness, but had the data at hand. He
refuted the imputations Of Senator Ed
MUNDs aad challenged successful de-
NAL of his assertion that mo negro and
no Republican had lost either life or
limb in connection with an election
anywhere in Mississippi during the
past five years." There was no accept
ance of the challenge, but Senator
BLAIR, who is particularly strong in
educational matters, tried to question
the impartiality of the state provision
for education. In response the statiS-
tics were adduced showing that the
state provided schools for 10000
coIored children and but 10000 whites.
The taxes for the support of the colored
schools come almost entirely from the
whites. In the courts, too, it was shown
that there was fairness to the negroes.
In a recent case in Mississippi cited, a
white man was tried. sentenced and
hung for killing negro, although ten
of the Jurors and about all Of the other
official parties were white Democrats.
In the last legislature there were six
colored Republicans. and they all unit
ed in an expression of thanks to the
speaker for the courtesy extended them.
and spoke warmly of the kindly rela-
lions between them and the white mem
bers. There is race prejudice in the
North. Politically negroes have no diff
Guilty in the North as long as they do
not ask for office. They are not found
in high stations controlled by Republic
an votes. There are not more than
three or four states in the South
where there is any complaint that
the cOlored men have any obstruction in
voting. Texas is the strongest Demo
cratic state in the South, and no COM
plant has ever been heard that colored
men do not vote as freely as the whites.
1t may be noted that in the states where
the smallneSs of the vote is taken as evil
dence chat the blacks are not allowed to
cast their ballots, the white vote is
usually meager. The indifference in the
matter is shared by both races. Still, it
is not insisted that there have been no
cases of oppression or injustice to the
black man in the South. The cOnten-
ton is that there is no warrant in race
relations in any part of tine country for
the passage of measure like the force
bill. 1t would but incite antagonism be-
tween the races, and benefit neither, in
the South.