San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1894-01-05

party organization would re-
main as heretofore. Under this
plan nearly every state in the
south would be controlled by the
intelligent class (the whites) and
with an educational restriction on
suffrage, probably all states would
be thus controlled. At the same
time the Afro-American would
have independent and fair repre-
sentation. AS a balance of power
of legitimate division of parties,
the opportunity for progress and
elevation Of the. race would be
largely augmented. The perma-
nent solution of the southern prob
lem will never come until all po-
litical parties stand nearly on the
same footing in the treatment of
the negro question.
Is the progress and prosperity of
the South and the whole country
to be always retarded by having
only white mans party and
negro party with strained race re-
lations? A solid South on a single
issue. Are we to have no well bal
anced political divisions to insure
good government? For twenty-five
years we have stood on old lines
and old issues, with hardly new
thought. Is the country barren of
craftsmanship that this question is
not solved? The negro race can not
be disfranchised. Is not our better
course to adopt race division ac-
ceptable to both races on a basis,
that one race can not be a constant
menace to the other, but
both help in the advance
ment of American interests? Its
solution rests with the Southern
people; the census representation
proposition is thrown out as one
remedy. In many states its effec-
tiveness is without question. In
Texas the whites would control 232
counties of 245, Arkansas 60 out of
IS. in Kentucky all, in Tennessee
SO of SO, in Maryland 90 out of "a, in
West Virginia all. There are only
three states in which the majority
of population is nof in favor of the
whites, Mississippi, Louisiana and
South Carolina. Mississippi has
adopted an educational qualifica-
ton, in Louisiana the race division
is nearly equal, so that South Car
DINA is the only state where DOM
ination of the ignorant class could
exist.
The census representation solu-
ton is the growth of the reform
movement in the Republican par
ty, generally designated as the
div White" movement in Texas.
The movement originated in Hous-
ton in 1888, and has since spread
over the southern states and is
now before the National organiza-
tion of that party.
All parties should inaugurate
some new policies on this question,
some plan whereby the people can
divide on other issues add secure
reforms, preserve the purity of the
ballot, and have the best govern
ment. If the Census" plan will
settle the race question, put the
most intelligent and capable men
in control of political machinery
and afford an opportunity to
check corruption and discipline
the 'boodlers," as is claimed for it,
the plan should have considera-
ton. The race question out Of
politics would cause a great adj
vance in the progress and material
development of the Southern
States. The populist party will
doubtless make some provision
for the negro. Now in some Sec
tions they participate in populist
primaries, in others they hold
separate meetings and in still
other sections tho negro is eXclud-
ed. Some uniform method will be-
come necessary.
The purpose of this article is to
direct attention to a common
standpoint for all parties. We
hear of Utopian emigration and
impractical colonization schemes.
What is needed is to adopt pOliti-
cal organization to the material
conditions and not change mater
ial conditions to fit present politi-
cal organizations. The two great
political parties have stood at OPP
posite extremes on this question
for years. The refOrmers stand on
a middle ground. If popular senti-
ment sustains them, as now APP
pears to be the case, the populists
will doubtless join them in adopt
ing the same policy. All that
would be necessary would be for
the Democratic and Republi, an
parties to recede from their X
,Nncifinn anI with tho I)pTe o.