Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-05-13

able for the cause OF progress meets with
the approval. We refer to the decision of
the court that the dispensary law is I'M
constitutional The abstract question OF
constitutionaIity aside. good many peo-
pie would not care il the Tillman dispen-
sary law were maintained The authori-
ties declare that they shall not accept the
verdict until the highest court has passed
upon it but there is practically no doubt
but what the decision Of circuit Judge
Simonton will he sustained by the su-
preme court.
The decision of Judge Golf relative to
the constitutionality of the registration
act will probably be carried to the SUI
preme court and it is believed must be
sustained by that body. There are,
however, technical questions affecting this
decision that tend to make prediction OF
the action Of supreme court upon it more
uncertain than is the case with the in
junction against carrying out the provi-
sions Of the dispensary law. There is no
doubt whatever that the purpose OF this
convention is to have new constitution
adopted by the state when it is approved
by 65, 900 white voters regardless OF all
the other voters, white or colored. Further
more this constitution 1t is believed by its
advocates will effectually disfranchise the
greater part Of the colured voters Of that
state. In spirit it Is contrary to the
provisions OF the 10Th amendment but
whether the attempt to infiict 1t upon
the people can be brought under the pro
visions Of that amendment remains to be
seen. The injunction granted by Judge
Golf is based on the ground that the state
registration law of 1882 and under which
this constitutional convention was to
| that the popular vote on the holding Of
the convention is vitiated by fraud, that
there has been and is conspiracy to wrong
fully deprive black citizens of suffrage
rights. He styled the statement made by
the complainant as appalling and made
some sensible talk that 1t will be well for
the hot headed leaders to calmly consider.
One cannot wish to see South Carolina
subjected to negro domination under ex-
listing conditions, although to some of the
whites 1t would seem scarcely less objec-
tionable than that of the Tillmanites.
And in this connection the remarks of
prominent colored men to the effect that
they recognize that intelligence and
wealth must rule and are willing to abide
! by those conditions are interesting and
| timely. But they do protest most forcibly
against being disfranchised and deprived
of all chance to improve their condition
and standing in the community. 1t is
| fortunate also that there are strong men
| among the whites, and amo ng the men
| who fought for the Confederacy and are
| Democrats of life long allegiance who
not only see that the trend of affairs is
ruinous to the state but most uni ust.
One of these is Capt. Dargan, editor of
the Sumter Freeman, who not only has
had the courage to attend conference OF
colored clergymen but to speak truths
eventually listen to. On the question of
negro suffrage he declares that many peo-
pie in that state have no more sense than
frightened hares. Their cry is 1--WE will
keep them down" The results of this
spirit he portrayed in this vigorous Ian
guage
"That is why tho South had nothing
before the war but the negro and the
art of keeping him down. The very arms
with which we fought the North had to
be gotten from the North. Where do
your powerful steam engines on land and
sea come from today? From the land of
freedom. Your household furniture, your
plantation tools. your very clothing, your
books in your schoolrooms, the Bibles in
your churches, the songs that you sing
and the wires over which our talk?
From the free North, not the enslaved
South. And this awful destitution Is the
just penalty we have paid for the privilege
of holding tho negro down, and yet that
wretched News and Courier, claiming to
be the leading paper of South Carolina,
is still crying out that we must give up
conscience and freedom of thought and
speech and all else that makes a great and
good people, in order that we may con-
tinue to hold the negro down. Away
with such silly talk and unworthy sug-
gestions. X But we are losing more
than money by our semi savage policy
toward the negro and his Northern friends.
| For we are destroying our own capacities
for free thought and manly utterance
Not only keeping out manhood. but driv-
| ing out what little Is born within our
borders. Many n young man says to me
in secret, You are right, Dargan, and
there Is no answering you. Yet 1t
| would scare one of their little hearts out
of them to speak such sentiments above a
| whisper They are afraid somebody will
frown at them and tell them they are 60
| ing In with the 'niggers.'