Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-06-05
Hard Lesson Soon Forgotten.

l
1t seems really too had that there are in
South Carolina SO many dull scholars with
are found those very prominent in shaping
the destiny of the state. 1t is difficult to
understand how the intelligent people of
that state could have learned from the
rebellion that slavery was their weakness
and have forgotten the lesson SO early.
Yet if we may judge from the statements
of those high in influence they, some of
them at least, have no conception of the
everlasting truth that the strength of a
| community is affected by its weakest part
To succeed in raising themselves above
the civilization of feudalism the spirit of
feudalism must be relegated Yet it appears
that it hasn't been anu what is worse the
confession Is made rather with pride
than with shame The Charleston News
and Courier" Is ia very influential newspa-
per in South Carolina, in many respects the
most influential and though 1t has not for
gotten or forgiven the results of the Rebel
lion it has not borne in mind that sew
eral years ago there was added to the con-
stitution of the United States the follow
ing section:
"The right of citizens of the United
abridged by the United States. or by any
state, on account of race, color, or pre-
vious condition of servitude.'
The lesson that accompanied that change
was one which South Carolina learned in
the keenest anguish and at overwhelm-
ing sacrifice. 1t is indeed difficult to
understand how her chief newspaper
thirty years later can advocate the
doctrine that brought upon that fair state
this her direst penalty. 1t does, however,
and with frankness that Is brutal and
an avowed honesty that is astounding.
1t accepts as it's premise that the colored
voters of the state are to be disfranchised
ANY, way and proceeds to argue from that,
as the only honest way, their disfra nchise-
ment boldly by state constitution which
shall reduce the representation of tho state
in Congress in proportion to the dis
reimbursement. 1t says: 1.-The two or
three extra congressman we elect under
existing conditions are not worth to the
state what they cost in the Generalization
of the white people of the state-to say
nothing OF the black people. The reduc-
ton in the number of our congressman
will not hurt us in national politics. 1t
will help us rather because the fact that
we elect more than we are entitled to on
the basis of our effective voting population
Is recognized source of weakness to us
and Of strength to our political ADVERSE
ries. We can far better afford to give up
the extra ones than to hold on to Them
We have no right to hold on to them in
fact, while we refuse to give the negroes
of the state full voting privileges.
Now while there has not been shadow
of doubt that during the years following
the war South Carolina has enjoyed a re-
presentation in Congress based upon
voters who were not allowed to vote, yet
not until now has it been boldly declared
that the wrong was right that the con-
stitution of the United States was not to
be observed, in short that it was time to
fight the war of secession over again. For
hnt ole ho NJ odu hc
the News and Courier lead to? 1t may
have been thought that silent acauies-
cence In the Acknowledgement of the blacks
could be obtained by Offering to forego
few representatives in Congress. If so the
editor of that sheet has a very feeble con-
ception of the spirit of the country at
large. There has been charity for the
whites In some of their conflicts with the
blacks, there has been silence at times re-
specting the disfranchisement of the
colored voter, not because the act was not
considered an outrage but because there
was hope that in time the white people
would see that their course was under
mining their civilization and their fabric
of government and that in time they
would meet the problem In q spirit of
fairness and endeavor to solve it. just
this has come true in the case of some of
tho staunchest southern men. Evidently
is it not true of the spirit which animates
the Charleston News and Courier, whose
shameless proposition demonstrates that
it has learned nothing concerning the prin-
ciples of good government since 1861.
MAINE GOSSIP.
Almost At Hand.
Commencement season is at hand