The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-10-04
WILL LET THE NEGROES VOTE.
Mayor Bowie Explains the Situation
In Southern Louisiana.
Kansas Civ Star.

Mayor 6. NJ. Bowie. of Whitecastle, south
Louisiana. is at the Coates to-day. He is
the only member of the famous Bowie
family now living in Louisiana. The old
Bowie homestead is within ten miles of
Whitecastle. The mansion is now in ruins.
Mayor Bowie. when a young man. resem-
bled the redoubtable Col. Jim Bowie, who
carried his Bowie knife in his neck
band, so closely that in Texas and Louisi-
ana he was frequently accosted as Mr..
Bowie by strangers who had never seen
him before.
and historic Southern family of the ro-
mantle days of the Bowie knife" told a
story that sounds strange to Northern ears.
has as much chance to carry Louisiana
as Mr.. Bryan. The wealthiest and most
ern. 1t is overwhelmingly for Mckinley.
North Louisiana is equally redhot for
Bryan and free coinage
Are you a Republican, Mr.. Bowie?'
Il am he replied. Along with thou
sands of Democrats in south Louisiana, 1
consider that the old Republican and Dem
9eratic party lines dave been wiped out.
down Mt there in Ho a. 20. i I'll ~ meeting: iriehas
There is no Republican party and no
Democratic party Our interests and sym
pathies are with the organization that is
now called the Republican party. We are
Republicans
Mayor Bowie became frank. 1T is our
bread and butter" he said. I'VE are pro-
tectionists, our prosperity is bound up with
protection, and we have to be Republicans
vi WIZ 6hitiS O0t
How about the negro voter
The Mayors eyes twinkled.
silver district, they will vote, but their
votes won't be counted In the south they
will vote. and you can bet upon it every
vote viii be counted. l have four hundred
men working for me in my cypress lum-
Der mills; Most of them are negroes.
Il notified them some time ago" added
the Mayor, significantly, that / would he
a jddge of election.
There's no use talking Mayor Bowie
continued '"fha Snlfh ic ta kiar n n no - TO-
negro problem in. the same way as the
North would under the same circum-
judges and sheriffs and county officers. If
their votes We're allowed to be counted
them. l would ght rather than have our
negroes taken from US. In my mil Is they
are my best workmen. The negro is a
specialist. just like the mule. If he is bro
beat a white man doing it. They work
hard. are strong as mules. and. if firmly
they are all employed. They earn s1.25 a
day, Ia; and Wheen you meet one on the road
when a negro gets bad there is no use
locking him up. He takes it as a Joke.
dose of blacksnake whip he turns over a
new leaf and becomes a good citizen.
"A great and serious problem said
called down there. The Dagoes' are ST.
cilians. They are coming TO Louisiana in
swarrns- Clannish and utterly without any
comprehension of law and order. they COM
nit crimes and then swear to alibis in
focks, so that no one can be legally con-
victed. In cases where one Dago' shoots
another. the dying man will claim that he
did il himself accidentally. What can We
do? Our young men are beginning to sim
ply lynch them right and left. Interna-
iional complications will result. but we
can't help it.
1--WE have settled the negro problem-our
negroes are now Industrious and law-abid-
ing-but we can do nothing with these
Malta fellows except lynch them. Do they
vote? Well, they vote as many times as
you will let them. They nave a mania for
voting.
However. that does not trouble US down
In south Louisiana"