The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-11-12
THE WILMINGTON OUTRAGE.

Taking the Democratic version of the
troubles at Wilmington, N. c., there does
not appear to be any justification for the
extreme measures which the Democrats
have adopted. Thus far few general specif-
cations have been made to sustain any
charge sufficiently serious to resort to revo-
lutionary methods. The chief complaint
seems to have been that the negroes held
many of the offices. If these men have be-
haved badly while in Office, increasing taxes
and resorting to corrupt methods, the
charges have been very vague. That
negroes have offices that white men desire
and which white men believe they have a
right to seems to be the chief cause for
overturning local government constitu-
tionally established. The colored people
were not threatening at the outset; in fact,
they have offered little opposition to the
aggressive acts of the whites, who have re-
sorted to every sort of intimidation and
finally to violence. 1t is not probable that
there would have been any trouble what
ever if the negroes had not sought and OBJ
tanned Office. Doubtless, following the ex-
considered in the selection of colored men
for candidates, and office, not good govern
ment, has possibly been the only aim in
Wilmington politics.
The cause of all this difficulty in the
South is that the Democratic leaders in
that section will not permit the actual ex-
istence of more than one party. If they
would tho coIored vota would no divided
in localities where it is large. In Alabama,
for instance, there was a strong party in
opposition to the Democratic organization
which had majorities in many white coun-
ties. while the Democratic organization
voted the names of colored men in the
black districts. but Democratic leaders
could not abide such d vigorous opponent,
control of a central commission composed
of Democrats. Since that time, whether
there is voting or not, the machine returns
a Democratic majority. In Kentucky the
Republican party has twice carried the
State, but when the Democratic leaders got
the last Legislature law was enacted like
that in Alabama
In South Carolina, Mississippi and Louis
lana the colored voter has been dsfran-
chised. 1t does not appear thus far that
better government has been secured. There
can be no worse condition of affairs than
exists in South Carolina at the present
time Life is not secure, and there is no
government where that is the case. Both
South Carolina and Mississippi are States
in which there is no growth. There will
neither be prosperity nor good government
so long as a large part of those who are
of the voting age are disfranchised, because
Acknowledgement means the denial of JUS
tice to the disfranchised in the courts.
Returning to the outrage in Wilmington,
it may be said that there was no plausible
excuse for the revolution of Thursday. The
white leaders had only to wait till March
to come into power in the city government
Waiting so brief a period would not have
brought disaster There was no occasion
for the destruction OF the printing office be-
longing to colored men. What the editor
printed in regard to whites was probably
no worse than is printed in the papers of
whites every day about colored people. In
the end the aggressors will suffer. As for
the colored people, they viii not heed the
advice Of their greatest man In the coun-
try. Booker Washington, by keeping out OF