The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-12-28
THE PRESIDENT PUZZLED.
The Race Question in the south has
Put Him in a Quandary.

The Washington correspondent OF the
| Boston Evening TraI script under da'e VI
| December 2lth writes;
President Mckinley Is IN quduudiS
! over the Southern question. Ihose per
sons who share his closest confidence say
that his eyes are pretty Wen opcHNu "
the real dangers which the presence VI q
large cofored vote subjects the states ol
the extreme South They say that res
ident Mckinley is no impractical VISION
ary. and that ne IS as fully convinced ol
the necessity Of white supremacy a. o.
the men who have received ana entertain
I'd him in Montgomery ana Savannah
during the last fortnight. Certainly MP
official acts and public addresses pear ou1
this view IL has for sometime pteh ap-
parent. whatever might be the lesal Svlu-
plicatious ia the way OF dolhs any INNS
for the Wilmington, y. t., neBIoSa' 40
well as those who suffered IN llilAola'
that the administration dld NOT propose
10 bestir itself very much in their Dehdli.
Mr. TOlbert and others I'm the SCUM WHO
have espOused the cause OF the negro
politically speaking, nave long Deeh coz
vlufod that the President intended 70 let
them shift for themselves. ihey hhoW
he does not intend 10 recommend a ftu-
eral elections bill. or in any way 10 sun
up matters by radical leglslatioh' OF ~
cutfve interference from Washington. MI
NfrKfulev's speeches 10 the negroes IN inc
south may bee searched in vain Tor any
thing that might De construed as auFl'e
10 them 20 insist upon an eQuahty OF
POLITICAL rights At Booker Washington
institute al Tuskegee. the President gave
the best equipped negro youth OF lhe
south good advice on the subject or edu-
cation and character-DuilQlng, Dut ne
made no reference 10 "a run ballot aug IL
FAIR count" the stock phrases OF Garner
years The negro agitators throubh9u.
the country appear 10 have comprehended
those events as well as the significance
OF the Presidents speeches. lheE arc
accordingly holding indignation meetings.
and declaring that the President mas
leone hack on them They think they
are now left TO the mercy OF their enc
niles. 4.
here lie might build up a white Re
nuhlicau party i'm the South. The time
f. entirely ripe for f. ON the issues o.
protection and sound money halt OF the
states Of that section would DE very cloSe'
could those questions once zoe lileu liie
uendent Of the veNltiOus race question |
President Mckinley would Ike 10 DE the |
man 10 put the Republican party upon
sound basis for success IN the Soulh |
but he more than any OF ms predecessors !
is indebted 90 the Old ring Tor 'ne 9eie-
rates from the South which helped 20 |
nominate him. Mr. Hanna dealings |
with the negro leaders are well known. |
and zoo clear 10 be misunderstood. Inc
Sf Louis conventions under the domin- /
ance 81 Mr. Hanna refuses 10 recognize |
ed the seats belonging 70 the Southern
states 10 representatives Of some OF the
most venal Of tho negro organizations or
that section This made Mr.. Mcklnleys
i'm 1896 assured long IN ad-
vance Of the balloting and IL could
doubtless be as safely relied upon Tor the
next convention. But President Mchin-
lev knows as well as any man IN me
that there never VIII be NepuD-
riror Marty I'm the South until self-re-
snecting white men can 90 into IL. as a
r-at,er Of conviction. and this they viii
never Do so long as Republicanism ana
negro rule I'm local anurs are tdeuttca- |
TIL president would Ike 10 transform
the Republican party Of tho South 70 a
new basis but what would become Of MS
alliance with the old order2 He does not
need those alliances for the next conNeh-
Ion &c no will doubtless be nominated |
~, acclamaticn. but he cannot wholly Tor
get the men who carried him safely over
the bridge IN 1873. LlNCOl@N'