The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-11-13
SUNDAY. NOVEMBER 49, 1898.
NO INTERFERENCE. MIR. PREsI-
DENT.

In the old. black. hateful days OF re-
construction, whenever a carpet Dagger
or a scallawag in the South met with
the rough edge of an outraged peoples
wrath. he always ran up to Washington
TO pour out his grdefs in the ear of the
Great Father, as all of them regarded
the President of the United States.
Then the Southern people were harmed
by judgments and DEGREES and OayoneIs
and the thing went on until the humane
peopIe of the nation rose up and said the
Southern people should no longer be tor
tured and they were given control OF
their own affairs The South has enjoy
ed peace ever since until the illJudged
alliances between Populists, Republicans
and negroes brought negro rule back upon
some parts of the South and threatened
II 10 others This state Of affairs has re-
suited in what all rejecting men should
have known was inevitable. and we have
reen the recent disorders in some of the
Southern States.
1t now goes out from Washington that
the man Tolbert, Of South Carolina, who
is the victim of one of these race riots,
has HE'D him off to the Great Father to
pray for protection and revenge after
the fashion OF the old carpet-bagger
days. That is of small moment, but the
announcement AIDES that Mr.. Mckinley
has been giving him most interested at
sention and that he has called upon his
Attorney General TO advise him as TO
what steps the United States govern
ment can take In the premises. This Is
a matter Of very great moment, and 1t
becomes the whole country TO give 1t the
most earnest and serious attention.
We cannot believe that Mr.. Mckinley
is really going to make any move in this
matter at all. He has nothing what
ever 10 do with 1t and the United States
government has no right to interfere In
any way whatever unless the Governor
OF the State or the Legislature requests
its interference upon the ground that
there are domestic disorders that the
state authorities are unable TO cope with.
There is no parallel between these cases
far as Federal Intervention IS concerned.
There have been most serious local disor-
ders recently In North Carolina and South
Carolina. but they differ in no respect in
character from the recent disturbance in
Illinois and no one ever thought for d
moment Of the Federal authority inter-
vening there to control the situation.
These domestic troubles are very unfort-
unate--eyen dreadful. But they are like
other local troubles. to be dealt with,
under the principles OF our institutions.
by the local authorities only.
or course the race issue In the South is
at the bottom OF these troubles and many
persons are disposed TO think that this
fact cifferentiates them from other dis
turbances But II does not. The negro
must fight out his battles with the white
men in the South with his own resources.
II he Is the stronger race and can rule,
then he will rule. II he is the weaker
race and Is unable TO maintain himself
In the contest for supremacy with the
white race, then he must submit to white
rule But whether he is the weaker or
the stronger. the contest must be settled
according to the strength OF the respec-
tive contestants and not by assistance 10
ono or the other from the outside Federal
government. That has nothing whatever
70 do with the case. This is the very
corner stone upon which our Federal gov
eminent OF States and Federal Union
rests.
The Times regrets the terrible drama
that has recently been enacted as deeply
- any one can 1t Is not regret that
there has been a tragedy. but that there
should have been necessity for a trag-
sdy.
The Times has been saying for years
that Il was . degradation to w 10 rule the
negro by stufing ballot boxes. but that
the white people could not submit to
negro rule and wherever the exigency
arose Il would b duty Of the white people
20 control the negro by force What has
been done In North Carolina does not
sux2riss US and deeply ~ We depl0Ee ths