The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1898-10-09
VIEWS ON TOPICS
OF THE PRESENT

American self-government in the union of
taxing power and the sword under one
head. We are wont nowadays to consider
General Joseph Wheeler. Some weeks ago
when war was imminent we saw him give
a vote for the Dingley war tax bill before
the house where he sat. No other demo-
crat from the south and only three from
the north voted for it. Whether this vote
of our hero's was essential to placing in the
field the lone volunteer from the south who
got there the man who cast the vote, not
only got there but is there to stay. Indeed,
so far as the Eighth Alabama district is
concerned congress has abdicated and
placed itself under the commander-in-chief
of the army and navy after voting to him
all the public money it was supposed he
could spend on war. This condition of af-
fairs, so far as the Eighth Alabama dis
trict possesses powers or rights in the
premises, is to prevail indefinitely. Repre-
sentative Wheeler retains the privilege of
voting the war budget to support his sword
most CALAMITY worn, yet most ambitiousy.
There is another example.
General Fitzhugh Lee, in command of
corps as large as Washington commanded
himself a candidate for the senate where
he will sit as judge upon treaties touch
ing the wars that overflow with glory to
him. We are thus turning the mirror upon
ourselves. There comes General Merritt,
fresh from the Philippines, bearing his
doubt whether the Filipino lawyers, doc
tors, merchants, soldiers who inhabit that
far-away land, will not need our army and
navy to compel them to hold themselves
within the lines of "self-government."
Filipino self-government is not necessarily
yet understood upon it's merits by General
Merritt 1t may be good thing.
There is self-consituent missionary of
education" as he phrases himself, man
from Boston, A. D. Mayo, LED, who la
bors these many years to alleviate ignor-
ance in the whole south. He has given
public talks at Birmingham and elsewhere
in Alabama. Among his Illustrations of an
alleged progress of the negro race since the
local way of adjustment to The whites was
changed for the american" way, is the
following: Dr. Mayo konws of some twen-
ty young negro women, teachers of public
schools, in the city of Washington, who
nave the IHdllueIS VI tHS DeSl SoSicty'
cisely but those teachers have not African
manners at all. Every southern man. now
old as 40 years. remembers that the
ladies negro maids of his childhood dupli-
Gated the manners of their mistress with
unvarying success. They had the manners
of the best society. So that success in
manners is not a post-bellum negro female
attainment. I am not inclined to tritle with
DR.. Mayo's mare's-nests. The other day
young, buxom Scotch woman, of the re-
spectacle peasant class, arrived at New
York to fulfill a matrimonial engagement
with a negro man of America. Terrence "
Powderly, of Pennsylvania, immigration
commissioner, interfered and, If l am not
mistaken, used such argument of race
prejudice as induced the young woman to
return, or at least to delay her marriage.
Mayo and Powderly are face to face with
the final decision of the question of race
amalgamation. Powderly well konws that
the Scotch woman has the legal right TO
marry negro In many states of America
and that this legal right was secured
through agitation by Mayo and others
along race lines. The race question, in
wolves the red man in America, is settled
by the somewhat gradual yet inevitable de-
struction of the race. Senator Morgan, in
a beautiful flight of fancy, said in the last
session of congress that he longed to take
a red senator by the hand from the new
state of ''Indianola,' now Indian Territory,
and he thought this magnificent govern
ment" would not deny to him that felicity
great while longer.
In the Hawaii Islands the 100000 Polynes-
ian Indians found there, in 1920, by the New
England missionaries have dwinded to
$4,000, as sugar plantations continue to open
under white ownership There is not a
white man on any sugar plantation in the
whole group, except the owner. Japanese
and Chinese contract labor alone is en-
ployed For awhile white bookkeepers had
places on the plantations at s1OO to S125 per
month. Now Japanese bookkeepers are
there at $40 to $50 per month. Japanese
common labor, under three years contract,
stands at 20 to so cents a day with heavy
fines and Imprisonment as penalty for
breach of contract, such as moving too
slowly at work or quitting the field without
leave. What is to be done with the race
question in the Territory of Hawaii? In
Cuba, Campos and Maceo were born of
mothers first cousin to each other both half
red Indian and half black African. Campos
and Maceo each had Spanish father. Men
of their individual character are hard to
discriminate against in public life. What
is to be done with the race question in Cuba
where it has already settled itself in favor
of amalagamation? Our conquest of dark
races does not leave us on the same plane
as the British who conquer India and
Africa in our relations to the dark people
conquered. The British provinces are gov
erned from London by unchallenged white
supremacy there. Our conquests develop
new and untried race problems peculiar to
us. If our self-government is sufficient to
suppress ambitious politicians, our race
problems may be wisely solved. Perhaps
it is not too early now to begin to separate
the army from congress. The separation
must take place ultimately If we add 100
new members to the house and forty to six