Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1898-11-03
To Kill Negroes with Calling Guns.

Probably the most abject demagogue
and all round political turnkey in gov
ernor's seat in any State in the Union
is that man Tanner of Illinois. TIL,
Virden affair where Southern negroes
were killed by white miners, has pu
him into frenzy, and developed the
most remarkable case of ignorance an(
biatherskiting, to say nothing CT preju
dice, and inhumanity which has attach
ed our attention.
81 reiterate that | will not tolerate
this wholesale importation Of foreigner
into Illinois, and if [ hear that mob il
to be brought into this State, such al
was taken into Virden, care not OF
what railroad it comes OF from whom,
will meet it at the State line and shoot
it to pieces with Gatling guns.n
So declared Governor Tanner in q
speech Wednesday night at Madison
ILL.,, before an audience of zoe. which
was devoted to a defence of his courf c
in the recent mine riot. The Governor
reviewed the causes leading'up to the
rioting, blaming the operators for their
action toward the strikers, and then,
revertipg to his acts. said.
when the United States government
found it necessary and deemed it Just
to forbid the importation of foreign
labor into this country. I felt that
was fully justified in the course | took
at Virden. That trouble never would
have occurred if the negroes had not
been brought here to take the place of
white men.
1.-The importation were representa-
tives of the scum of the country, ex-
cOnvicts and worthless characters gen.
orally, and the State of Illinois should
not be made dumping ground for such
reprobates. l do not propose TO allow
the operators to bring these people here.
and l took what considered and still
consider the proper means to prevent
it.''
In this country the negro has never
been a foreigner" He was made a citi-
zen by a power known as the sword, he
was placed in that exalted station, it is
said, by virtue in part of the efforts of
Gov. Tanner himself HE was not made
the equal of his white brother. but was
made better and lifted higher in
national esteem; and of late be has been
the favorite with the administration il
filling official positions. No one dared
ever before to call this ward of the ma
ton, for whom the devoted nation has
shed the blood of a million men, and
expended treasures incalculable, that he
might befree. and a citizen, foreigner.
And in the National Capital today so
dear has been this thought, and so tent
on making the negro better than the
white people, no matter what the con-
troyersy the negro is shown the advan-
tage. He is there far above any white
people. But in Illinois this condition
just now seems different. There they
are foreigners and into that State they
cannot go If they 60 there to work They |
are still admitted as tourists, and WISH |
tors to Chicago, but if they 60 to work |
taking their families, they and their
women and children are fired into by a |
mob and killed; and now the governor
of the State affirms that whether the /
miners Or others succeed in killing them
all or not, that he, the governor. will
stand at the States border and witt,
gatling guns NOW them down if they
lare to enter. Why? because the
United States had declared against for
eign labor, and thus may the great in
dependent states rights State of Iilinoisl
10 the same and declare the best citi
ems of the country, who are the
negroes, shall not enter there. What L
yer train they come in on. says Gov.
Tanner, u will meet it at the State
Inc, and shootit to pieces with gatling