The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1898-12-12
Northern and Southern Views Of
the Question.
President HarriSon'S Remark Seek
ing the truth Ag'tation-COiOr-
ed Soldiers.

most unfortunate effects Of race dis
turDances Ike those which have re-
Gently tanen place in the Carolinas is
the friction developed between North
and South by their discussion. There
are a Northern view and a Southern
view of The race question, and as Meth
er side understands the other, the mo-
ment the radical newspapers and pub
lie men on each side begin to argue
the matter, exhibitions Of bad temper
inevitably follow.
The difference in the two views, so
far as politics go, relates to white rule
as distinguished from majority rule.
The Southerner regards white suprem
acy as the desideratum paramount; the
Northerner declares with equal en-
phasis that majority rule is the corner
stone of republican institutions. There
was a bit of repartee in the words
which passed between President Har-
riSOn, on his celebrated swing around
the Cree" and the Mayor OF one OF
| the Southern cities, possibly Memphis.
The Mayor, in speech of introduction,
Srtlu GudL JlllS WIS d W litS iiieiil gov
eminent, and would always remain
one. The President, evidently fresh
from a contemplation of the federal
elections bill, suggested in his re-
Spouse that this was a government by
ma jority, and would always remain so.
The question resolves itself into this:
Which is the better, white supremacy
or majority rule? In many parts of
the South the two cannot go together,
and in nearly all parts of the South
they are largely antagonistic. The
white race believes in white suprem-
acy. This may not be an argument for
it's Justice, but it is the statement Of
an incontrOvertible fact. Northern
people who go to live in the South soon
reach the same conclusion as their
neighbors. Hence there is strictly no
Southern view, except that generally
held by people from all quarters when
they come into actual daily contact
with the negro race. The communica-
tions which Northern people in the
South are now writing to their home
newspapers. upholding the Southern
attitude, are an evidence of this.
In one particular, however, these let
tiers are often misleading. They ask
how Northern communities would like
lation owning less than five per cent
of the property, few of whom are able
to read, and who are generally thrift
less and untidy. This comparison is
more apt to miSlead than to explain.
Communities North or SCUM are not
greatly disturbed by having poor and
improvident people in the jury boxes,
on the police force, or even as alder
men and mayors. If there were a dis
tinct stratum Of white people as far
below the rest of the whites in their
general average of thrift and intelli-
gence as are the negroes, there would
be no feeling against such a class like
that which prevails in regard to the
African. There is an indescribable
something called race prejudice, as old
as mankind and as wide as the world.
White men object to having negro
jurors, policemen, pOstmasters, magis-
trates, not because the negro is poorer,
less intelligent, or less capable, but be-
cause he belongs to another race,
which has characteristics and i'm
pulses as different from those of the
whites as one, species of animals is
distinct from another The negro is
not white man BACKED up. The diff
ferenceS between the races are more
than skin deep.
One of the most striking evidences
of this race feeling has been furnished
by some Of the negroes themselves. In
the Howard University of this city
there is an intelligent and highly ed
ucated colored man named Kelly Mil
Ter. He belongs to that small minor
ity Of his zee of whom Booker T.
Washington is the best known illus
tratiOn of genuinely strong men. No
Southerner denies that there are such
negroes; he merely realizes better than
the Northerner what a small percent
age of the whole race they constitute.
Mr.. Miller recommends the negro to
withdraw from those activities the ex-
ercise of which so grievously Offends
the white race.
rs it not wisdom on the part of the
negro he asks, ito refrain from agi-
tating those issues which infiGme the
mind of the white race against HIM
and retard his progress along moral,
mental and material lines? The negro
should generally accept self-effacement
as controlling political factor, even
in those communities where his nu-
meric3l preponderance confers upon
him the abstract right. To state the
truth mildly, the negro is not yet quail
flied to exercise political control in
state, town. or county, according &c the
standards Of Western civilization. A
knowledge of this truth On the part of
the colored race is essential to its true
development along those substantial
lines which count for progress. Wher-
ever the negro has attempted to con-
troll the political machine, the result
has always rebOunded to his detri-
ment. The Reconstruction regime in
the South worked lasting injury TO the
colored race. The minds of the young
were Initiated by looking with admtra-
| ton upon corruption in high places.
AnimOSitieS were engendered VII Oh
will embarrass the progress Of the
race for generations to come. The al
legged quadrennial trade in negro dele