The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-11-18
THE RACE QUESTION SOUTH.

a washington dlSpatch says the United
States district attorney for South Carolina
has been instructed to investigate the cir
cumstances under which ]. w. Tolbert, as
sistant postmaster at Mccormick, S. c., was
recently compelled by the threats of an
armed mob to abandon his Office and home.
Tolbert himself makes statement to the
effect that he is a native of South Carolina,
has lived there all his life, and is large
property owner and taxpayer in Abbeville
county. His wife is postmaster at McCor-
mick and he is her assistant, no explana-
ton being offered of this singular relation.
He says: II have committed no crime
against the laws Of my country, and have
to any man or set of men save that 1 am
member of the Republican party and be-
lieve in the doctrines of that party" This
may be strictly true, though the country
has learned that there is a class of white
Republican politicians in the South whose
statements cannot always be depended upon.
A disreputable politician and scheming DEM
agogue is none the better for being white
man and Republican, nor does the fact that
respectable. The Journal does not say that
Mr.. Tolbert is disreputable politician and
schening demagogue but the chances are
about even that he is. AS assistant post
master he has no special claim to the pro-
lection of the general government The gov
eminent deals with postmasters not with
assistant postmasters. Tolbert's wife is post
4
been driven away or the office destroyed
the government could prosecute the Offend
ers and punish the community by abolish
ing the office. What it can do in the present
case is not quite clear. AS a citizen of South
Carolina Mr.. Tolbert is undoubtedly entitled
to the protection of the local laws and
authorities, but the national government
cannot step in to enforce local laws or pun
ish rioters except on the request of the Gov
ernor of the State, unless some federal law
is violated. The Tolbert family seems to be
active in politics. One of them is collector
of customs at Charleston, S. c., another was
recently candidate for Congress, and a
third is assistant postmaster at Mccormick.
AS nearly all the Republicans in South Car
berts are organizers and leaders of the col
ored men, and this accounts for the hostility
of the Democrats. This case must not be
COMPOUNDED with the recent outbreak at
Wilmington, N. c., though the underlying
cause is the same in both cases, namely,
hostility to negro supremacy and Demo-
cratic prescription of Republicans, either
white or black In New Hanover county,
North Carolina, where Wilmington is
located, out of forty magistrates thirty-six
were negroes, as were most of the other Of
fcials, executive and judicial, in the county
and CITY, Such a condition in a community
where it is said the whites pay nine-tenths
of the taxes could hardly fail to produce
irritation and eventually lead to trouble.
The question is, and it is a most serious
one, how can such outbreaks and acts of
violence be prevented? To use an over
worked phrase, it is a condition that con-
fronts US, not a theory. Assuming that man
hood suffrage and negro suffrage are funda-
mentally right in principle as they undoubt-
eddy are, the question is how can it be made
to work successfully and satisfactorily in
Southern communities where negroes are in
a numerical majority. Will the whites in
those communities, who own most of the
property and pay most of the taxes, ever
submit permanently and quietly to what
they call negro domination? The solution Of
this question does not lie in force bills or
bayonets The day for such measures has
passed They never did furnish a satisfac-
tory or efficient remedy, and it would be
worse than folly to go back to them. The
solution of the question must be found in
some other direction, and from present APP
pearances it will not be found very soon.
The Journal believes it will come through
the slow process of education among both
whites and negroes, and the division of the
colored vote. AS long as the race line and
the color line continue to be the political
line in the South so long will the whites
continue to act together solidly against what
they call negro domination, and political
disturbances and occasional outbreaks will
occur The remedy lies in the better and
broader education of both races the division
of the colored vote and the supplying of
better class of whites as Republican lead
ers. This condition will come eventually, but
it will take time. 1t may be encouraged by
legislation, but it cannot be forced.