The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-08-12
SUNDAY. AUGUST u, 1900.
SENATOR CHANDLER ON CoNDI-
TIoNs IN THE SOUTH.

Mr.. William z. Chnndler, United states
Senator from New Hampshire, has let
ter ii, the New York Sun of Friday last
discussing very elahorately the political
aspects of the negro problem. Mr.. Chand-
Ter is one OF the extreme radical Republic
cans and Souttl-haters, and though he
saws In his letter that he has now got 10
q point where he can discuss this question
without feeling, the letter itself will not
carry very strong conviction that II Is
dictate of pure reason alone. What Mir
Chandler proposes may be very well tinas-
.ned from the following sentence III his
letter, part of his remarks upon the pro-
position that the South deprives the negro
of his vote by fraud and force, but yet has
fought the surrender OF congressman
based upon his vote. He says: Shall we
condone and ratify this great crime by
reducing representation under the -Four
teenth Amendment? We have no right
thus to abandon the Fifteenth Amend
ment and become a party to its unitica-
ton We are confronted by an imperative
duty, the enforcement OF the Fifteenth
Amendment by an act Of Congress. Shaii
we oerforrn the duty or shall We shrink
from il like towards? If we do retribu-
ton VIII some tine reach both sectlons
alike Then, in answer to the su:ges-
ton that the way out Of the difficulty
might be the repeal Of the FIFTEENTH
Amendment, he says: The meritorious
objection is that We shall be reducing ten
millions of coored citizens from state
of political equality to the condition OF
subject rDce.''
1t is easy to see from these extracts that
nlr. William E. Chandler is in favor of
the enactment by Congress of a force bill
by which the United States authorities
Will undertake 10 place the negroes in
control OF the whites III those localities
where the negroes are in Il majority by
prosecutions and prosecutions of our
white people wherever negro control in
those communities is prevented. We 90
not believe that Mr.. Chandler Will ever
get any considerable following of Northern
people in this undertaking. Conditions are
bad enough here now, but they would be
a million times worse if anything of that
sort were attempted.
Mr. Mckinley has not noted towards the
South as wisely as wise man would
have done, but his course upon the Whole
has been conservative and free from such
action as the Southern people could predi-
cate bitterness and malignity Of He hns
people TO pu; behind them the bitter MEM
Dries that Republican persecution of them
have raised. and if even so conservative Il
course as Mckin!ey's Is pursued the
moral elements in the Southern States viii
be able to gra,ple with this case and con-
1roi il in time. But if the coensels of
such men as Senator Chandler are TO pre-
vail then The dawn OF day for the South
is Indefinitely postponed: we will be sem
fenced to an indefinite continuance OF dis
order. fraudulent elections and general
turmoil.
Senator Chandler says TINT .'the South
Will not consent. although her Democrats
by fundamental law suppress the colored
upon the coiored population Blu. he
goes on to explain that he means by this
that the Southern politicians who suppress
the negro vote would not agree TO cease
cheating in consideration OF being allowed
to keep Their representation. Senator
Chambers experience IN life ought to be
Sufficient 10 teach him that man who
would cheat IN elections will not bind
himself to anything 10 his disadvantage,
but Senator Chandler should know fur
Their that that is not the way IN which
this case should be treated. The South
ern politicians are not 10 be barsaIned
with about it. He should address himself
to the people of the South md tell them
frankly that he sees blunder was made
vton the masses Of the negroes we're given.