Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1900-08-17
"The New Political ISSUE"

In an article in The Form on 1.-The
Negro Problem in the South" Rep
| aesentative Grosvenor, of Ohio, ex-
presses the hope that no more States
in that section will disfranchise black
voters. Mr.. GrosvenOr adds the fol-
lowing significant warning: "The
forthcoming census of the United
States will disclose approximately the
situation IN the South. We shall learn
the number of voters, comparison will
at once be made, and agitation will ut
once become manifest in American pO
litics. 1t will be a sad day for the
country when there shall come a new
political issue which shall take sides
and be organized for political contests
along geographical and sectional lines. :"
This statement, coming from Re-
publican Congressman who is often re-
ferred to as the spokesman of the Ad
ministration in the House of Repres
entatives, can have only one meaning.
1t is, in effect, declaration of the
purns sse of the Republican party to re
duce the South's electoral vote and its
representation in Congress in proper
tion to the number of negro voters dis
franchised by the amended COnstitu.
tions of Southern States. This is the
NEW political ISSUE which, as Mr..
Grosvenor tells us. Is to lead to politi'
cal contests ''along geographical and
sectional lines" The South is not to
be permitted to protect itself from ig-
norant negro voters, who have little
or no interest in the communities in
which they reside, without being
punished severely for adopting the
only effective measure of protection.
This punishment is to be administer
ed for sectional reasons, and the Re-
publican party is to be the instrument
through which political chastisement
is to be inflicted.
The leaders of the Democratic par
ty in the South have doubtless consid-
cred carefully the possibility OF such
action by the Republicans. Probably
they and the people whom they repre-
sent. if compelled to choose between
white supremacy in State government
and the loss of electoral votes and rep
resentation in Congress, would accept
the latter in preference to unrestricted
suffrage. They have suffered from the
eyils of negro suffrage for thirty years,
and have tolerated conditions which
would not have been endured half as
long in any Northern community. They
are determined, in the interest of
civilization, to get rid OF these evils at
any cost, even at the sacrifice of cleo
toral votes and representation in Con-
gress. Mr.. Grosvenor' g threat. there
fore, will not alarm them. They have
known all along that they might be
compelled to pay half price for the
elimination of the ignorant negro vote
from their political contests, and they
are prepared to meet that issue when
it is raised ''along geographical and
sectional lines" by Mr.. Grosvenor 3
party.
One of Mr.. Grosvenor's objections to
the disfranchisement of the Southe RI
negroes is that it will stop progress
by the race in education. In such an
event, he says, the colored man can
'Iook forward to simply lower stage
of degradation. He knows that if this
scheme is put into operation his chill
dren and his children's children for all
time to come are to be in practical
slavery. He will retrace the steps he
has taken toward good citizenship
much more rapidly than he has ad
yanced." If the South had wished to
arrest the progress of negro education
it could have done so effectually many
wears ago. Since the end of the carpet
bag regime the States of the South
have had Democratic administrations.
Time and again propositions have
been submitted in the Legislatures OF
these States to devote to the educa-
tlon of the blacks only such revenues
as were collected from the race through
the regular channels Of taxation. II
is to the credit of the Southern white
people that they would never count.
enance such methods, and that they
have given to the negro children the
same free educational facilities they
have provided for their own children.
They have done this when they knew
they were creating body of voters
whose race prejudices could not be
modified by educa tion, and who would
vote solidly against any proposition
either of national, State or local im
portance, which was advocated by the
majority of the white people of the
South.
"Not only" declares Mr.. GrosvenOr
twill the negroes show their resent
ment at Acknowledgement, but they
will cease to produce anything OF valu'
| for the body polite in which they re
side. They will add neither to the ma
terial welfare nor to the intellectua
growth and strength of the State.
There is neither rhyme nor reason ii
this objection. The South will con
tinue to educate the negro at the ex
pense of it's white property owners AN
taxpayers, and the negro Can develol
| in the future all the intellectual growt
and strength which he has ever bee
able to contribute under any condition
to the State. He will become u vote
! as soon as he can read and write, AL
the State will educate him if he want
= to qualify himself for the suffrage.
the negro had given less attention
= the past to politics and had settle