The age-herald., 1901-07-25
"El ARGUE RGM's s6ffA Ig' EE 9ea cltUsr lU

singles them out and points the finger of
 scorn at them just the same
 The most ridiculous and absurd propo-
 sition of all Is that those people who have
 suffered from the presence of the negro
 as no other people ever suffered before
 are going to register every one of them
 again! If such be their plan, in the name
 of common sense why did they vote al- most unanimously for the convention?
 If the negro Is what they want, haven't they got him now? Why would they go through the ridiculous farce of holding convention to disfranchise the negro,
 when their purpose all the while was to
 keep him enfranchised. But if, forsooth,
 the impossible idea could be entertained
 for moment that there are some bad
 and wicked men in few bad and wicked
 counties, who having the chance to dis
 franchise the negro, would snot avail
 themselves of it, how then would we be
 any worse off than we arc at present?
 They are now registered afVf are voters
 and that is all they would or, could be if, contrary to the intent, purpose and
 letter of the convention, they were still
 allowed to vote. And if we imagine the
 wholly improbable thing that in as many
 as six counties in this State all the ne-
 groes would be put on the registration
 list, are not the other sixty counties en-
 titled to relief of they want 1t? Shall
 we be deprived the opportunity to dis
 franchise the ignorant and corrupt negro
 In the other counties simply because it IS supposed that some wicked unnamed politicians in some wicked unnamed
 black belt counties might practice a
 fraud, and let the negro still vote or stay
 on the registration list? While it Is true
 that the black belt has more vital inter- est than any other part of the State in
 this matter, it Is wholly untrue to suppose
 that 1t has monopoly of interest in the
 question. on the contrary majority
 of the negro population of this State Is
 In the white counties and we have our problem with them, and we want relief. and we do not want it denied to us. be- | cause some men with timid minds think
 that some bad men in some black belt counties still prefer the present condition of affairs
 Finally wish to disclaim the idea that I represent anybody except myself. I went Into this controversy because it appeared to me that many things were
 being charged against this report that were not based upon fact. I felt that the cause itself might be endangered if the truth were not known, and in fee
 ble way I have attempted to explain as
 best I could some of the things which
 many people seem to have an incorrect
 idea of. There are some people, know, who prefer, like Samson, to pull down
 the house, even if it is upon their own heads. There are some people who op-
 pose any reform movement unless they happen to be the author of it.. There are some people with vivid imagination who see fraud stalking every where. There
 are some people who have neither trust | or confidence in human nature, and there | are some who can distrust others until | they themselves are distrusted. If we | eliminate trust and confidence in our fel- | bowman entirely from our minds, we shut | the door upon every hope of progress, | every chance of advancement.
 | The Age-Herald has done a great and | noble work in the calling of this Con- | vention and 1t seems to me it is most | unwise to throw the whole fruits of 1t | away when everybody admits that the | work of the Convention has been sincere, | that the plan it has proposed is far bet | ter than anything which we now have. | Those who are trying to destroy the peo- | ple's confidence in this Convention and | it's work indeed assume a great responsi- | bility before the people. If the work of | this Convention is not ratified, 1t will be | generation before we can get relief | from wrongs which cry to heaven for | correction.
 SYDNEY J. BOWIE.