Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1901-05-09
Political Freedom In The South.
Philadelphia Press.

Philadelphia Press.
The comments of Southern Democratic
newspapers on the attitude Of Senator Nc
Iaurin of South Carolina and the pro-
posed reorganization Of the Republican
party in the Southern States are not all
that could be wished, but they are in
better tone than could have been hoped
for. There is noticeable absence of the
ridicule and bitterness that was once visit
ed upon any Southern white man who
ventured to step outside the Democratic
party or even to suggest that there was
room for a Republican party in the South.
This indicates progress and holds out the
hope that the wall of prejudice tLat once
fenced in the Southern people is gradually
crumbling.
One of the most significant signs in this
direction is contained in recent utterance
in the Charlotte, n. g., observer" That
newspaper says
"Here in North Carolina, last year, dur
ing the campaign for the constitutional
amendment, we were promised from every
stump and from the highest authorities of
the party that its adoption would set the
white men free, and they are going to
take advantage of this promise if it be-
comes necessary. Two phrases have been
dinned into their ears until they are sick
at the stomach-"white supremacy" and
"negr0 domination" These will neither
persuade nor scare the people of North
Carolina hereafter An attempt was made
after the August election last year, to
warm them over and work them for No
vember, but it failed signally and had to
be abandoned. In truth, considering that
there are three white men in North Caro-
lima to one negro, and that the whites own
practically all OF the property and are pos
sessed of all of the intelligence, there is
nothing to be particularly proud of in the
fact that our people were ever frightened
by the cry of "negro domination" The
people Of Georgia, where race conditions
are much the same as they are here, could
never be SO frightened and hence have
declined to take even the first step toward
the adoption of a constitutional amend
ment to dlsfranchise the minority and in.
ferior race But that is neither here nor
there; we have our amendment and the
white folks propose to have the freedom
which they were promised should 60 along
with it; indeed, they have already begun
to enjoy it,"
1t would not be Just to assert that such
an utterance means that the Democratic
party in North Carolina is about to divide
and that the State will at once become po-
litlcally debatable. That will not imme-
diately follow. Time must be given for
old preiudices to wear themselves out, for
broad and generous views to take the
place of narrow and illiberal views. The
education of generations can not be I'M
learned in few years. The process must
be gradual to be sure. The leaven is, how.
ever, working and its effect will become
apparent before long. 1t is significant
that the discourteous utterances Of Govern
or Gambler concerning the recent visit of
a party of business and professional men
to the South have not been Endorsed by
a single Southern newspaper. They have
been quietly but effectually ignored.
The North asks of the South to be just
to the coored man. Impossibilities for
him are not demanded. But justice, in
dustrial and political, to the race so recent
ly in slavery and which has done SO much
in thirty.fve years to prove its right to
freedom is required by the interests of the
South as we'll as the North. That the
Southern people will come to see this and
act accordingly is one Of the hopes held out
by the indications of changing sentiment
in that section.