Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-08-07

IAN right, you're a gentleman. can
/ trust you. Our conversation is Of course
| only between you. and me"
Certainly, / understand that"
All that day and night he was alone
fghting out the battle in his soul. It
was an easy solution of life that opened
] before him. The attainment of his proud
est ambitions lay within his grasp almost
without a struggle Such a campaign.
with his name on the lips of surging thou
sands around those speakers stands, was
an idea that fascinated him with serpent
charm.
All that he had to do was to give up
hts prejudices on the negro question. His
own party stood for no principle except
the supremacy of the Anglo-Saxon. On
the issue Of the party platforms, he was
in accord with the modern Republican ut
terances at almost every issue, and so
were his associates in the southern DEM
ocracy. The negro was the point. What
was the use now of white supremacy?
The negro had the ballot. He was still
the ward of the nation, and likely to be
for all time, so far as he could see. The
negro was the one pet superstition of the
millions who lived where no negro dwelt.
His person and his ballot we're held more
peculiarly sacred and inviolate in the
south than that of any white man else
where.
The possibility of a reunion in friendly
understanding and sympathy between the
masses of the north and the masses Of the
south seemed remote and impossible in
his day and generation. II
He asked himself the question, could
such a revolution toward universal suf-
frage ever go backward, no matter how
base the motive which gave it birth? Why
not give up impracticable dreams. accept
things as they are, and succeed?
He did not confer with the Rev. John
Durham on this question, because he knew
what his answer would be without ask
ing. A thousand times he had said to him.
with all the emphasis he could give to
words;
my boy. the future American must be
an Anglo-Saxon or a mulatto! We are
now deciding which II shall be. The future
of the world depends on the future of this
republic. This republic can have no flu
ture II racial lines are broken, and its
proud citizenship sinks to the level of a
mongriel breed of mulattoes. The south
must fight this battle to a finish. Two
thousand years look down upon the strug-
gle, and two thousand years OF the future
bend low to catch the message of life or
DEATH"
He could see now his drawn face with
its deep lines and his eyes flashing with
passion as he said this. These words
haunted CASTOR now with strange power
as he walked along the silent streets.
He walked down past his old home,
stopped and leaned on the gate, and look
ed at 1t long and lovingly. What flood
Of tender and sorrowful memories swept
his soull He lived over again the days Of
despair when his mother was an Invalid.
He recalled their awful poverty, and then
the last terrible day with that mob of ne
groes trampling over the lawn and over
running the house. He saw the white
face of his mother whose memory he loved
as he loved life. And now he recalled
sentence from her dying lips. He had
all but lost its meaning.
You will grow to be a brave strong
man. You will fight this battle out. and
win back our home, and bring your own
bride here in the far away days of sun
shine and success see for you"
You will fight this battle out-he had al
most lost that sentence in his hunger for
that which followed. 1t came to his soul
now ringing like a trumpet call to honor
and duty.
He turned on his heel and walked rap
idly home. He looked at his watch. 1t was
o'clock in the morning.
1--WE will fight 1t out on the old lines, !"
he said to Mcleod next day.
You will find me pretty good fight
err"
Unto death. let it be-" answered Gas
ton firmly setting his lips.
II admire your pluck. but I'm sorry for
your judgment. You know you're beaten
before you begin"
Defeat that's seen has lost its bitter
ness before 1t comes"
Then get ready the flowers for the
funeral. / hoped you would have better
sense. You are one of the men now I'll
have to crush first. thoroughly. and for
all time. I'm not afraid of the old fools.
I'll he fair enough to tell you this, said
/ Mcleod.
mot since Legree's day has the Republi-
can party had so dangerous man at its
head" said CASTOR thoughtfully to him
self as Mcleod strobe away across the
square, He has ten times the brains Of
his older master, and none Of his supersti-
lions. He will give me a hard fight"