Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-04-13
NEGRO BURNING ISSUE
Sudden Outburst In the soutl
Work Of a Few Months
Development
PREVAIL
CONDITIONS
The Statement of Former New Or
leans Resident That "The Clock Has
Been Put Back for Fifteen Years
Fairly Represents the Feelings OF
Many Southern Representatives.

Many Southern representatives.
New Orleans, La, April 13.-Not
since the days immediately following
the reconstruction era has the negro
question been under discussion with so
much heat and passion thruout the
south as at the present rnoment. Wher-
ever men airs thrown together 1T is the
one topic which inevitably comes to the
front.
Within five days here in New Orleans
the two leading morning newspapers,
| the Times-Dsmocrat ard the Picayune.
have devoted in one way or another
| from twelve to fifteen columns to the
subject. In Mississippi. where a sela-
torial and a gubernatortal canvass are
| of the campaign. Its starting point
there is regarding the distribution of
the education fund among the whites
and the blacks. From that point of de-
PsAA
gro as a political factor and as a threat
| to ieXiSting social conditions radiates in
all directions and with varying degrees
Of heat, in proportion TO the tempara-
merit of the orator and the audience.
This sudden outburst in the south is
all a matter of few months devslop-
ment. In states where, by constitution
a! provision, the negro IS practically
DISTINGUISHED. 1t was to all inter,ts and
purposes a dead issue. 1t was so dead
an issue, in fact, that in manufacture
| ing communities and iii parts of the
south whsre the industrial development
was greatest, there was more or less
uneasiness among the old-line demo-
Gratis as to the ability of the party to
hold the south together much longer
as the compact political unit it had
bsien in the past.
The elements of political disintegra-
| ton in the southern states were busily
at work. Those of the soutt's bust
ness men who brought themselves to
vote for Mr.. Bryan at all, did so with
rspugnance and with the conviction
that he would be defeated any way, no
| matter how they voted. Many others
voted directly for Mr. Mckinley, still
more did not vote at all.
In South Carolina the editor of one
of the wisill-known papers there said no
| longer ago than last fail that he had
been right up to the point of putting
Republican up at the head of his
editorial page.
Il knew there would he a howl" he
said. II knew 1 would come in for a
| lot of abuse. I also knew that a great
deal of the talk would be mere wind
and that I would only be openly doing
what large number of the best people
in the community wanted in their
hearts to do. l was tired of being a
political hypocrite, of nominally sup
porting party. while in reality I was
against nearly everything in nationa!
matters which that party stood for"
The time was near al hand In a word
when the great mass of conservative
business men in the rapidly developing
southern states would be rife to break
away from old political traditions and
prejudices. One more Chicago or Kan
sas City platform, and one more Bryan,
or semblance of Bryan, would have
done the business. There would have
been uniting of conservative men
been a southern as we'll as northern
wing of the republican party. repre-
senting the same elements both in the
south and in the north.
There was just one thing that would
surely and inevitably prevent such a
result in the near future. The one hope
of holding the south together as the
old ominous, threatening, solid south,
always a socialism and demagogery, to
business interests both south and north.
the one thing that, beyond preadven-
ture would keep UP this old danger
line, was something that would set the
southern states ahame again on the ne
gro question.
On that point the south was raw to
the quick. After her years of misery
in wading out of the muck and mire
of reconstruction, whatever suggested
that dark era was sure to set flame
a-going that would instantly weld the
disintegrating elements into one solid
mass again.
That thing essential to continued
democratic solidity in the south was
supplied, and now, when in the ordin-
airy course of events, the negro as an
acute irritant would have been nearly
eliminated, this spring of 1903 finds
him again an issue burning in all the
southern states as he was in 1874. The
entire negro question with all Its USE
less, end-in nothing controversies, Its
bitterness and its damaging conse-.
quence to the negro himself-all this
is reopened afresh.
Old Conditions Prevail.
The clock has been put back for
fifteen years" said yesterday a former
resident of this city whose home is now
in New York. Il knew in a general
way before l left New York what the
state of feeling must be here in the
south, where l was born and raised,
but l must say / was not prepared to
see how completely the people are
stirred up. how deeply they are moved.
1t is most deplorable thing-deplora-
BILE both to the whites and the negroes.
This fairly represents the feelings of
thousands of the south's representa-
tive men. Under their anger at the in
cidents which brought this change
about there is still deeper sentiment
of sadness and regret.
CLARA BARTON is SILENT.