New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-12-12
corrHFRy REPRESENTATION.

The Union League Clubs complete reversal
of its attitude on the question OF reducing
Southern representation must be due TO an IN
stability of judgment not characteristic OF tna'
distinguished organization or TO changes WHICH
have occurred in Southern conditions wltnn lne
last eight months. Last April the cluD' In Whal
The Tribune called at that time spirit OF
wise moderation" was emphatcally opposed
to the demand which it now makes. The SUD-
iect was then discussed at length, ana strong
friends of the negro, while concedlng all thaC
can be said about the injustice done TO MIN ana
to the voters of the North as well. urged that
a campaign started in the North would inter
fere with the present rapid progress of the
colored people and do more harm than good.
Those pleas carried conviction. When the
question was taken up again on Thursday
evening that side of it was not again presented,
but the reasons which had controlled the mem
hers TO discountenance the agitation before
must have been too clearly in their minds to be
capriciously overruled.
Probably recent manifestations of sentiment
in the South have had something to do with the
change. Trucuent anti-negrO talk has been
much in evidence of late and has doubtless con-
WINGED many that Cancellation seemed wasted on
those who dominated the politics Of the South
ern States Only few days after the former
vote of the Union League the Supreme Court
handed down a decision which greatly dimin-
ished, if it did not entirely extinguish, the hope
that the political rights of the negro would be
judicially upheld and turned mems minds more
emphatically than before TO the idea of political
and legislative remedies. considerable num-
Der of the club members who voted for the reso-
buttons on Thursday night did so, we believe,
with reluctance They would have preferred
upon them and they had bluntly to demand
obedience to the Constitution or announce their
willingness that it should be CONTEMPORARY
disregarded they voted for a measure the pol
icy and efficacy of which they doubted. Cir
cumstances and political agitation placed them
in a dilemma, and they felt that they could
only stand by their principles whatever the
practical result Last April The Tribune said
that the patience of the North, as illustrated
then by the club, ought to soften Southern
prejudice and passion. The action now may
perhaps awaken anger. But fair minded South
ern men should reflect that it is natural out
come of the activity of the demagogues who
have recently been allowed to put the South
more completely than ever before in the atti-
tude of enmity to the negro as negro, regard
less of his character or capacity.
Nevertheless, we regret the injection of this
demand into pubic discussion at this time. The
call for immediate and rigid enforcement of the
Constitution is no doubt logical But no great
problem whose elements are stubborn facts and
perverse human nature was ever solved offhand
by logic. That is not the Anglo-Saxon way
and the Latin peoples who have tried to shape
life out of hand to set patterns however excel
lent, have not met with startling success The
same argument now made for reduction of rep
resentation might have been made for the
sending of an army to put down slavery in the
Sulus the instant they came under our sover-
eighty. Yet no man not q slave to logic chop
ping would assert that the abolition now being
accomplished is not far more conducive to
human happiness. The race question IS one as
OLD as history. The ideal condition must be
reached gradually with the growth Of civiliza-
non. The negro is advancing and winning
friends among Southern white men, The dam
ger OF any great Northern movement to reduce
Southern representation is that IL NAV mako
more difficult the path OF every negr, who Is
striving to become respected and prosperous
1t may tie the hands OF the intelligent white
men who are seeking TO bring about a better
understanding between the races and nut dourn
the demagogues dominant in Southern politics
1t may make Southern jnries more reluctant TO
convict in peonage cases, prepare the way for
more elections like the last one in Mississinni
and restrict that liberation OF free speecb an
honorably exhibited few days ago by the
trustees OF Trinity College in North Carolina
The South might also, by paying the price of