The leader., 1903-04-01
TIMELY WORDS by JUDGE TRULY.

the general agitation of the race
problem, and the recent troubles
with the whitecappers in this Sec
ton of the State. We reproduce
portion of the address, which
every man should read carefully,
as follows:
''Gentlemen:--I desire to say a
few plain words to you about the
race question, as it is called, the
labor question as it really is with
us.
Il think it time, high time, that
someone in the State of Mississippi
pi should say something on this
line to the people. Someone who
speaks the truth, in fear of God ;
someone who has nothing to lose
by speaking the truth, nothing to
gain by concealing it; someone
whose sincerity cannot reasonably
be questioned; who can have no
other motive than the lettering of
the condition of his people-the
advancement of the prosperity
and welfare of his country.
and, first, gentlemen, it should
ever be borne in mind that the
race question is rarely agitated
either North or South, save by
some designing office-seeker who
hopes to achieve political success
as a result. If this agitation oc-
ours in the North, you will find,
generally, if not invariably, that
it is with the desire and expecta-
ton of solidifying the negro vote
throughout the Northern States
by appealing to and infaming the
passions of the negroes by some
chimerical scheme of social
equality, or by apromise of polit-
ical preferment to some of their
number. If in the South, the de-
sire for political ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
is the same, and the agitator
hopes to achieve the desired end
by arousing in the white man the
racial prejudice against the negro
by appealing to his animosities,
which should, for the good of both
races, be allowed to remain dor
mant. But whether North or
South, public office is the desired
goal, only different roads are
chosen to arrive at the same end.
1t is we'll for US to look at this
question squareIy and candidly,
and if we do, we are irresistibly
driven to the conclusion that that
man, no matter what his station
in life, who wilfully disturbs the
amicable relations now existing
between landlord and tenant, en-
ployer and employee, is an enemy
to the peace of society, and as
such should be rebuked by every
patriotic, conservative, God-fear-
ing man who has had the best in
terests of his country and his peo-
pie at heart.
Our State is prospecting; our
people are happy and contented;
fertile fields are titled by content
ed farmers, tenants and laborers,
and the products of their toll
bring fair compensation in the
markets of the world.
g repeat, therefore, that any
man who tries, in private or in
public utterances, to disturb in
this connection the existing order
of things is a discordant element
and a menace to the peace and hap
piness of our country.
do we realize or have we paus-
ed to consider that the negroes are
not in our midst of their own vo-
lition or by our choice! Do we
realize that neither race is respon-
sible for their presence or the
other? We must deal with the ex-
isting order of things as we find
it; and both races being here,
is it not true, undeniably true,
that to a great extent the prosper
lty of one race depends on the
other?
The negro looks to us for mis-
rights under the law, for protec-
ton from oppression, for common
Justice and fair play; he asks that
he be allowed to work out his ra-
cial salvation in his own way. In
his State at least he has no dream
Of social equality; he makes no
demand for the ballot. That this
is true one only need refer to the
Incontrovertible fact that large
of both races were prac-
;ically disfranchised by our con-
'titution of 1S9O;yet no appreciate
number of the negro race sought
homes elsewhere. The negro only
lsks the poor privilege of being
allowed to till our lands, advance
our prosperity, increase the
wealth of the State and occupy in
peace and quiet his own humble
rome. What more can we ask?
The entire government of the
State is vested, and rightfully so,
n the hands of the white race; we
nave white courts, white officers,
white jurors, every official posi-
ion is filled by "a white man.
Situated then, as we are, can we
not afford to see that equal and ex-
lct justice is done? And so while
he negroes rely upon US for JUS
ice and protection, we, in turn,
n a great measure and in a great
many sections of the State, are
forced to rely almost exclusively
Upon them for farm labor? Then
uhu thic racant auifation omoinct