Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1903-10-08
vIru la Republicans and Negroes.
Richmond News Leader.

Richmond News Leader.
TIE Tazewell Republican favors US with
editorial consideration at some length
of the comparative merits of the Republi-
can and Democratic parties in Virginia, of
the course of the Democrats in forcing
election results and of the attitude of the
Republicans toward the negro. The vari-
GUS sins of the Democrats are recited at
length, including the adoption of the I'M
Outstanding clause and the proclamation
of the new constitution and on these Two
points the Richmond News editorials are
cited in condemnation. Instances are
given to prove that in past times the
Democrats have labored very earnestly in
Virginia to win part of the negro vote.
Our contemporary then comes to the
gist of the matter with the assertion that
the Republicans did control the State Of
Virginia and did not give the negroes inn
portant State offices; that the negroes did
not demand such offices and that Repub-
lican congressman have not recommended
negro postmasters. And then, this:
"Again, we say that Republican victory
in Virginia did not and does not mean
negro supremacy. The white Republl'
cans would not permit it, and the Re-
publican negroes would not desire it. Ne
gro supremacy is nothing but Demo
cratic scarecrow."
1t is true the convention adopted the
understanding clause, but its operation is
temporary merely, which fact removes
many of the objections to 1t, We hold to
the opinion that the proclamation was not
only breach of faith but serious politi-
cal blunder; but if we undertook to seek
a party which never has been guilty OF
such things we should have to climb of
this earth.
1t is true that the Democrats sought by
all fair means known to politics to divide
the negro vote. As the Republican points
out, they even humbled their pride Of race
and forsook some old prejudices and
painfully disregarded some Unborn in
stlncts in their efforts to make the negro
vote divide so that it would not be the
balance of power and therefore the con-
trolling power in the State. All their ef-
forts were bsfled. The negro vote re-
NAMED practically solid and the Republi-
cans controlled it.
The Republicans since the war have
had no considerable tenure Of power in Vir-
glnia. The negro influence in the party
has had no opportunity to grow. We
cannot engage in any general discussion OF
possibilties-of what the Republican party
would or would not have done. We can,
however, consider the known facts of hu-
man nature and the precedents of history.
There never has been an instance in poll
tics where the people who did the voting
did not sooner or later demand control
and the spoils. Common sense told the
white people in Virginia that when the
negroes had elected State governments
here two or three times they would be
impatient of white monopoly of all impor-
tant offices and would demand recognition
and fair share. The example of other
Southern States told us of the same thing.
We bad before us South Carolina, North
Carolina and Mississippi. In some Of those
States not only did the negroes hold the
best places in the State government and
occupy the bench of the supreme court
and most of the minor offices, bringing
them into close contact with the white,
people but they constituted the militia
forces and by law forbade white men from
bearing arms as organizations of any kind.
Aside from the important offices, the Re-
publican knows that even in such position
a. magistrate in the black belt the negro
was essentially repugnant to white people.
The blood of every white woman in Vir-
ginia rebelled against the thought of a
refined white woman forced to appear be-
fore negro magistrate as witness, sutton
Or defendant. With Republican govern
nent that kind of thing was inevitable,
not in the white counties but in the black
belt, where the white people felt these
.hlngs as acutely as those in the mountains
who are free from such dangers. The Re-
publican knows as we'll as we do that with |
he Republican party consisting of two
birds negroes it was inevitable that in
many sections Of the State negroes could |
nave been forced into offensive authority
over white men and women; and it knowe
what that means and what it would lead |
%. All the theory and ingenuity or argu-
nent in the world cannot change or alter
he facts,