The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-05-06
A FuTrLE HFFoRr.

The Kansas City Journal tries very hard to break the force of MT. Cieveland's New York speech and argues this way:
 Still, the fact remains that Mir Cleve. land weaved into his ponderous language only the thoughts possessed by most Northerners-thought which were much better expressed by President Mckinley and thoughts which have been exploited by nearly all the Northern papers For some years now it has been Northern conviction that the negro problem is one which must be settled by the white folks of the South. It is by reason of this conviction that the North has never ex- erted its, power to stop the wholesale dlsfranchisement of the Southern negroes has winked. as 1t were, at repeated violations of the federal constitution. For years the North has realized that the enfranchisement of these negroes was an error in the first place. For years most intelligent Northerners have recognized the impotency of their standards when applied to the South So Mir. Cleveland Is neither a discoverer Tor a pioneer, and the Constitution is much in error If it regards the ex-President as the leader of a new Northern sentiment.
 Upon what ground The Journal bases its assumption that Mir. Cleveland merely echoed what has been the best Northern sentiment flor some years" we do not know, but we may be permitted to dis pute the claim. If The Journal had limited its time to some weeks" instead of years, it would have been nearer the facts of the case. We admit that there has quite recently been a great change in, expression, if not in sentiment, among the Northern people and newspapers on this subject. but it is very recent. We do not know that MT. Cleveland would claim to be either a discoverer or a pioneer, but 1t is a certain fact that his speech has put the people of the North to thinking, and it has also started them to talking, in quite different way to what they formerly did
 The Journals statement that flor years the North has realized that the enfran. chisement of these negroes was an errol in the first place." has a queer sound North, if the statement is strictly true If they have realized all that The Journa claims, it is at least singular that the, did not have the honesty and the courage to speal out and by that means stol much of the hard feelings and bitterness that have existed between the sections
 If the intelligent and influential states
 men and newspapers of the North haG realized. even ten years ago. that they were mistaken and that their course Wa. only continuing and emphasizing tho mistake made in the outset. it would have gone a long way towards removing al cause of complaint. We are quite will. ing to admit now that the best sentiment of the North is becoming aware of 1t: mistake. and MT. Clevelands speech had much to do with the change. And last but not least, The Journal itself Virtually admits that the changed senti. ment is of recent growth by the following paragraph in a later issue:
 It is undoubtedly true that these recent changes in the constitutions of the South ern States were intended to and do affect the negro more than other classes of voters. But this result is entirely owing to the prevailing ignorancei thr;iftlessness and poverty among the colored people. The restoration of their names to the voting list can be brought about by them- selves through study and industry. Through these means Is the best, method to establish them In their political rights because at the same time they would be bettering the general condition of theil 1T