The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1903-03-04
1ILLMAN SPEAKS.
He Critieises the Presidents Door of
Hope Policy in
CONNECTION WITH TIE NEGRO.
He Saws the Ballot OF the Negro In
the South is Always
Menace TO Good
Government.

ries in the United States Senate Lust
week on the negro question. lie was
discussing the Indianola postotlce
trouble. In his introduction he said
he proposed to surprise his friends
and astonish his enemies, If he has
any, by being very mild and temper
ate in what he would say: If we bad
known at the beginning Of the civil
war" said he, what we know now
there would have been no war. He
INQUIRED why the large majority OF
the law abiding people Q; Indianola
should be punished because there was
a small lawless and brutal clement.
It was contrary, he said, to the fun
damental principles Of Anglo-Saxon
Jurisprudence.
OReplying to some remarks made by
Senator Spooner in his speech, Senator
Tillman said: 1T is not the dream of
the widest ass that roamS over the
Southern States with Wax skin on
him that the Federal Government is
not supreme" but, he said, there were
some cognate propositions Which have
been ignored.
He said that in the South people
have constant reminder that their
ancestors thirty6ve years ago were
conquered we are perpectually re-
minded" he said, accentuating his
words, that we are in tie union, but
not in it, except TO pay taxes.
The poison in the race condition il
the South, he declared. lay in the ref
cree system which had been adopted.
The balance Of power. he said, in the
National Republican Conventions, was
held by the machine OF the South, and
that machine was composed OF ne
groeS. When the people OF the South,
said he, lose patience and do cruel.
bitter, fearful, iendiSh and savage
things, there is howl from men who
know nothing and have never been
South OF the Potomac, but have theo-
rized.;'
Continuing, and addressing the Re
publican SIDE, he said that il this pol
icy of negro equality is carried out,
and if some Of them could be given
p.aces in the cabinet he would Vote
for them. y will vote to confirm
Booker Washington as secretary Of
ANYTHING. Let US have a negro. q
genuine negro, not mulatto or hy-
brid. Then LEI us make them officers
in the army and navy. Let US give
them prorata share Of all the good
jobs. wherever they exist, without re-
gard to local conditions" He said
that nothing Of the sort would be
done.
Mr.. Tillman said that in dealing
with the Indianola postoffice the pres
!dent and postmaster general trans
cended their authority in resorting to
method which we're both tyranical
and unconstitutional. He wanted to
know if in figuring up the purpose Of
their new born zeal this cold blood
ed, calculative, adviSedly-taken ac-
tion" was not prompted by low mo-
tive. He charged that 100000 ne
groes are coercing 50,000,000 Of white
people in the North to deal with IL
100000 white men in the South in the
interest of 100000 ignorant negroes
in that section.
He referred to the cost in lives and
money on account of the race problem
in this country and addressing the
Republican side, called on them to
meet him upon the same plane Of
patriotism Of race pride and civiliza-
tiou and not to fall into the pitiful
cesspooi of partisan politics" He read
extracts from the letter of the pres!-
dent written some time since covering
bis views with respect appointments
of negroes to office. He wanted to be
just to the president, he said. but the
views were superficial. How little
and small and in6nitesimal," ne said,
lis the knowledge behind such 4
view
He added that the people of the
North have no more use for the negro
at close quarters than he had. He
cited Instances Of assaults by negroes
on white women and declared that the
more the Northern people find out
about the negro the less use they have
for him. The ballot Of the negro, he
maintained, was menace to good
government and the people of the
North are coming to realize that the
enfranchisement Of him bordered on
a crime.
Reverting to the presidents utter
auces that he was unwilling to shut
the door of hope and opportunity in
the case of a worthy and competent
.colored man. Mr.. Tillman said at first
blush there is not man alive who
would not agree with that sentiment.
but he inquired if it ever occurred to
any one that in opening that door OF
hope it might not be to shut it III the
face Of the white man. The door OF
hope ir South Carolina. he said, at
one time had been closed by bayonets
90 the whites for eight years while
rapine, murder and misgorernment
ran riot with an abomination in the
sight Of man.
He declared that he did not hate
the negro and that all negroes are
not bad. Only small percentage are
bad and these, be SAID, ARE leading the
rest and being patted on the back by
politicians. He regarded it as his
duty, he said, to his State to stand
forever opposed to any idea Of polit;-
cal or social equality on the part Of
the negro with the whites. Continu-
ing. he referred to the adoption OF the
18th amendment TO the constitution.
When you remorselessly stand By that,
said he. and say it is sacred, you
force US to face the alternative of
conflict Of races.
The purpose OF those who endorse
the presidents door Of hope policy. he
declared, is that in time South Caro-
lima should become State Of mu!a-
toes. anG in this even he predicted