Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1903-08-27

How stands the account? Go back
to Appomattox and recall in memory
the hosts of negroes who then filed
the southern states, ignorant, poor, de
graded, with no land, no home, no capt.
tai and all the weaknesses and vices
which centuries of slavery had en-
tailed upon them. Visit the same region
now after the lapse Of only single
generation, think Of Booker Washing
ton and Hampton and it's students,
count the farms which are owned by
negroes, number their bank deposits,
see how many positions Of use and in
fuence they occupy, and then say that
the policy Of justice has failed and
that it was wrong to recognize the
negro as a man. Where in history has
a race from such a depth risen so
rapidly? Did the early English, the
Irish, the Germans or any other race
during the dark ages advance as quick
ly? Few men who know the conditions
of 1865 could have dared to hope that
the negro race would have been where
it is in 1903. Justice has not failed. 1t
has won a conspicuous success. This
record Is the most convincing proof
that the way to elevate and civilize a
man is TO recognize him as a man and
to trust him.
But there was bad government in
the south, reckless extravagances, an
orgy Of corruption after negro suffrage
was granted. 1t is true that for few
years beginning In 1868 and ending at
various times up to 1876 corrupt men
chosen by negro votes controlled the
southern states. Whose fault was
that? New voters were misIed and
voted for dishonest men. They were
misled in most cases by dishonest
southern white men, and this was
made possible because the honest
southern white men in disgust refused
to lead them right, or to exercise their
just influence But II this were not
so, can we insist that the color is the
cause. White Pennsylvania bows to
Quay. White Montana elects Clark
White Addicks owns Delaware. While
the trials at st. Louis reveal the ma
ture of her rulers, and Minneapolis is
trying Ames, are we sure that white
suffrage Is a success? Is IL color, or
our common humanity, which Is at
fault? Even the staid New England
voters of Rhode Island and Con
necticut, to go no further are pur-
chaseable. Would it not indeed be
surprising If in the first eight years
after their enfranchisement, deserted
by their proper leaders and denomi-
mated by bad men, the freedmen had
shown a character and a hatred of cor
Tuption which their white brothers do
not show after centuries of civiliza-
ton and self-government? Had they
done so, they would have shown them
selves not only not inferior but far
superior 10 their white neighbors. Can
We condemn a race to permanent in
feriorlty because of this experience
while we close our eyes to the corrup.
ton which through the campaign fund
buys elections? Some men buy offices
some buy clauses in the tariff, some
buy seats in the senate, some fran
chises in state or city, and among
them are some of our political and
financial leaders. Can they be sure
that the slaves who nearly a generation
ago sold their votes were conspicuous
ly inferior to themselves on that &C
count?
Indeed in the southern states since
1876 negro suffrage has not been tried
and therefore has not failed. The Ki
Klux Khan and the tissue paper ballo
and not negro suffrage Force an(
fraud have failed. injustice has failed
as they always will fail in univers,
governed by moral laws, but thei
failure is not the failure of equal sui
frage. The solid south is the answe
10 any claim that negro suffrage is re
sponsible for any failure In the govern
ment Of the south since 1876.
We of the north perhaps wisely hav
left the negro to assert his rights, be
lieving that "Who would be free him
self must strike the blow" He ha
shrunk from a contest of strength wit
the whites and perhaps also wisely. 70
the gradual gain which the race 1
making In education. experience, man
hood, property and standing is making
il impossible to long deny their RICH
to vote Under the educational AM
property qualifications in the presen
southern constitutions they will b.
gradually admitted TO suffrage, an,
when the whites divide as they in
evitable must one party or the othe
will turn for allies to these potentia
voters and will open wide the door 70
their admission to full political rights
Meanwhile suffrage has done its work
1t has prevented the reinstatement o
the negroes, and from now on tn
struggle should be easier.
There Is one thing that can della,
their progress. and that is the attemp
to hold them inferior to their neigh
bors, too readily acquiesced in b,
northern men. That southern mel
should have this prejudice with thei
inheritance is natural That northern
menshould educate themselves +
share il Is u1ynsfrous Men saw tina