The leader., 1903-10-21
AN OPEN LETTER.
TO the Negro Voters Of Lincoln County,
Mississippi.

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same, it is becoming quite ques
ton with many as to what cours'
we should pursue. The matte
having been mentioned to me b,
many of you during the past few
weeks; and, as you know, in mos
instances, Having then given it NJ
| material consideration, felt some
what indisposed to discuss it; bu
assured You that would give thu
matter some study, and before j
be too late, would, in some legiti
mate way, express myself as tc
| what | deemed to be to- our besI
interest, so that my position NIGH
be clearly defined without The
slightest degree of misapprehen
sion on the part of anyone.
/ In the outset, | wish to say thai
just at the close of such spirited
campaigns as were waged against
the negro. during the year, and
they being before elections in
(which we we're not permitted to
participate, were we to manifest
"a deep interest in the coming No
vember election, regardless of our
intentions, | fear that.our motives
might be misinterpreted to the ex-
tent that we were seeking revenge
against the Democratic nominees
who may have. opponents.
And it is natural that when the
matter got to being discussed to
us by friends of opposing candi-
dates, and followed by a light
voting fee, and few tips" OF
old booze we might lose sight
of the interest of our race, county
and State, and vote to the detri-
ment of them all. In such actions
feel confident that race prejudice
would rise even 20 a higher ten
sion than now. And to 90 ahead
under such circumstances it would
be equivalent to a man sticking
his hands in fire, and at the same
time knowing what the consequent
ces would be.
So far as Lincoln county is con-
cerned, there is only one county
office being contested for by. the
Opposing candidates; that is the
office of county treasurer. Now
if there were two regular organ
lied political parties in the county
that were accustomed to coming
on the field against each other, |
might look at the situation in a
little different light. But the
voters who are waging war on the
nominee for county treasurer, are
principally gentlemen who parti-
cipated in the Democratic pri-
maries, and by virtue of their
voting, pledged themselves to sup
port the man whom the County
Democratic Committee declared
the nominee.
Though since the action of the
committee by which the present
Democratic candidate was declared
the nominee of the party, many
of the participants of the August
primaries have found it necessary
to ignore their steps taken, and
take drastic measures to defeat
the candidate who CHANGED to be
the Democratic nominee. All of
this seems to be very obnoxious
to the committee and true Democ-
racy in general.
When such as this occurs the
less we, as a race, have to do with
it, the better for our future well
fare. 1t would be utterly impos-
sible for us to take either side of
the contest and come out without
much bitter feeling being engen-
dered against us.
Now, it is claimed by the indie
pendents that they are perfectly
justiiable in taking the course be-
ing pursued by them because of
an alleged wrong perpetrated by
the two candidates for treasurer,
who were to 60 before the last
primary. Whether there is any
foundation for this accusation or
not, | and no other negro in the
county knows. have and do now
hold both of the gentlemen in
higher esteem than to think that
either of them would be implicat-
ed in such as | hear currently
afioat.
But this is not a matter for our
discussion if it be so or not. 1t is
Q happening among white candi-
dates and white voters, AM mas
much as this is true, they should
have better knowledge OF the
affair than we; and it is natural
that they can render.a better soln-
ton of the problem than any
whose knowledge of the situation
is less.
50 | hope that we, as a mass,
in Lincoln county will in the fu-
| ture keep ont of political tangles
land turn our faces toward the i'm
provement of our homes, farms,
schools and churches, that educa-
tion and character may be brought
up to higher plane; and SO long
as we faithfully attempt to accom-
plish this end ] believe we will
have the sympathies of the best
white citizens Of both county and
State.
/ Respectfully yours.
G. MARTIN WALLACE.
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