The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-03-29
RACE ISSUE PREDOMINANT.
n eyERsHADOWS ALL ELSE IN
uJSSISSIPPTS CAMPAIGN.
Presidents Attitude In the Isdisns's rsss
Once Incident Mas Csupsstei,
changed the Political Thsesat d
an. S,a,e-Vnfortunat fer the Negrsos

changed the TO"uces h "
che State-Unfortunate fer the Negrses
svw ORLEANS, March n.-The State
a,.o,ion If Mississippi, the campaign over
.bicb is now well under way. will be fought
~ ,ho race issue with the Indianola Post |
mesoo incident as the central point OF battle. |
por this. the attitude OF the President on
Inc negro question. or q least the southern |
view and conception OF his attitude, 10 re-
sponsihIe. When the campaign opened, |
s1,u,e months ago, there wa no desire or
intention of giving the race issue such un-
dine prominence, but the lndianola AFFAIR |
has completely charged the situation.
s'! This has been brought about by the pecu-
liar political conditions existing In Mis-
sissippi, due TO the adoption OF the primary
system of nominating all ofncers. The
primary has introduced radical and reyo-
utionary changes and has esteblished
ment, the like of which has never been.
seen in this country. The political control
NJ the State In now wholly In the hands
of the people, with no intermediary OF any
kind There are no conventions, and no
state or county. committees. The people
name directly ah candidates, from Governor
and United States Senator down TO con-
stable. frame all platforms, decide all ques-
tions-it is q government Of the PEG pie,
such as the men Of the French Revolution
dreamed Oh. Inc S06CI Oi tflc rEuUvCti5Hs
has heen to destroy the parties, for. the
power is rsiegated 70 tho people and the
political organisations as such lose IN
fuence.
cratic psrty which, being the ,S ssr IaeNc
racy' ID bound by no rules or platforms,
and enunciates any principles that the
voters may choose to Z advocate: Inc
Depocratic primary, which y held IN hu-
Rr,st, three months ahead OF me resws;'n,
b 4 much larger vote cast then than in
Noycnber. The latter election has, become
4 mere formal proceeding putting into ef-
feet the decision iof the primary There
win be no INDEPENDENT s's &c shd no s lnde
The vote will be unanifnovs
me Populists, formerly strong IN Missis-
nd, have completely abandoned their
Grsn,iStiou, and have recently smuggied
themselves into the Democrcec rsniEs, 80 20
county The negro Republican vote y
proyisIons. The only white Republican
party, which although weak, showed soTe
fs .ssv. e. b tes Dsf Il sos well unr Ssy
:: Mississippi has tried the primary system
for come wears and expresses great sstiefac-
ton with 1t. At the last session Of the Leg
fslature, however, the system received an
The Noel law, which not only throws State
} supervision and protection around y. but
reouircs ell nominations to DO made by
primary elections and aho.ishes and pro-
kibits conventions,
stitutionaiity Of the Noel law soon after its
r,aseape In a case from Coahoma county.
Which showed how radical the law L. A
Justice of the Peace died In one. OF the
sbeats- or districts OF Ooahoma and II pc
<xf oh n
An election had TO be held to do this but
the Democratic county COMMITTEES, not
Wishing to 20 to the trouble and expense
of a preliminary election or primary. pomi-
mated acandidate for Justice OF the fesce,
opposition to the candidate, and as there
we're lese than q hundred voters In the dis
trict II was thought absurd and extravagan'
70. opsp some efteen x e. twsnty gS, nrs no.
Cart however. declared rs nominaaOn
nls1aliy made and ordered sa,iprtEnary
:. m. - a couseq,sence, two elections bad tc
., held In Coahoma to all a'petty qnics
.ss th i.s T n.,a no SSnt ANA "a III
minor ns rsr BART with soas III THOUSAND
Z voting places in Missisdppi the Republican
.nerty, With only 1000 o. .. ooeRQterr, can
lot hold State primary \ has not one
tsnth ss MANY n voter. ana Are SoSbt n Il
there = a/6ounty' In the State. where
could n1{nber enough voters to hold (
Urinary electiou, The Populists are largel!
e the came Position. which explains thsi
n narticipstc in the Democratic primary
= II viii 'determine oil the officers, State
county and local. including United State
Whse the primary election system wa
two difficulties presented themselves-tb
count OF the vote and the platform. IN
count of the vote has been arranged. ID
returns from the several oountiee are Tor
warded to q central commtttss e'ected o
mower Of investigating returns and merel
tabulatcs and announces the result
As to the platform the problem va
more diffcult. There was no way OF sur
hitting a platform direct to the peopl
casionsily they have ben oaiAsd on . vOs
make known the popular wiii-f sort
preIe legislative referendum psople thu
enjoying the initiative and makine sufess
srantsd tha, tie candidate would 3
hound by Democratic pril,cipses wy,i
not do, because these p!incip1ns. speoou
on State measures. might vary from Tim
I'd vas suggested and ssrongiy urss
thu, the RtAie central committee. IN coyn
ing tie voAs Tor state oeAoers. should adoS
: platform which would ss ths acoepts
Democratic doctrine The objectton
this was potent. Tis oomnitise migi
snumerais . platform which the succss.fl
candidate foS Governor would TepudtnI
ON the ground tlsa, H. had nothing y. q
with n, and was not elected 90 that tsesD
FINALLY, D. vas decided to adopt the ultl
Demoars,.o pdaeitAe u Is,,ins .Ash eend
asa ss,foam' IL sould saums1sis b
sess and tl.s poliey l< would pssrus
siecisd n tho sAlori,y ~ Tho sossl
voted fof NJ 4 tor Dossfaor. ~ sas
derkaSsiisn h fayof of i..s lSinclplss "
dove b. h.in, shich tscsins. by tIssf loe
ils h~snoessii. IAa,foSm NJ slss htste
Illus tbs - lls noi only ssened q
sas,ilasiss, has llansd tl.s ylsilssss "
dr,sFmiasd tbs Policy ~ ,isSE ateis ~
e0gniy sSAosfs sss ldssl drnloe9s'
-ils s.lssne fuLr q tls Isrssss, fsss lso
tls dssnlnaiIon " H. s-s~ ed o.ss~nsios
ssd sissn ssssy Vote Asd sis ssssss S'ss
fls candidates. il,4s Lssias 90,
sihlD ils hiss ~ bs.,i slsile sssslIS.
ssssss asiiF 1A ~ less<nof sssl
4 sesl N sd snas NJ iLs lsssAsn H.slsi
Nod ~ n,es $50 chs a. l.sf ~ 10 u
R,Aff kls<. isis iss s.si.pui,asi hli..r<'(f
ssi.dla.ls ~ l.s ,l.ifslsn N ,,sln.ssl ~
lnis aud . is,s sglilSa ~ lLs sSiss
M sep ~ .ss'i ~ b-lg tl.sss