The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1903-05-16

piled, should be eschewed by candi.
dates for high offices. He stated at
this point, that il he had been COR
rectly informed, Senator Money. had
declared in the various speeches he
had made throughout the state, that
the race question was the burning one
before the people today, second in i'm
pOrtance to secession. He said that
he was quite unable to agree with his
opponent that there was any pending
race issue in the south; that the ne
gro's status in Mississippi, and, in
fact, throughout most Of the southern
states, had been fixed by the constitu-
tions Of the various states, and that
the negro had been practically elimi-
mated from politics. That such is the
case in Mississippi, not even Senator
Money can gainsay.
Continuing, the governor said that
the constitutionality and wisdom Of
our franchise law had been approved
by the state courts and by the United
States Supreme Court as well, while
the fairness, business and equity OF
the rules which it preScribeS as quail
tications for the exercise Of the right
of suffrage to both white and black
alike. have been approved by the ne
groes themselves, who accepted the
situation without murmur or COM
plaint, which is evidenced by the fact
that they are moving on in the even
tenor of their way, manifesting little
or no concern about the use of the bal
lot, and that so little does he care
about the subject that the vast ma
jority of those who are otherwise
qualified under the law, refuse to take
advantage OF that right by paying the
poll tax.
"To suggest social equality bet,ceen
the ,chites and Blacks, soitl the gorer-
nor, falls little short Of Offering insult
to the courage Of oar ,chitc manhood,
and to thr v;rtue and purity Of oar
,coneen''
He said he was unable, therefore,
to see any good whatever to be ac-
complished by the agitation of the
race question in the south at this
time, and that the manifest tendency
of such useless discussion was to sug-
gest or bring about race issues, where
no such issues now exist.
Gov. LOnginO stated that the negro
was the chief dependence of the south
ern white people for labor, and that
the two races had always lived here
together side by side, and each race
is thoroughly acquainted with the
habits, temperaments and character
istics OF the other. He said that the
n 0f
time in the history of their freedom,
better satisfied with their environ
ments or felt more kindly toward the
white people or relied more confident.
ly or hopefully upon them for protec-
tion and justice, than they do today.
There SEEMS" he said, no reason
why race prejudice should be mani
tested or magnified, and thus disturb
the friendly relations existing be.
tween the whites and blacks, the re.
suit of which was necessarily to dis
satisfy and discourage the negro la
borer, and to even drive him from the
state" He said, however, that wher
election years rolled round some of the
people in the north appealed to the
prejudice OF that section by waving
the bloody shirt, while others in thu
south appealed to the race prejudice
against the negro to advance their po
litical interests. but that he though
the time had come when such agita
tion should be. rebuked, rather thar
rewarded.
| Gov. LOngino then entered into al
elaborate discussion Of national QueS
tions, dwelling principally upon tlf
evils Of protective tariff and trusts
and upon the duty of the government
to improve the highways of transpo1
tati0n and other public internal i'm
provementS. He insisted that tn
tariff laws should be modified SO as t
collect import duty for the needs {
the government economically admin
istered, without collecting larger sum
in excess of such needs for the prOte<
tion Of the rich manufacturers of til
United States. He argued, a}sD, tina
congress should pass laws placing a
trust manufactured articles on tn
free list, thus giving to the peopl
full and free competition in the pul
chase and sale OF their products an
their <saods.
He declared that though the sout
possessed just such soil, climate an
natural resources as should puDve th
greatest tempter to migrants t,untin
homes and capital seeking investment
neither would come south when sex
tional and race prejudices are stron
and Offering unfriendiy reception, an
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