The Grenada sentinel., 1903-04-18

NUMBER 80
THE RIGHT IDEA.

the RIGHT IDEA.
Senator McLaurin, both in his
speech at Winona and the one at Ha-
zlehurst, voiced the sentiments OF the
conservative people of the state when
he said that he believed that it was
we'll understood that the people of
the state did not propose to divide
their political responsibilities with
the negroes, and that they would be
given none OF the offices and would
have no part nor parcel in the state
government. He said that we had de-
prived them OF any participation in
state politics, but it was our duty to
educate them along useful lines, to
show them that we were their friends
and to do anything in reason to pro-
mote good feeling among the races
in this state. These are wise words.
and they express the sentiments of
at least eighty per cent of the people
OF Mississippi. Mr.. Fox stated in his
speech at Winona, that there was no
race issue, except when some hare
Drained fanatic like Roosevelt stirred
it up. This is also true, and even
Roosevelt can not make the white peo-
pie Of the south turn against the ne
groes. The Memphis Commercial
Appeal, which takes a great interest
in the politics Of the state, has the
following wise admonition to the
people of Mississippi:
I'VE can not but regard the injec-
tion OF the negro question into the
Mississippi gubernatorial contest as
entirely superfluous and harmful.
There is no occasion for any race is
sue in Mississippi at all. The educa-
tional qualification there has practi-
cally eliminated the negro vote. Mai.
Mckinley got 4,849 votes in the state
in 1896, and 5,753 in 1900. In the
congressional election of 1902, there
was not single democratic candidate
who had any opposition at all. If there
is any state in the Union where the
race issue may be said to have been
exterminated, it is Mississippi. And
yet now comes Maj. Vandaman, cam
didate for goyernoE, with q proposition
to, Distribute the school fund in such
a way as practically to- prevent the
negro from getting any education at
all. There can be very little doubt
that the Vardaman proposition is un-
constitutional, and that it is entirely
impracticable. 1t is certain that it
will never be enacted into law. AS
an issue, it can serve no other purpose
than to infiane the white people
| against the blacks, and perhaps elect
Maj. Vardaman governor. 1t is much
to be regretted that the gubernato-
rial race has been pitched on this
plane. There is no occasion to raise
the race issue in Mississippi, where it
has been settled; and there is neither
rhyme nor reason in manufacturing
such an issue. There is nothing easier
than setting up man of straw and
punching it's head of; but the erection
OF such a scarecrow in the present
contest is bound to be harmful and
certain to be futile. Why not, then,
cut 1T out, to use the slang of the
lcurb?"
The above are words of wisdom,
and they are in line with the conser-
vative sentiment of the people of the
state. The negro question is not a
question in Mississippi at this time.
This is one reason why Maj. Varda-
man is going down in defeat. His ef-
fort to arouse the passion of the peo-
lple and stir up the worst feeling OF
race prejudice will prove unavailing:
Conservative Mississippi is against
him on this proposition, and the Com
mercial-Appeal need have no fear
about Vardaman being elected gov
ernOr.-Jackson News.