The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1903-04-22
GIVE uE A CHANGE.

GIVE uE A CHANGE.
It does seem to US that the
press and politicians are ham.
mering at men Of straw, by con-
stantly keeping to the front the
race question. Every daily news
paper, and every prominent pol
itician has this topic to harp on,
what good is to be derived from
1t we cannot see, as in our opin-
ion the constant agitation of the
race question has tendency to
bring about a condition which
may be serious. In our judg-
ment, it is being magnifed into
Importance, whereas if let alone.
it would die out, and until the
supreme court of the United
States declares against our fran
chise laws,the negro is virtually
elimKafed as a political factor in
thsSouth. Therefore we do not
it a wise policy to stir up
into Importance a question which
ought to be allowed to remain as
it IS now. The Republican party
goes before the Northern masses
with the shibboleth, siLet well
enough alone which means
their claim to the credit for the
present prosperous condition of
the country, and we of the South
should ':let well enough alone"
so far as our settlement of the
race question is concerned. The
Southern States are in the abso-
lutte control of the white people,
and their constitutions -haFe
practically disfranehssisseo the ne
gro. fixing fxxiiaag our political control
absolutely.
Instead of our politicians and
newspapers constantly taking
the negro question for a text,
more practical good will result if
they will agitate the educational
question and bring about a more
diligent effort on the part of our
people to regard the matter of
education as the main prop to
hold up our civilization. Let the
negro alone to work out his des-
tiny, and see to it that the whites
are provided with educational
facilities, so that no white child
need suffer for the need of an
education.
It is seldom we hear a politi
clan urging communities to Or
ganize and tax themselves for
more and better schools. but
from one campaign to another,
they keep Dining into the ears
Of the people the s'nigger in the
woodplle" song. We are not
concerned about the negro ever
again coming into political pow
er, not even if the courts abro-
gate our constitutions, or Con-
gress cuts down our representa-
ton; in either case Or both, the
negro will never regain political
foo,5hold in the South. In the
persistence Of keeping the race
question in our political discus
sions, it has a tendency to give
hope to those who want Congress
to take some action looking to
the cutting down of our repre-
sentation, and to keep alive the
antagonisms against the South,
which is not desirable, and is
only of advantage to a class of
politicians who keep in power by
arousing prejudices: If a man
viii stop to reason he will at
once see that the negro is entire
1y eliminated from our politics,
and all of the speeches and edi-
torials holding the negro up as a
menace is buncombe.
With a majority of the press
and with all of the politicians
the race question is agitated for
political purposes solely, as can
be seen by their inconsistencies.
Grover Cleveland, when Presi-
dent: for political purposes, ap-
pointed negroes to Office, and
now that this question is being
used, Mr.. Cleveland makes a
speech endorsing the Booker
Washington method of dealing
with the race problem, and e1-
presses sympathy with the
Southern people for their repul-
sion Of social equality. When it
suited Mr.. Cleveland's political
purposes to do SO, he did not
have such a aregard for the South
ern people, but now that he is
out he can shed tears Of sympa-
thy on the negro question, with
the people Of the South, and re-
ceive tho plaudits of that the
very same press which has been
denouncing him heretofore. Nc
Knley was held in high esteem
in the South yet the records
show that he made a large num-
Der Of negro appointments, but
he was fortunate in not stirring
up the race question as Mr..
Roosevelt has done, precipitated
largely by the incident Of lunch
ing with Booker T. Washington,
and his appointment Of Crum
against the protest of a unani