Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1904-10-19


--WHa In all the nonsense that has been
! spoken and written about the so
'kl-ASH called race question in the. South,
perhaps the most pitiiu is contained in the PROPOSE
tiOn that the southern whites nhcting upon the
blacks the same tyranny which brought on the revO
luton Of 1776-that is to say, taxation without
representation Newspapers like the New York
Evening Post harp continually upon this theme
DemagOgues vociierate without pause. And only
last Monday morning The Post printed a very long
communication from same gentleman connected with
some university who evidently believes that negroes
are dsiranchised for other reason than the color
Of their SKINS and is quite clear in his mind that 1t
is the duty and the province Of congress to pro-
upon the cOnsttutiOnality OF this abhorrent
Legislation.
Where these people got their information we shall
not, OF course, stop to consider Much more impor-
tant is it TO know where to find few OF the negroes
who are taxed aud yet denied the right Of suffrage.
One hears of them at the north, but who has ever
seen one at the SOuthi In what suate for example,
is there law which excludes from the polls any
one, white or black who holds property and pays
taxes to the commonwealth The university gen
tlemantO whose communication we have already re-
ierred speaks Of 'prOvisOs constructed and con.
strued that negro with equal property and educa'
tional qualifications with voting white man might
be denied that privilege because bis grandfather
had been a slave" Has he ever examined one OF
the franchise laws OF any southern state and II So
can he indicate the 'prOvisO" which, under the
most frantic and irresponsible analysis, will admit
Of such an interpretation
Says the Atlantic Consultation; it ia possible
there may be law Of this kind somewhere, but GER
ta'nly not in Virginia, the CarOlinas, Alabama,
Mississippi and Louisiana. Aud If it exists any
where-Which do not for moment beeve-why
do not some CT these anxious gentlemen instead OF
making mischief and disseminating misfniormatiOn,
have the matter brought into the federal COURTS and
so secure the obliteration Of the dnfamyf Nothing
could be easier. There is not . court in the land
which would COndOne the injustice Of which these
dOctrinaires complain. Why, then, do they not
challenge the outrage, rather than scOld and weep
and 1mprecatef It would be fer more dignifed to
say the least.
The New York Evening Post is 3 clear cut repre-
sentative OF few papers which constantly misre.
present the South in this respect. Proceeding on
entirely erroneous premises it launches long and
bitter diatrbes against the south for depriVing the
negro OF the ballot" with wealth Of slurs and in
nuendOs that ere more frantic than logical. 10 is
doubtful if its editor ever read through Of the
recently enacted statutes bearngOQ this subject and
It is questionable he would be converted to rea-
son were its provisions explained to him by the
keenest metropolitan iurist
The Evening Post and other organs sane and
Just on the majority Of public questions, seem TO de-
light in this Misrepresentation OF the South. To the
extent OF its circulation and its influence, it propa-
gates false doctrines and sOWs broadcast faaciOus
Information regarding the manner in which the
South s treating the voting negro. Sach course Is
immeasurably more hurtiul to the latteFtha would
be the most banefu Of The Posts calumnies II they
existed in fact
The South welcomes honest, intelligent sugges-
tions which are not bilious, bgOted criticism, but
which grow out OF desire for sympathetic cooper
ation The Grst essential for either criticism or CO.
operation, however, is knowledge, which, on this
question, The Post sadly lacks.