The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1904-12-31
Plea for Truth.

4 Plea for TRUTH
The New Orleans Times Democrat
which may be said to stand at the head
of the press of the southern states in
most of the essential elements Of a mod
ern daily newspaper, prints two edito-
rial articles in its issue of the 21st in
slant that merit attention and invite
comparison from the standpoint OF at
least one conspicuous contention. The
| first article treats OF the subject OF
0Crop Estimates" and is plea for
the admirable principle that truth is
better than falsehood or evasion. The
specific application of the principle to
the matter under discussion in the edi-
torial is indicated by the Times-Dem-
ocrat's statements that, while selfish
and narrow-minded producers OF COT
ton would have government estimates
prepared and published only when the
crop is small, equally purblind spin
ners and consumers 'sWould have the
department Of agriculture reserve its
approximations for bumper seasons
alone. Needless to say, the trade at
large wants the truth, the whole truth
and nothing but the truth-and wants
it all the time. y Further along in the
argument the editor declares tina 'sthe
south s weightiest interests require that
the truth be told, even when the truth
hurts. III falsehoods were systematic
ally told about big crops, the small
ones would be sold for song. As q
matter of fact, this very thing used to
happen with perfect regularity Y
Il is not easy to see how any excep-
tion can be taken to such utterances,
either upon the basis of principle or
expediency; and even if these two ele-
ments were at variance instead OF be-
ing in accord, it can be safely assumed
that no honorable mind would attempt
to controvert the proposition that truth
is preferable TO falsehood in all things
and at all times.
If, then, it is admitted that "the
south 3 weightiest interests require that
the truth be told'' about the cotton
crop, "even when the truth hurts,''
why should not the same excellent rule
Of conduct apply with equal force to
other matters Of public concern-to
political and racial problems, for in
stance? And why should the esteemed
Times Democrat, unless by inadvert-
ence. lend the weight of it's high char
acter and great influence to an asser-
ton that is manifestly erroneous and
mis- leading, as is done In the second
OF the two articles above mentioned?
This latter editorial discusses the
Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amend
mentsH to the national constitution,
with reference to the tentative propo-
sition to reduce the representation of
the southern states in congress, and
the particular statement to which The
Chief objects is contained in the SEN
tence, "No southern state has as yet
prohibited the negro from voting, and
in all of them thousands of negroes do
vote. ' 1T IS true, OF course, that in
none OF the southern states is there
any constitutional or statutory decla-
ration that negroes shall be prohib-
tied from voting, but it is not true
that in all the southern states thou
sands of negroes do vote. We assume
that the Times Democrat is not Jug
Cling with words, and that the effect
and meaning of its contention is that
in Louisiana, as in each other south
ern state, thousands OF negroes do
vote. - AS a matter Of fact substan-
tiated by the states official records,
the number Of negroes registered and
qualified to vote in Louisiana in 1902
was less than 1500-1478 was the exact
number, if our memory is not at fault
and the tabulation of this years. reg
istration, made since the close of the
books for the recent exciting municipal
election in New Orleans, showed that
even the small negro registration OF
two years ago had dwindled to the in
significant total of ll42.
1t is not our present purpose to CON
slider the causes of this rem ark able
diminution OF The negro vote, which
are, or should be, as well-known TO
the Times-Democra as to The Chief.
This branch of the subject will be
given attention in o5her articles and at
other times, and it is to be hoped our
New Orleans contemporary will take
part in the discussion in the same
spirit Of candor and devotion to truth
that has marked its comments on the
crop estimates.