Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1904-12-05
alexandria Gazetfe.
MONDAY EVENING. DEC. 9, 1904.
wind Repeal Amendment.

Congressman T. w. Hardwics, of the
Tenth Georsii District, few days ago
wrote letter to Senator A. o Bacon
asking his view- on the pc - tp | Iicsi
situation. Senator Bacon replies at
length.
The senator says there is an effort To
republicanize the South. He declares lhai
white supremacy must be maintained In
the South and everywhere that the pros
Dsritv of the South is due TO white su-
premacy. He advocates the repeal oi he
fifteenth amendment, and insists that un-
less that shall be done the people OF the
S ,uth will be forced 10 maintain their
p OPPOSITION of white supremacy. Fol-
lowing is paragraph:
"If there were nothing elseof which I"
boast. if this we're the sole achievement
OF the democratic party 10 the South, this
great work which it accomplished III res
cuipg the south from fate worse than
anarchy would earn for it and eltitle
il 10 the undying gratitude and apprecia-
ton of all those in the world who value
aud prize civilization and all its attendant
blessings. And there are none who should
be more grateful to the democratic party
for this than the republican party OF the
North. because the democrats, II thus
saving the civilization of the South, at the
same time also saved the republican
party from the deep damnation' which
would have been sdjuged against them
through all the ages il they bad succeed
ed in the effort which they made to con-
vert this whole southland into the desc
lation of another Hayti.
The Senator charges that the two most
important Offices 10 Georgia under the
executive department, the collector at
Savannah and the collector in Atlanta,
are held by negroes: that the most I'M
por,ant Office 10 the executive department
10 Washington held by any one APP
pointed from Georgia is that OF register
of the treasury, and held by negro. He
asserts that in the three cities of oavan-
nah. Atlanta and New Orleans there are,
respectively, forty-two, ninety-four and
1903 negro FEDERAL officeholders. He holds
that 1t is the policy of the republican
party 10 put the negro in positions OF
authority in the Southern States. Aear
the conclusion of his letter be summarizes
his whole proposition with the question /:
"Shall we, above all other things. stand
for white supremacy and then he en-
phssizes bis view by citing the fact that
iu 1865 the negroes in the United States
numbered 100000; in 1905 they will
number more than 10000, 600; that
there are those children now born who
will in their day see more than 80, OOO,-
900 OF them here.
Rather than have negro rule Senator
Bacon is willing to accept reduction OF
Southern representation in the Congress
of the United Slater. He says;
''The repeal of The fifteenth amend
ment, leaving to each State the power
to regulate for itself the negro question,
would destroy the sectional barrier which
the South so greatly deplores, and for
the removal of which it knows no other
method"
He says at the last;
"Until this amendment is repealed
the menace which must ever accompany
it will require that the white men of the
South should stand together upon the
issue of white supremacy and opposition
to negro rule and negro Officeholding.
1t is within the power of the party, if it
desire TO do so, to repeal the fifteenth
amendment within the next three months
by securing the necessary action by Con-
Qrpss and the ratification by the requis-
tie number OF State Legislatures. When
they refuse to do so it can only be be-
cause they desire the continuance OF the
opportunity for negro rule and regro Of
6ceholdiDg. And while thus still be-
lesguriDg our stronghold, they approach
with soft words and promises Of the fav-
or of those who sit in the seats of power,
l would cry to the defenders of white
supremacy: Beware! The Greeks are at
the gates bearing gifts.