The sea coast echo. [volume] (Bay Saint Louis, Miss.) 1892-current, 1904-07-02
|OHN SHARP WILLIAMS
| EXPLAINS NEGRO PLANK
h. Brilliant rllnority Leader from
mississippi Analyses the Feature
Of the Republican Platform.

OF the kepuOe" ns
Hon. John Sharp Williams, Demo-
atie leader Of the House Of Represen-
Stiyes, when asked for his views Of the
Republican platform, said;
s aIn the main there is nothing new
bout it, because there is nothing new
Il il. 1t is simply the old Republican
line of claiming everything good that
Il happened and denying the truth,
Smely, that the Republican party has
<sne nothing in two years except .'stand
n ,"as they call it, and spend money"
81 win not now go into the minor de-
|zils of the platform. It simply Stands
\ i, everywhere except in one respect,
Z bd that is respect in which it could
I'm have afforded to flet we'll enough
None if things are indeed ever well
bough in this world. That is the plank
which it promises, if it finds the suf-
|:age Of any State 'unconstitutionally
{nited,' that discrimination to repre-
ntation Of that State in congress, and
IA the Electoral College wlll be made.
<be adverb 'unconstitutionally' is. use
4 Is and fools nobody, especially when
"A e remembers that the author Of the
brase, or at least the voice that read it,
4 Is the author Of the old force BILL
"Whether or not the suffrage has
Zen 'unconstitutionally limited is a
hitter for the courts to determine, and
report Of Republican committee on
|ections in the last congress so con-
1sses it. If man be 'unconstitution
M denied the suffrage then, after a
u determination to that effect, he can vote
that is his remedy, and the right reme-
and having voted, of course, there
1uld be no reduction of representation
his account.
But all this decelves nobody, as
d. The real object of the Republican
5krty, insofar as this plank is concerned,
Swever specious the phraseology in
hich ii is clothed, is to reduce Southern
representation without reducing that Of
pssaehusetts, Connecticut and other
btes, wherever in the South negroes
"a DISTINGUISHED, not as such, but be-
lse Of ignorance, by an educational
ratification, or because OF any other
4 hit reason, in any other constitutional
i y. Disfranchiserient of a negro for
porance in Mississippi is a horrible
ing; Acknowledgement of white man
~ ignorance in Massachusetts is a part
bigher civilization.
Let not the business interests of the
Pntry deceive itself; let those con-
Rllng it prepare for another period of
certainty, unrest business.
DISTURBANCE AND RACE WAR.
p the United States, instead Of that
bee and prosperity which both races
10y, and which has been rendered DOS
le only by home rule and by white
gemacy. Let the South not deceive
z III either. II the Republican party
Re sincere in its proposition to reduce
nthem representation on the ground
the disfranchisement of the negro
+ in the South, thereby condoning
disfran2hisement of unconstitutional
4 itation itself, it would accompany the
position with another, to-wit: the
position to repeal the Fifteenth
pendment. Their duplicity is shown
this, They wish to maintain the
endment which prevents the negro,
racial reasons, from being disfran-
Pea, and yet, on the pretense that he
'or racial reasons disfranchised they
pa have the negro not counted as a
RlS OF representation in the Southern
YES where he chiefly resides. 1t is
tne White man, as white man, who
hiur6d by recurrence to the tend,
les OF force bill days. He can and
FayS will maintain himself.
us business, commerce, manufac-
ng, agriculture and the negro him.
commercially and industrially the
'e men OF the South will not be so
ch injured by this sort of agitation as
'nern people will be, because the
rage Southemer is not rich ANYHOW,
M his food and clothes out OF the
~ and these he would get anyhow.
mercantile class would be the first
uhef' Out as thew owe debts TO the
u ana BUY from the North, and as
" everything they sell is manufac-
y IN the North, they would not be
Pc In their suffering
his is
'OF THE ENTERING WEDGE
new period of Southern reconstruc-
1t is the beginning Of the old
'ne' revived for political advantage,
a'S'lng OF the retention of the solid
vote in Indiana, Illinois, New
ana other like conditioned States,
.iiio without price in money paid,
u's'uro' all over the prosperous
Auana' peace and order, TO demora-
'eVlVlng industries, to unsettle busi-
aio labor, to disintegrate society
as regular effect, if successful, its
nlaton. That is the ultimate signifi-
q 1t all, if, indeed, it be not
Ivy a Voice in the wilderness crying
'upty promises to the negro voters
y uouotful States. wish / could
wv II was only that. would be-