The Lexington advertiser., 1904-03-17


white men among whom he lives, or
is it based upon a desire for political
advancement?
Second. In viewing the course of
those politicians who have chosen to
select the South as the field for their
experiments in ill-considered decisions
on the race question, ask myself
whether the actions of such men are
impartial and without sectional or
political prejudice? To what is due
the fact that official insistence by
Republicans for the negro's social
rights always finds expression in
southern territory, the home of the
negro, whom it is desired to influence
politically? If public officials see 1t
their duty to appoint negro to high
Office, why not make the appointment
in Boston or New York, where it
would presumably be at least mat
ter of Indifference, rather than in
Mississippi or South Carolina where,
as every ore knows, the effect upon
the white race is equally bad? Fl
nally, does the preacher of social
equality between the white and black
races, the stirring up Of strife be-
tween them, really benefit the negro?
Is there any reason why the negro
should be thankful to the politicians
who put him in false position and
make it difficult for him to live on
friendly terms with the stronger race
about him. The white race in the
South, and the intelligent negro as
well, have decided that absolute social
distinction between the races is not
only essential, but absolutely neces-
sary. The stirring up Of race feel
ing, the insistence of social equality,
and social intercourse between blacks
and whites, cannot possibly help to
solve the negro question, or benefit
the section here that question is the
great issue. And yet such stirring
up of the two races has been confined
to that very section.
Has this benefited the negro? Had
it helped to solve his problem, which
consists in developing himself indus
trially, and living on good terms with
the sympathies Of the dominating
white race about him. Has it ever
benefited a minority racial element to
stir up within it or against it bitter
race feeling and anlmosity? Have the
negroes been benefited by their aspira-
tions for social equality, which has
been forced upon them from higher
source? No. On the contrary the
southern people to defend their insti-
tutions and to maintain necessary
conditions, have been forced to draw
the line more finely than ever. Does
the intelligent negro, when he comes
to vote, find that he owes anything to
a party, or to an individual that COM
plicates his life problem by separating
him from those upon whose sympathy
and interest his prosperity absolutely
depends. For my pert feel that it
is the duty of the North to strictly
and simply let the South alone in the
handling Of the great problem which
it understands infinitely better than
we do. This belief | have published
insistently in my various newspapers
throughout the country. ! should
not have ventured to take up so much
of your time with an exposition Of
my views upon this matter had | ex-
pressed simply my own and unim-
portant personal opinion, But | think
possibly as representatives Of Missis-
sippi, you may be interested in the
fact that such opinions as have ex-
pressed are placed before several
millions Of northerners who read my
newspapers every day, and shat such
opinions in my belief, are shared in
the main by these readers. The en-
tire country is deeply interested in
the problem with which you and the
South are dealing resolutely and in
telligently. Your failure to handle
that problem successfully would he
disastrous to the entire nation, North
and South. The least a northerner
can do, be he public official or private
citizen, is to let you alone and not
hamper you. interfere with you, or in
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