Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1905-05-12
Friday, May II, 1905.
THE NEW CONVERT OF THE SOUTH.

Friday, May II, 1905.
THE NEW CONVERT OF THE SOUTH.
a new broom is said to sweep clean,
and new convert to disclose extraor-
binary fervor. This can be said Of the
Hon. Thomas u. Jones, at one time
Governor of Alabama and now judge
of the United States District Court
for the circuit including Alabama.
Judge Jones was appointed by McMin-
ley. He had displayed those qualities
essential to the renegade of that peri
ed, and his kind was sought after and
much needed. As Democrat he had
boosted of his peculiar greatness, he
was better than his fellows, he was
above the ordinary man, he was too
good for the herd with which he had
been assoclating, and when the swarm
of gold bug Democrats infested the
country, Judge Jones FURNISHED his
wings and few with them. They were
the saviors of the country as we all
know, they purified the currency, and
the politics of the Democratic party by
leaving it, and they were taken up by
Mr.. Mckinley and occasionally put in
high places. Judge Jones is fair sam.
pie Of this "safe and sane'' element
which claims yet to be Democratic,
but is far more radical Republican
than the worst of the genuine article.
Judge Jones has found that the negro
should be looked after in Alabama, he
has had his grand juries busy with
offenders against the negro. There
has been a system of peonage going on
in Alabama and possibly other parts
OF the South, says Judge Jones, which
must be broken up. The negro has
been subjected to hard contracts which
make a slave of him, and it has become
the peculiar province and privilege of
Judge Jones to break up slavery. In
dictment after indictment has been
found and we learn that number of
people have been punished by this new
emancipation, because of their enforce
ment of hard contracts against the
negro.
Some time ago Negro was lynehed
in Alabama, Judge Jones got together
one of those grand juries of his, to
which he seems able to dictate exactly
what sort of indictment he wishes
found, and they indicted a man said to
be one of those engaged in the lynch.
ing. The person indicted plead thai
the offense, even If committed, was
punishable under the State and moi
the National laws. But Judge Jones
full of fervor and law, held differently
He held that the United States ha(
Jurisdiction under some of the amend
Deents to the constitution, possibly tn,
XIV amendment, We have not seen biz
finding, but only have newspaper re
ports Of it. The case was of course
appealed to the Supreme Court OF the
United States where 1t now rest,
awaiting decision by that tribunal
We are not discussing here the lega
aspects of the case, we are only calling
attention to the fact that change O
heart is often a fearful and wonderful
thing. 1t is needless to 60 back t.
Saul Of Tarsus for an example of how
one day he pursued Christians with {
malignlty that has seldom been equal
ed and the next day himself became 8
Christian. 1t is not necessary to cit,
VIM. Malone, or John s. Wise, or {
score Of others of their period. to show
that law and conscience and othel
human attributes can be twisted tt
suit any condition and fit any case.
1t ls only necessary to cite Judge Thos
It. Jones and the vast body of those
who became converted under the ban
ner of gold. to ideas which if carried
to their logical sequence would moi
only give them charge of all things OF
earth, but in heaven as well; would
entrnst them with all power and place
and dominion, would bring the negro
which they once professed to despise
very close to them, so close that to the
untutored eye and nose it would be
difficult to distinguish one from the
other. II Judge Jones could evolve
some law which would emancipate the
white people of the South from the
negro. or make law which would hold
the negro to contract, or prevent
outrages by negroes On white women
because they are white, he would con-
fer national blessing, whether he
worked out the problem through the
XIV amendment or through his gold
bug inspiration and renegade political
religion.