New-York tribune., 1906-09-08
REPUBLICANS IN THE SOUTH.
One of Them Writes About Ever Present
Negro Question.
} the Editor OF The Tribune.

To the Editor OF The Tribune.
Sir: In the East and North. where Republican,
ism is popular. people have little conception of
what it is to be a Republican in the South One
thing, and only makes position at the
South unpopular. and that is that we insist upon
giving 10 the Negroes equal political rights with
the whites All fair minded men of all parties here
concede 10 him equal rights In the courts but prao
tically all men except few Republicans deny his
right 20 hold office and participate in politics
an equality with white He is separated in
church. In school. IN railroad and streetcars and
nowhere can one find assembly OF Negroes and
whites mingling together. except in a Republican
meeting He enjoys his freedom 20 the full. and Of
late years has shown disposition to domineer
HIS white friends that furnishes strong argument
against hts participation in political affairs.
White men who attend these meetings are OBJ
jects OF jest and suspicion by nine-tenths Of the
white race. but Republicans believing that they
are right, have continued to submit 10 defeat I'm
every election for more than forty years. solely
a punishment for allowing Negroes equal repre-
sentation In their party caucuses and conventions.
and now what have the Negroes done for them
selves for the party that has maryred itself for
their good2 They will not pay one dollar poll tar
year TO vote Fewer and fewer vote each year.
and more Of them vote for the party which opposes
them than do for the that helps them They
show no concern now while threatened with
9, fraudulent administration Of law intended TO
a S sSe5x s@OsF e 81 G T al 9He ss
Southern states. Republican meetings are being
@ tha 8 sG m no1 e4fd @Sm Gn tne
White tired OF defeat on account or the
race issue. The Negroes seem TO care nothing for
political rights and II is impossible for white men
to preserve these rights TO race which will not
help itself wo-thirds OF the white Of
my acquaintance are Republicans, and only vote
the Democratic ticket for fear Of Negro domination
end about the time think have relegated the
ss to oD 6 an sE ep@ snd ss n s on % @
women by the brutal part Of the Negro race breaks
out sfTesh and prejudice against the whole race,
guilty and innocent, grows apace making IL impOs-
sible for white men 20 DO anything toward healing
the breach. Under these circumstances white Re-
publicans growing restive. They know that
without this issue the Democratic party would be
thing of the past IN Georgia and other Southern
states, and as Republicans they are being defeated
and kept IN a minority oy their adherence to an
ceed in the South. They have the choice Of uniting
with the other parties and peoples In these states
and organizing a white Republican party or OF
suffering unending defeat at the polls.
IL would be far better for white men TO succeed
70 the control OF the state government who would
guarantee equal rights to all, with not coloFed
in the organization than that the state should
be ruled hy a who has lately advocated a
franchise every Negro. While Northern partisans
cannot realize the necessity OF any color line IN
politics. IL plain 20 all Southern men that
this condition OF affairs ts rapidly approaching and
state and then all will enjoy their legal rights
never before Southern Republicans are some
times blamed fO- seeking Office, but why not seek
f.? This IS all they get for what they sacrifice by
being Republicans: the loss is much greater than
the gain though they held all the Offices in this
gion once should be iudiCiOUsly bestowed; let our
verv wiSest and best rule. but II any class
more another deserves office II Is the class OF
A NATIVE GEORGIA REPUBLICAN
ind ia &