Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1907-01-22
A Deserved .Rebuke.

1t was a well deserved rebuke that
Senator Spooner gave to Senator Till
man when he took the South Carolinan
to task for having defended lynching.
"If there is one man who ought not to
encourage it." Senator Spooner said,
cit is man who sits here as a maker of
! laws" Directing himself to Mr.. Till
man, Senator Spooner said:
When l listen to the senator from
South Carolina, to his imprisoned ut
terances, to the opprobrious terms
which he sometimes applies to the col
ored race; uttered in public places car
ried broadcast throughout the land, to
wound the self-respect and the heart
and pride of every black skinned man,
woman or child under our flag, | cannot
help saying to him in all kindness. that
/ think he, more than others, because
of his ability and his prominence and
his leadership, is exciting and begetting
trouble in the South which all good men
should strive, by fair speech aad kind
ness and consideration-nct social
equality, but justice-to avert.
Now, Mr.. President, / take the liberty
of saying that such speeches as the SEN
ator from South Carolina INDUCES in
are not calculated to bring about a fu-
ture kindly, necessary and friendly ar
raugement of the relations between the
colored people and the white people of
the South. do not believe the white
people of the South believe in vehement
outburSts, or that the senator voices the
real sentiments of the leading, thought
fui people of the South. The South owes
much to the negro, and the negro is not
a baboon. Even in slavery days the
constitution referred TO the negroes as
persons. And lam sure the spirit which
will settle the southern question is quite
different in its language and its motive
from that of the senator from South
Carolina.
do not know any better way to pre-
eipitate a struggle between the two
races IN such an environment than to be
constantly and violently declaring it to
be imminent and inevitable.
Senator Tillman has much to answer
for in the intemperance that he has
brought to the discussion of the race
question. The greatest injury that he
has rendered has not been to the negro.
The cruelest blows that have been dealt
to the negro, have been dealt by his pro-
fessed friends. The negro has nothing
to fear from Tillman's exagger ated in
dictment. The fury with which he APP
proaches the race question disqualifies
him in the minds of those capable of
forming intelligent and impartial judg-
ment.
1t is the white man of the South that
is forced to bear the sting of Tillman's
venom. He brings to the field of discus
sion, the mad and blind hatred that
finding vent in mob fury brings disgrace
upon the South and alienates the SYM
patty of the North Ii is unjust to the
white men of the South to Judge them
by the Atlanta mob or Tillman's utter
ances. We. Senator Tillman appears
before Northern audiences and is ac-
cepted by the great mass of Northern
ers rs voicing the views of Southern
white men and in his utteranees and
bearing they are judged. 0S
Senator Tillman is an able and honest
man. In the senate he has rendered
and is capable of rendering the people
service OF great value. But on the me-
GRO question he is obSeSsed. He is lost
to reason, humanity and justice when
he attacks the race problem. de should
pray to be delivered from himself.-ldil-
waukee News.