The Columbus weekly dispatch., 1907-02-28
THE YARDAKAN-WILLIAMS CONTEST

be reckoned with, but have behind II
reasons of most solid and substan-
tial character.
Northern men may never under
stand the race question as We do;
nor is that necessary. They have a
genuine respect for the Southern peo-
pie, and the great argument which
, am persuaded will finally bring con-
viction, or at least action, will be
this:
1.-The Southern people, after years
of peace and prosperity, quietly and
one voice, ask for the change. 1t is
matter which affects them only
let's do as they wish"
/ see no necessity of making the
request in a manner calculated TO
arouse great feeling or bring upon
our heads any reprisal. No harsh
word need be uttered with reference
to the North or the negro. We can
even show that the negro will be
helped by the change.
All admit that the South would be
better off with two political parties,
as was the case before the war. An
glo-Saxon institutions grew up under
that system-are an expression of IL
and cannot attain the highest eff
cheney without it.
Inasmuch as everyone is more in
terested in his own affairs than in
those of another, and since the nation
is injured by our thralldom to the
one party system, let us put our de-
mand, in part at least, on that ground
and let us say, I'VE seek this change,
not in order to control the negro
for we do that now-but in order
that we may be free-free to hold
national and local-free to have two
parties-free to stop the tendency to-
ward the adoption in elections be-
tween ourselves of methods learned
in the effort to control the negro. ;"
Once let the Nothern man get be-
fore him the idea that We seek this
change in order to better Americans,
better able to cooperate in the estab-
lishment of our national, State and
local governments upon a higher
plane of civilization, law and morals,
and the battle will be more than half
won, time and his own good sense
will do the rest.
To say this to him in a manner
which will convince him of our sim
cerity, our seriousness and our unan-
unity, appears to me to be our first
duty. When this has been done, and
it will take more than one election
to the senate to do it, it may seem
polite to let the Northern mind lie
fallow and the bill finally come from
the North, as Mr.. Williams suggests.
But until then the South owes it to
the nation to declare her position,
so that the North will hear and un-
derstand.
We are so absolutely convinced on
the subject that we don't often speak
stand; but they do not understand
and never will until we tell them in
the only way which will impress it
upon their minds, namely, by sending
to congress and the senate men who
have made their race before the peo-.
pie on the question.
Mr. Williams has suggested that
Governor Vardaman, if made senator,
could do but little toward bringing
about this change, and we may go
further and say that the success or
failure of any one candidate is un-
likely, of itself, to deeply affect the
future of the country. But under our
system of government we have no
means of ascertaining public opinion
save as it may be expressed at the
polls, when candidates advocating
different measures seek office. / trust
therefore that these gentlemen will
realize their representative character
as fully as l am persuaded the people
do. and put behind them, as much as
possible, any desire save that of rep
resenting these two views of policy
with all the force and power of which
they are capable, to the end that the
people may be able to choose wisely
between them.
Mississippi has ever been leader
of Southern opinion and her decision
with reference to this issue will, in
all likelihood, influence many other
of the States.
In the days of George and Lamar,
had her duty-to eStab-
lish white dominion in as lawful and
peaceful a manner as possible-and
how we'll she succeeded let her pres
ent condition of prosperity and peace
and her many imitatorS prove: but