The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1907-07-20
IS THERE A RACE
QUESTION

VOG0 xON
Hon. John Sharp Williams, and his
supporters, political enemies of Gov.
Vardaman, are deriving the race is
sue IN the present campaign and
claim that our governor is merely us
ing the negro to ride to the senate.
We may not have any race equality
in Mississippi right now, but we are
next door to il. and when one stops
10 think of what may be the out
come of this precedent, We are at a
loss to understand why any white
man in the South VII rest a minute
until the fourteenth and fifteenth
amendments have been repealed.
A recent newspaper special to the
New York World, dated from Altar
ia, Ga, had the following:
wv H. Rogers the only neelo
member of the legislature of the
state of Georgia, representing Mcln-
tosh county, where negroes exceed
white in population, will retain his
seat in the house, the committee on
privileges and elections having at a
meeting decided in his favor.
"a contest for his seat had been
instituted by white man, George E
Atwood, it being held that two pre-
cincts should be thrown out because
the polls were closed by seventy
fifth meridian time and not by sun
time, and the other because one Of
the election managers was not a free
holder. The committee held a long
discussion lasting over four hours
Counsel for both sides were heard al
length The interest in the hearing
was shown by the packed condition
Of the rooms.
Efforts were made to adjourn the
hearing. Int this too failed The COLI
mittee being DESTROYS of ending the
case, the decision against Atwood is
all the more interesting on accou1.:
OF the fact that twenty years ago ".
IT. Atwood, his brother, instituted d
contest in the house for the seat Of
Lectland Crawford on the same
grounds, argued the case and won
his seat"
With Alabama educating neg. oes
by the help of Northern miliona1res,
and the state of Georgia allowing ne
gro legislators to sit in its most aug
ust body, who can tell what the pass
ing Of time will bring about in Mis-
sissippi unless we keep up the fight:
The fact that a Southern state allows
a negro legislator to assist in franz
ing its laws and government seems
almost incredible, and the far seeing
and thoughtful will we'll cry, 'Where
will it all end?
Under such circumstances we do
not see why a man as intelligent as
John Sharp Williams and others in
the state will ridicule the stand taken
by Governor Eardaman on the re-
peal of the obnoious amendm ents
It seems to us that man who has
the smallest spark of patriotism in
him would never rest until the repeal
has been accomplished and John
Sharp Williams IS III position to
make the question of race equality 4
national issue, but instead he is will
ing to- fold his hands ard wait until
the Opportunity presents itself, and
then he promises 10 work hard and
faithfully for the repael Of the amend
ments Waiting has never accom-
plished anything yet, and never will.
The wise man makes the opportunity
Mr. Williams is a brainy
man, well educated, and a Southern
er and why this question has not
stirred him up to action before this
IS beyond our comprehension. r.
member this, had John Sharp WI
lams in the last session OF the United
States legislature done anything to
bring up this question, had he ac-
complished the repeal, his friends and
supporters who arl now declaring
there is no race question would land
him He would have had the whole
South praising him