The Columbus weekly dispatch., 1907-02-28

Inc pr10clpaI issue raised IN the
campaign between Governor Varda-
man and the Hon. John Sharp vii
| liams appears to be in substance this:
Considering the interests of the
ers should, at this time, urge upon
the nation the repeal of the fifteenth
amendment, at the risk of precipitat-
ing acrimonious debate, and perhaps
adverse legislation, or should the
Southern people remain for further
period content with present condi-
tions?
Mr. Williams has called attention
to the fact that the proposed change
is not necessary to white domination,
and in this / think all will agree with
him We have as thorough white
domination now as can we'll be i'm
agined, and if this is all Mr.. Williams
sees in the proposed change, no won
der he considers the movement un-
necessary and therefore mischievous.
But is that all? | do not think SO.
In fact, | believe that the principle
of white domination (meaning there
by personal control and dominance,
sometimes in spite of law would on
the whole be weakened, not strength
ened, by the change which would
once and for all crystalline into sa-
red national enactment the principle
that a civilization erected by white
u 4
the control of white men. The negro,
being no longer q political menace,
would, l believe, receive degree of
protection in his person and property
which it is literally impossible, hui
man nature being what it is, to guar
antee him now.
Personally | hold on the main ques-
ton a very definite opinion. | believe
it is a duty which the South owes to
herself and to the nation to speak
with the utmost frankness and to tell
the North in terms which cannot be
misunderstood that her attitude with
reference to the suffrage has not
changed by so much as hairs
DfeduCn SiuCe tue HItetuIu dIueuu-
ment was adopted If | am told that
Mr. Williams has voiced this South
ern sentiment-that he, too, has ex-
pressed wish to see the fifteenth
his language and attitude are of such
a character that the average North
ern man might well regard them as
a politicians concession to local
prejudice, with which he has no SYM
pathy, but to which he feels he must
bow somewhat The South knows
Mr.. Williams to be uncompromising
ly in favor of white domination, be-
cause, being Southern gentleman,
there is no other view which he could
does not know this, and never will
know it, until Mr.. Williams makes
some very pointed remarks along the
following lines:
First-That the negro has no more
political influence in the South today
than he had during slavery
Second-That the fifteenth amend
ment is dead letter, as the need
may be, at every election.
Fourth-That after trying other
plans, our best men can find no other
method of preserving decent govern
ment in our midst.
Fifth-That we propose to conitn-
ue this as long as water runs and
grass grows.
Sixth-That the people of the
South are as one man on the subject
We must not forget that the re-
quest for this repeal must appear so
thing more bugle-like than Mr.. Will
liams' present statement is probably
needed to make the North under
stand that the South is in absolute
earnest. | freely admit that even
when the North realizes this she will
still be unconvinced on the main
point, may not for some time realize
that the South is right, but that will
come later.
The first step-the most important
step-win not have been taken until
the North is made to understand the
genuineness, the solidity and strength
of Southern public sentiment. Then
Northern men will begin to realize
that any opinion consistently enter
tanned by millions of Americans for
a period of fifty years must not only
Hon. John Sharp Williams issued
a six column interview from Wash