Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-08-07


Men of the Vardaman type might
easily become very damaging mischief
makers if the country were disposed 10
take them seriously. In his recent
campaign for United States Senator
from Mississippi Vardaman's stock IN
trade was a promise to his misguided
followers which included most of the
Cracker" element among the white
population-the most radical of the
negro haters-that he would, If elected
work to secure the repeal OF the III
tcenth amendment to the Federal con-
stitution which provides that "The
right Of the citizens Of the United
States tn vote shall not be denied or
abridged by the United States, or by
any state. on account of race. color or
previous condition of servitude."
| Now Ex-Governor Vardaman knows
inst as well as his successful COMPETE
for. John Sharp Williams, that there
is not the remotest chance that the
will be repealed. In holding out this
bait to his ignorant followers, he was
playing the demagogue pure and sim
pie. Mr.. Williams, who is a man of
character and ability, although a pro-
nounced free trader and taking in gen.
eral the radical Southern view oe public
| questions, did not undertake to de-
ccive his followers. He recognizes, as
do all honest and intelligent men of
repeating the fifteenth amendment. He
could not descend to the methods of
the cheap and fire-eating Vardaman,
and, nevertheless he found the general
public hostility to the fifteenth amend
ment among the people of Mississippi
very serious factor in his canvass
for the senatOrship. He met 1t by
asserting that the repeal of the flf-
tccnth amendment to the constitution
was not an issue in the campaign. in
asmuch as the so-callcd George law
passed by the state legislature had ac-
Complished, SO far as Mississippi Is
concerned, the practical result desired.
viz, the Acknowledgement of the ne
gro race. Here was statement by
the Democratic leader of the National
House of Representatives that his own
state of Mississippi, had by legislative
enactment practically nullified the If
tccnth amendment to the Federal con-
stitution-one of the fruits of the
great Civil War-which emphatically
forbids any state to deny or abridSe
the right Of any citizens to vote ION
account of race, color. or previous con-
dition Of servitude." The political
exigcncies must have been severe in
Williams prominence an admission of
this character. To be sure it is the
absolute truth; but the foremost men
in the South. which is enjoying repre-
sentation in Congress, based in large
part. upon the negro population they
have disfranchised, have felt that the
least said about the state laws ac-
this result the better. 1t
could only arouse the honest resent
ment Of the North, where five votes
are required to equal the vote of one
Southern white man, and might more
over force some Of these notorious
state laws to the test Of the United
States Supreme Court which would,
doubtless. make things exceedingly I'M
for number of the South
ern states by prOnouncing them in
violation Of the Federal constitution.
Something of this feeling is reflected
in the attitude Of q number Of the
Southern newspapers towards
Gov. Vardaman. They do not hesi-
tate to assert that his talk about re-
nealing the fifteenth amendment is
folly, and express the opin-
ion that the South can get no possible
good from such agitation, and may
suffer much harm. The Washington
Post declares that 1.-THE North Is con-
tent with the thing as it stands. 1t
gave the negro opportunity. If the
negro at the South was not strong
enough to reap the full advantages of
the fifteenth amendment it was his
misfortune. and the North has no no
ton of bothering further with it." In
the foregoing statement the Post
voices the sentiment of the South, and
not Of the North. There has been, it
is true, a growing feeling in the North
that the SOUTH should be given free
hand in working out it's very serious
negro problem from the sociological
and economic standpoint. There has.
however. been a constant and growing
protest against the high-handed man
ner in which Southern states have
sought, by insidious methods, to set
aside the hard earned results of the