Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1907-05-25
A WORD FOR TILLMAN. !

l $3.50 ~ WOhO fOH ttLLMaN.
| There is tendency of us Americans
in these days to criticise others ma,
tons and peoples, their manners, Gus.
toms and religions, and endeavor to
have them adopt the laws which we
| have manufactured expressly for them
or force upon them the religion which
| we deem vastly superior to their own
forgetting that their own laws and
religion may be the best for them
when their temperament, intellectual
capacity and physical conditions are
considered. In other words simply
because we, as a nation. are fairly
prosperous, and feeling pretty strong
and robust. thank yon, we have come
to the conclusion that we hold a com
mission from the Ruler of the Uni.
verse to regulate the affairs Of all
| other peoples, who live far enough
away from US SO that we can do the
regulating at long range and not be
compelled to mix with the dear bro.
thers of foreign lands or nativity,
and also avoid all other disagreeable
and distasteful incidentals connected
with the regeneration we have plan
ned.
We think that the Chinese ought to
accept our Christ, but we also think
that an exclusion act is about the
proper thing SO that our immaculate-
ness may not be soiled by Immediate
contact with the object Of our solicit
tude.
Although quite number Of us have
never been in India and know compar-
atiyely little about the people or their
conditions, yet we have it all figured
out with great exactness just what
those people need to make them happy
and prosperous, and we even venture
to put up the medicine in capsules
ready for them to take, (from a long
handled spoon, however, and ii, per
chance, they don't take It with ex-
pressions of delight and thankfulness
we Immediately remark upon the de.
generacy and hopelessness of such
people. ;,s. "a.
What is true of us as a nation is, OF
course, true as to individuals, com
munities or sections OF the whole.
We people OF the northern states
have a consuming love and almost
human regard for the southern negro.
But at the same time we are not ex-
tending any very strong invitations
to him to come and live amongst us.
In fact, after mature deliberation we
believe and almost. know that the
south is the best place for him.
Those of us who have given 1t any
thought are also fully aware, that on
account of climatic, Industrial or So
cial conditions there is need Of con-
siderable variation in the laws and
customs of the different states or
communities. That the people of one
community cannot always be sure Of
what is best for those Of another
locality many miles distant. 8.
We OF the north, (where the colored
population is small), are able to bear
with exemplary fortitude the burdens
OF the race problem We criticise the
southern senator, (Benjamin Tillman)
and say that, he is rabid and unchar-
liable. And yet we are, ourselves, I'M
charitable to the southern white man
and insist that he should take what
ever medicine we have prescribed for
him whether it is suited to his needs
or not
We proclaim very forcibly that we
would not be dominated by the col.
ored people, yet we berate the south
ern white man when he says the same
thing.
As punishment for the debasing
crimes for which the negro is motor.
ious we humanely state that we would
shoot or hang him on the spot, but
we Immediately condemn the south.
ern white man as a barbarian who
| does this.
We have caused ourselves to believe
that as upright and law-abiding citi
zens we are without parallel, and IT is
with expressions of horror and con
sternation that we view the disfran
chisement Of the negro and consequent
nulliication OF the fifteen amendment
TO the Constitution, and yet how many
laws on the statute books OF North Da,
kota have been a nullity for many
years. (as witness the prohibition law
and many are even today imperative
in North Dakota and other northern
states, simply because they do NOT
happen to suit the majority Of the
people and they therefore prefer to
ignore them.