Martinsburg statesman-democrat. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1906-1921, 1908-08-14

The adoption, by an overwhelming
majority, Of planks in the Democratic
State Platform, demanding separate
coaches and compartments on railway
trains for white and colered people and
protection from the abuses inflicted by
negro suffrage, was radical step, but
an inevitable one, whatever the con-
sequence. Politically, the sentiment
in the convention was so strong and
the feeling on the subject SO great that
its adoption was foregone conclusion
from the moment it was reported. 1t
Is advanced ground for the party in
this State, but having taken that
ground we must stand or fall upon it.
There should be no apologies, M hest
tation, no retreat. The fighting should
be forced aud the issue joined. And
why should the issue not have been
raised? Upon the Committee on Res
buttons were Henry. g. Davis and
John J. Davis, two men, who, accord
ing to the course Of natural events can
attend but few more Democratic con-
ventions. They subscribed TO the
plank and the latter though eHfeebled
by years, took the floor and defended
it with the ability and much of the
old time fire and vigor that the mani
tested twenty years ago, when we first
heard his voice il Democratic State
Conventions.
These two veterans left this plank, a
legacy, as it were, to their party and
the party accepted it.
Why the sentiment and telling
which prompted it? That giving the
ballot, in time of passion and hatred,
to the negro, just freed from slavery,
was a mistake no honest Republican
will deny and that it was crime most
intelligent persons will admit 1t
brought more sorrow, suffering, ex-
pense and disgrace upon the South
during the carpet-bag period than did
the whole Civil war 1t led to reckless
y
other states, where the negro's vote be-
came a political commodity, bought
and sold on the highest bid. 1t took
the Aryan race countless centuries to
develop to the point where self gov
eminent could be maintained. Su-
perior in intellect and intelligence from
the very hour when they emerged cut
of mists of the forgotten past, on the
Eastern As'atir slopes and conmenc-
ed their westward march, it was new
ertheless process of gradual evolu-
ton and slow development, this high
privilege Of self government, yet for
political purposes millions of black
men, only few generations removed
from cannibalism and savagery, and
that short period spent in slavery,
were given civil and political equality
with the whites.
In this State, especially in the
Southern and border counties, are
many thousand black voters, large
per cent of whom left their homes in
Virginia and the Carolinas and came
here because they committed some
crime there. The jails of those counties
are filed with them and they are sent
to the penitentiary in job lots of 40 to
so at single term of court. Under
the new tax laws the big end of these
criminal charges must be borne by the
counties, so is it any wonder the
whites are growing restless? Not only
do these vote without even paying
their head tax, as many AS five thous-
and being returned delinquent in a
single county. bat they vote early ard
often, repeat vote if they have not
been in the State but single day. By
the grace of them the Republican State
Machine is in power today.
1t is the old, old issue, the supre-
macy of the races. With the Demo-
Gratis will line up white Republicans
who belive in White supremacy. Let
the battle 40 forward, as it will and
we predict that so earnest and aggres-
sive will ii he waged that on election
dav, in tead of voting three or four
times, at as many different preeiscts,
as they have heretofore do in Fay
cite, ksnawha aud Mcdowell, the
colored repeater will not be able 10
vote more than once '-Ha mpshire Re
view.