The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1908-07-23

| the negro was incapable OF SELF
government. However, when /
saw a resolution offered which
could accomplish no possible good
to the white people of Mississippi,
but would cause the negroes of the
north to vote for Judge Taft who,
otherwise, would not vote at all,
felt it my duty to my constituency
to warn tkem of what | conceived
to be an erroneous step, and so |
did.
The adoption of the resolution
could have benefited nobody, ex-
cept its author, who might thereby
have felt endorsed by the conven-
ton, while its tendency would have
been to cause the negroes in the
north to vote for Judge Taft, who
would possibly, and even probably,
not vote at all in the coming cleo.
ton.
If we of the south have any
friends in the north they are the
democratic party there. They are
urging us not to unnecessarily and
uselessly do anything that will add
votes to their political opponents.
| We cannot afford to uselessly
throw obstacles in the way of our
friends in the north by adding to
the strength of our enemies there
just on the eve of presidential
election.
A few northern republicans,
possibly one in thousand, may
have probably seen the mistake of
investing the negro with the power
of the ballot, but they are afraid to
express such opinion in the north
because the mass of the northern
republicans are as fanatical on the
subject of negro suffrage as they
ever were. If anything could
shake them loose from adherance
to negro suffrage it will be some
thing that will prevent the negro
at the north from voting the repub.
lican ticket; therefore, the great inn
portance of not uselessly driving
the negro to vote for Taft when he
is inclined to abstain from the polls.
A great tribute was paid to the
institution of negro slavery by the
republican party when they freed
the negroes. But the greatest
tribute that ever was paid to the
institution of slavery was when
they enfranchised the negro. For
thousands of years the negro was
a barbarian and cannibal and made
no advancement whatever. Those
who were brought over here were
kept in slavery one or two CEN
turtles, and at the end of that time
the republican party said they
were capable, not only of self
government, but of the government
of the Caucasian race. They had
no tutelage nor instruction except
that received from the institution of
slavery, and if this institution
could, within such a short time, so
civilize and develop and Christian
ize them as to make them capable
of self-government, it must have
been the greatest institution that
ever animated from human mind
and effort.
After fanatically paying such
tribute to slavery by freeing and
enfranchising .the negro they are
not going to permit their fanaticism
to take any steps backward, and
thereby admit the mistake they
made. There is no need to discuss
the iniquities of the amendments to
the people of Mississippi. We are
all agreed that it was an interpola-
ton to place them, in the constitu-
ton, and it is useless to argue to
the people that which they already
know. If there is any hope for us
in this matter it is in the supreme
court of the United States. That
court has in some instances re-
versed itself and overruled its for
mer decisions, notably in the in
come tax case.
Let not be misunderstood: |
would not do the negro injustice;
on the contrary | would do him
good. like to see him treated
fairly in dealing with him; and pro-
tected in his life, liberty and prop
erty when he behaves. IWould not
take from him anything that prop
erly belongs to him but it does
not properly belong to him to par
ticipate in the administration of this
government.
have possibly extended this
letter too long, but have done so
because there are those who are
seeking some pretext to assail me,
who are trying to create the i'm
preston that advocated at the