Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1908-09-12
COLONEL wATTERsoN'S AMAZ-
ING ADVICE.

| '~'i"Ni b'"aiJ duNlCe, relative 10 the
negro vote. given by Colonel Henry
Watterson, one OF the foremo men
In the south-that is to say, in the
country-a man imbued IN eve. v
fiber OF his being with all that IS
highest and best In Southern feel
Ing. southern tradition, southern
sentiment, and southern pride of
race-one whose splendid career.
brilliant talents. and exalted char
acter have shed lustre upon his peo-
| pie and upon his profession. That
such a man, born under the shad-
ow OF Virginia's hills and N sight
OF the home of Lee, should DELHI r.
ateiy counsel the leaders OF his par
~ to bid for the negro vote I'm the
pr sidential contest, and thus give
them the balance Of power between
the contend ng factions of his own
race, can scarcely be cred ted. Is
II possible that Colonel Watterson
fails to realize what this would
mean?
We have none but the kindest
feeling toward the negro. We would
not willingly deprive him OF any
inherent .Sht, and we stand ready
now, as we have always done, to
protect him so far as in us lies.
from injustice. wrong. or oppression
Our people were the kindly and hui
name masters of faithful slaves, and
we would be false to every Inherit
ed tradition and INST If we fail
ed to condemn any wanton injury
or injustice perpetrated or attepnf
ed against the negro; but we d.,
deliberately OF opinion that the foul
est wrong ever done to people.
and the foulest political crime rec
orded in the annals of history, was
| That perpetrated by the north when
the Republican party when at the
point of bayonet the enfranchised
negroes were vested with suffrage
| ana diligently taught the false and
mischievous lie of racial equality.
We paGs over the fact that IN the
CIVIL War they did not scruple to
arm our slaves against us, their
own brothers in blood and race. a
thing that the merciless conqueror
| of Europe, in the hour of his iirest
need, shrank in horror from doing
And yet the Russian serfs, whom
Napoleon refused to free and arm
We're of the same race and blood as
Their masters. But this was a We
NAL sn compared with the deadly
crime of reconstruction. In the
fierce struggle that followed, not
merely for the preservation OF our
civilization, but for the very exist
ence OF our race, the south became
solid "-solidly Democratic-not
because Of economic n asons. not
because our people were naturally.
necessarily. or imam mously Demo-
cratic; not in the hope of speedily
regaining our lost prestige and DOW
er in national affairs. or any of the
honors, profits, or emoluments of
Federal office. These last were sur
rendered to the traitors and rene
gaIes, who in our bitter extremity
turned against us. For many years
Federal office in the south was look
ed upon, not as badge of honor.
but as infamy. We are content to
serve in the party ranks and serve
m
party aiding us in preserving some
shadow of local self government.
and, above all in defending our
selves against the black death that,
with the support and encourage
ment of the Republican party and
the north, was about TO overwhelm
us.
The negro is the secret OF the
solid south. II is solid and will
remain solid so long as the negro
question survives, as a perpetual
protest against, ami a formidable
obstacle to, the consummatt on OF
the foul crime of reconstruCtion-
the full exercise of negro suffrage
and the full acceptance OF the false
Vie Of racial equality. That We shall
be given free hand in this mat
ter, and that the party will support
us N it and steadfastly refrain from
adopting any course or pursuing
any policy that would embarrass or
compromise us in dealing with the
negro question, is the one absolute
~ und!sctsBable condition to the
solid south's support Of the Demo-
crate party-a party that without
the solid south would just at pres
ent be about as respectable as Debs'
Socialists, and about as formidable
as Hearst's League.
For the responsible organization
Of the Democratic party to make a
formal bid for the negro vote. and
for the responsible leader and nom
Inee for the presidency to election
eer for this vote in the so called
doubtful states. would be a distinct
and formal admission by the party
Of the negroes right TO the suffrage
and his political equality with the
whites. This would be a plain de-
sSrt on of tho gOuth and aat ror,,.tt