The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1908-02-21
Wilson on the Negro.

In his recent visit to New York,
Governor Wilson is reported As saying
For forty years we have been voting
consistently against the negro, just be-
cause he was the negro, and dumbly
keeping at it, without realizing that
by sticking to such a policy we were
eliminating ourselves from NATIONAL
politics.
Such a course is manifestly fool
ish. do not say vote with the
negro in every thing or take
him in as partner. but let US at least
cease this senseless fight against him,
which is only prosecuted out of ohstinay
We have never made anything by the
fight. 1t has done us lots of harm. /
have always been against it, and I'm
against it still. Kentucky has been
showing her realization of the truth
lately, and think she will continue to
show it.
This is rot and nonsense, says the
Danville Advocate, and we are surpriS-
ed at Governor Wilson, though we are
aware that he has always been poser
as the close friend of the negro that
he would make such a statement
where it will make false impression
of the proud old Commonwealth, which
has so recently hOnored him. When
have the good people of Kentucky ever
made this "senseless fight" against
the negro? Gov. Wilson says for the
last forty years. Surely he is mis-
taken. Does the condition of the
negro since mis- release from slavery
show it? Does the amicable relations
between the whites and blacks Indicate
it? The statistics will show that in
proportion to the negro population,
there has been fewer disturbances be-
tween the races In Kentucky than any
other State in the Union. Does that
look like fight on the negro? Schools
for negro children, supported mainly
by taxes levied against:.the white man,
dot the hillsides and cluster in the val
legs. Their churches, in very many
cases literally contributed TO by white
people, have increased and fiourished.
The trades and professions are open to
them, the white and colored laborer
work amicably together and the pro-
fessional and business men of both
races live in the peace and harmony Of
daily intercourse. Such conditions
are not brought about by "senseless
fight on the negro. Such statements
as that of Governor Wilson, made for
the sole purpose of catching the ear of
the prejudiced North and to catch and
hold the vote of the negro at home,
are detrlment to the State and make
a false impression before the eyes of
the nation, as we'll as tending to preju-
dice the negro against his best friends.
! his white neighbors.
If Governor Wilson means oy "vOt-
ing consistently against the negro"
that Kentucky has voted against the
Republican party, then the people will
have to plead guilty. While the negro
constitutes large per cent of the Re-
publican party in Kentucky, we never
knew. before. and. we are glad to learn
from such eminent source now that the
negro is the party, so to speak. But
Governor Wilson need not delude him
self with the thought that the people
are going to change their way OF vot-
ing, as the recent State election might
seem to indicate; for the last time it
was choice betweenis seif-perpetuat-
ing, office-holding oligarchy and new
deal; so the people chose what they
conceived to be the lesser evil, and
time alone will demonstrate to what
dire straits they were driven.