The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-02-28

deplored "the wicked and silly threat" to import negroes from the South into the doubtful states of the North, Ia order to carry the elections against the Presidents party; because, he said. If this is ever done. and this question fought out on racial lines. in- stead of having more influence in politics, the negro would have less. for 1t would eventuate in his complete elimination from political affairs"
 Cue is Furnished.
 So, Messrs. Tillman. vardaman. ct al, here's your cue. furnished you by an astute and intelligent negro. if you are really in earnest about wishing to repeal the Fourteenth and Fifteenth amendments.
 Five million more negroes in the North would accomplish in hurry what you will never accomplish with all your lurid rhetoric You can just figure on five millions. and send them up; and that is all you need do. the negroes and the North will do the rest.
 But 1t seems to be more agreeable to the genius of Southern .oratory to abuse the negro and upbraij the North than to propose anything really prac- tical and helpful for Its own section.
 
 ready to tell us how degraded and worthless the negro is; and then he takes a sarcastic fling at the North for endowing him with the suffrage, and winds up with a scornful impu- tation of the Northcrner's sordid mo- tive. And 1t never occurs to this irate Southerner that his own attitude on this question is far more inconsistent, far more cordially selfish than the Ar v.sc a flection must show him that this Is the case
 The Northerner panders to the negro for the sake of his vote. and he gets 1t; the Southern man panders to him to the extent of keeping this de graded and worthless creature in daily and hourly contact with his own family-at their imminent peril. ac- cording to his own showing-for the sake of his labor which three times out of four he doesn't get.
 Which cuts the sorriest figure in this, think you?
 And if the Southern farmer cares more about his next years crop" than he does about the future development of the South, and the safety of South ern women. where will he find a stone to cast at the Northern politician who cares more about his next seat in Congress. than hs.does about the South and the safety of Southern women? The Northerner is at least not disloyal to his own section and his own women; but can as much be claimed for the Southerner, who for the sake of his personal ease or present gain, deliberately helps to- fasten upon his own soil. in perpetuity. this black problem, in whose shadow turks waiting tragedy?
 But" say the Southern objectors, 'ff the North does not want the negroes. and the latter do not want to leave the South. we cannot force them to acquiesce in this scheme of dis tribution." True, but we can force an honest declaration of purpose and showing of hands from both the North and the negro, and, this will be some thing gained.
 If the North Is sincere in her profess sions, she can't very consistently re- fuse to receive the negro if he wishes to come; and If the negro Is sincere In his loud complaints against the South, and the unjust discriminations he claims to suffer there, he should well come the opportunity to escape into region where free ballots and fair counts" hang on every. limb, and where the color line shows dimmest-in pub lie at least.
 The point I wish to make. is. that the South has never proposed to share her surplus negroes with the North; and she has offered the negro no in- ducement to leave On the contrary she has offered him every inducement to stay. even to the point of some of her legislatures passing laws to forbid his removal; and when by chance, some of them do escape into the North, we stand ever ready to welcome them back, whenever they choose to return. immensely tickled if they tell us-as most of them are cunning enough to do-how much better they love us than they do the Yankees" And T want to say. that we are not half so