St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1912-11-02
A PROBLEM.

In these times of change, ere
alton, innovation, struggle ant
strain, there is very little honest
intelligent thought ever given tt
one of, perhaps. the creates
problems that has ever faced
people in any age. The problem
lis not what we are going to d.
with the ignorant negro who as
pire to cast a ballot, not what W.
are going to do with the coon
who is gradually mastering the
technique of education and who
feels, through special amend.
ments of the constitution, that
he is a citizen and entitled to vote,
but what are we going to do with
the ignorant white and his vote
Many an unthinking Southernel
would say, why disfranchise the
black and let the white vote. Z
Yes, this is truly an old South.
ern point of view, born and nu-
tured out of those days when the
black. armed and encouraged by
his loving brother from the
North. threatened to make race
equality a grim and terrible real
ity. But those days and dangers
are, thank God, things of the
fast fading past; and the prob
lem that to-day confronts every
honest man is: What are we
going to do with that class of vo-
tiers who, ignorant and unthink-
ing. allow others to dictate to
them the man for whom they are
to vote, irrespective of their own
choice or desires? And this, as
hundreds can testify, is shock
ingiy frequent in the South and
especially in Louisiana. Apron
inent and brilliant writer of the
North, a deep sociologist and
friend to the South, in discussing
the one big problem of the South
1.-THE negro--said: Il can see with
what justice the South has dis
franchised the black man; but
she has gone into the right
she has not gone far
enough. With the ignorant black
she should have disfranchised the
gHorantWhite-one is as much a
menace to civilization as the
The writer has no an
swer to make to this grave and
serious charge; it seems to him
Ill too sadly true. The hope,
he salvation, the eternal founda-
ion Of a true liberty giving ma
ion responses alone in the ballot
Then, if so much is involv-
d IN this precious ballot, so much
$ dependent upon the way it is
asst. then, truly, ought the
hameful and disgraceful man
Ter in which so many vote be-
cove every genuine man who
as the love of his country at
to feel uneasy and fearful
or its future and his own liberty. +,
then the powerful ballot is in
te hands of thinking and true !
len, happy, indeed. is the course !
i'd destiny of events; but when /
.at same powerful ballot is in
se unthinking and blinded hands !
ignorance, fearful and dark is :
e outlook of that people and :
untry! y
Let US now that the problem r
5 been stated, look frankly and {
uarely into the exact cause for ]
ca a condition of affairs. To +
{ not thoroughly conversant s
th this problem in all its Il
ases, to one who has only a q
oerficial knowledge of the !
its. the cause of so much yot- T,
at the instigation of others n
nd be ascribed to ignorance "
| inability to discriminate, on s
part Of the voter, between =
eming and falsely-promising b
iticians. This is the lay view hi
i'd al planation which, to W
seems to answer the ques- nS
is til leave nothing for fur ia
!. conjecture or speculation. az
writer admits that this is the