The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1916-09-15
MISSISSIPPI AND
THE PHILIPPINES

Just beore the senate passed the
Philippine bill there was an interest
ing exchange of opinions in the course
of which Senator John Sharp Williams
of Mississippi, voiced his conviction
that one race has no right to hold an
other in subsection and said that he
had done everything in his power to
let the Filipino people go.
Nobody asked the Mississippi Sen
ator how he would apply this doctrine
to the colored people in his own state,
where the white race has put the
negro in absolute political subsection.
The white Democrats of Mississippi
whom Mr.. Williams represents ex-
clusively in the senate-hold and for
a long time have held the negro popu
lation of that state in a condition of
subsection far worse than anything
which has ever been attempted in the
Philippines. In Mississippi, in 1910,
there was a white population of
$4,000 and a negro population little
over million. Yet, in 1912, the total
vote of Mississippi was only little
more than $4,000 almost exclusively
white and almost exclusively Demo
cratic because of the political bondage
party held the Mississippi negro. In
the Philippines there are some 100000
voters-who are represented in con-
gress by two delegates who cannot
vote. Yet Mississippi has two sena-
tors and eight representatives in con-
gress-all of whom can vote, three Of
whom hold important chairmanships,
and Others of whom are upon such
great committees as those on ways
and means, military affairs, agricul
ture and appropriations.
This representation and this power
are secured by Mississippi Democrats
because they continue to count the
negroes of their state for the purpose
of making up their quota on congress
men and electoral votes, while refus-
ing to permit them to vote or to
have their votes counted. Senator
Williams expresses large solicitude for
the brown man in the Philippines, but
he has no word of sympathy for the
black man in Mississippi He wants
the hand of domination removed from
the Filipino in Manila, but he main
tains political strangle-hold on the
throat of the black man in Mississippi
He wants to let go of the grown
race in the Pacific, but he insists that
we shall hold on to the black race
on the Gulf in order to swell his own
political importance and that of his
state.
1t becomes increasingly evident that
the tariff commission which the new
Democratic revenue bill establishes
and which Democratic boosters are
hailing as a great exploit, is merely
campaign dodge The senate caucus,
on the Democratic side, refused to
sanction adequate salaries for the
members of the commissions; and the
board is expressly forbidden to make
arrangements for office quarters for
more than two years. In other words,
the Democratic tariff commission is
only temporary makeshift, designed to
furnish theme for campaign oratory
this year. In fact, it is not tariff
commission at all. 1t is mere tenn
porary shelter for some deserving
Democrats" who will be given the
office and who will draw the pay for
the two years allowed, but who will
do nothing to aid either congress or
the country to determine a proper
couse to be pursued in framing tariff
schedules.