The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1921-11-04
THE RACE ISSUE.

He RACE ISSUE.
Southern people are rapidly drift
away from the issues growing out 0
the civil war and reconstruction,
fact that is bound to mean better gov
eminent. Tennessee, a state that sc
coded from the union by an over
whelming popular majority, cast it
electoral vote for Harding. Kentuck.
came very near doing the same tn II;
and did elect republican senator
Missouri, former slave state, ant
Oklahoma, largely settled by South
orners, went republican from lend t.
end"
But it is safe to say that If Hardinl
had made the speech that he recently
made at Birmingham before the cleo
ton and the people had taken him Sc
riously he would not have carried &
single Southern state. This statement
is not made out of any prejudice OF
feeling of partisanship. The Herald
has nothing but the friendlest feeTin.
for the president and wishes him
mighty well. But his Birmingham
speech on the race question was mis-.
take from every viewpoint 1t will re
kindle ambitions among the negroes
that they cannot realize; it will in
crease friction between the white and
black people and in the end the ne.
groes, for whom Mr.. Harding was
making his appeal, will the the chief
sufferers. '
Whatever one may think about the
theory of absolute political equality
of the races, every one knows that
such thing is utterly impossible in
the South or for that matter in any
country whore the Anglo-SaxCn is
dominant. The AngloSaxon has new
er shared dominion anywhere with
any other race, and he never will. His
tory attests the truth of this state
ment. 1t is not a question of abstract
right or a theory but a fact IA condi.
ton that we must face.
Absolute political equality of the
races means that negroes will share
the offices, serve Oh the juries, assist
in registering the will OF the voters
and in short become equal partici
pants in every phase of government,
or political life Whatever the presi-
dent or others where the negroes are
not present in sufficient numbers to
force the issue, may think those in
the South know that. the negro will
never be given these privileges here
It is wrong therefore to encourage
within him longings that must be de-
MED.
The Herald has been and is the con
9istent friend of the negro. 1t believes
tice. 1t has never failed to protest
against mob violence The editor of
this paper is a member of the Tennes-
see law and order league, pledged to
do whatever he can to prevent race
conflict or mob vengeance. He, he
lieves that economically the negroes
should have fair treatment. He has
I'D, nl No ,I, 10
tain limits. He appreciates the many
virtues OF the negro race. His earliest
memories center around the old
"momics' and "uncles" and "aunts"
of the plantation. Never knowingly
has he mistreated or taken advantage
of negro. Some of the truest friends
that he has are negroes. II is because
of this association, these memories and
his friendship for the negroes, that
tho editor of The Herald protests
against the injustice of the presidents
speech A negro is good deal of a
child. About the meanest thing a man
Sdi NV 10 W ulSdppolHI IL Cullu. me
president is going to disappoint the
negroes ...
The ballot should never have been
given to the negro. He has almost
ceased to. use it except when design
ing white men. for purely selfish pur.
poses corrupt his leaders and bring
him to the polls, as is often the case
in municipal elections here. He has
come to realize that the white man
will never permit him to share in gov
eminent. He has accepted the situa-
ton. Now to arouse within him hopes.
and aspirations that he can never
have satisfied. is. The Herald. sub
mits, an act of injustice to the negro.
He should be made to understand by
his friends that for all time to come
his participation in government will