Nebraska Newspapers

    I'HE OMAIIA DAILY BEE : THtJBSDAT. DECEMBER 10. 1898. 0
PRISONER OF DEVIL'S ' ISLAND
Historical Review of theCelebrated Oase of
Captain Drojfus.
CONSPIRACY APPROACHING AN END
of n 1'lot Ilnicil
Fnritery , Ilncc ilntrcil untl Mili
tary I'rlilc ClmtiKC of
French Sentiment.
Several correspondents request a short
history of the Dreyfus case , which has con
vulsed Franco nnd attracted
world-wide at
tention during tbe last three years. The
case Is now on review before the supreme
civil court of Franco and Its deliberations ,
though secret , arc watched with keen public
Interest. In order to understand the tre
mendous Influences exerted for and against
the prisoner , the race hatreds , the forgeries ,
the military nnd political conspiracies In
volved , an extended summary of Its history
Is necessary. This Is supplied , succinctly
and adequately , by I'rof. Adolphe Cohn ot
Columbia university In a recent number of
the Outlook.
Prof. Cohn writes aa follows :
Late In the fall of the year 1801 a Paris
newspaper , which had then gained neither
the notoriety nor the circulation H now
possesses. La Llbro Parole , announced that
a Jewish officer , who belonged to the offices
ot the general staff In the War department , ,
had been put under arrest and was soon to .
undergo trial under an accusation of treason. I
Although La Llbro Parole was known to
be a fanatical antl-Bcuiltlc newspaper , and
o such had tlmo and again leveled at mem
bers of the Jewish race accusations which
had proved totally groundless , the statement
At once produced In Franco the greatest ex
citement. In the midst of the violent dis
cussions to which political questions bad
given rise since , and even before , the estab
lishment of the republic , the army had been
the one subject upon which the French had
felt that , In sentiment at least , they were
all absolutely united. Especially bad It
been so since the disasters of the Franco-
German war , and through the long and
persevering efforts which bad boon mada
with tbo object ot reconstituting the military
strength of the nation. An accusation of
treason against an officer in possession ot
Important military secrets could not fall ,
therefore , deeply to stir public opinion , nnd
It wag at once admitted that no such accusa
tion would be formulated unless It rested
upon the most serious grounds. Surprise
was , however , expressed at the channel by
which the public was made acquainted with
a fact ot euch national Importance.
It was soon learned that the statement of
La Llbro Parole was correct. The name of
( ho suspected officer was Alfred Dreyfus.
Ho bad already been Incarcerated In tbe
military prison ot Chorcho-Mldl for moro
than two weeks. He belonged to an Alsatian
family and was ono of the most brilliant
officers of the French army. After graduat
ing from the Ecolo Polytechnlquo nnd the
special artillery school at Fontalnebloau bo
had for a wbllo eerved In an artillery regi
ment and then entered the Ecolo Superleure
de la Guerre , which Is designed to provide
the general eUff with officers familiar with
every branch of military science. It was
owing to the simple force of his demon
strated merit that ho had been called to the
confidential position ho occupied In the cen
tral offices ot the general staff. U was also
stated , and not denied , that he belonged tea
a wealthy family , and that his fortune placed
him , In appearance at least , above the reach
of temptations of a pecuniary nature.
There wa . therefore , from the start In tbe
case a mysterious element. What motlvca
could bavo Induced a son ot Alsace , to be
tray the country to which Alsace remained
co passionately attached. In spite of Its an
nexation to Germany ? What motives could
have Induced a Hebrew to betray the coun
try which of all countries In Europe had
proved most generous to his race ? The
autl-Semltlc papers had a ready answer to
thMe questions. Captain Dreyfus was a
traitor because he was a Jew that Is , a
man without a country. But the credit of
the anti-Semitic papers was then very small
end In the press as well as lu public opinion
there was on the whole a widespread dls-
pcaltlon to suspend Judgment until after the
meeting of the military tribunal before
which the suspected captain was to appear ,
and a hope that after H It would be found
that the ranks of the beloved French army
did not contain any traitor.
The Military TrUl.
This hope was doomed to disappointment.
The * military tribunal met on December 19 ,
1894. The proceedings were secret It was i
said that a publication of the evidence .
might have brought about a declaration of I
war of Germany against France. The culprit ;
was ably defended by the foremost criminal [
lawyer of the Paris bar , Maltre Demange ,
\ and at the close of the trial was declared I
guilty as per the Indictment. The charge ,
was that of having communicated to a L
foreign power documents of euch a nature
that they might result In a declaration ot t
war. Tbe penalty was that of degradation !
rom the army and transportation for life 1 i
n fortified spot. It Is to be nott * here that t
ono of the chief witnesses for the accusation
had been an officer holding a high posi .
tion In the secret Information depart .
ment of the war office , Lieutenant Colonel t
Henry.
What had been thus far the attitude of the j
man who had Just been declared by his peers
a traitor to his country ? Consistently , con
tinuously , from tbe very first day of his Im
prisonment , he had protested his Innocence ,
and no word had escaped him which might
bo construed Into nn admission of guilt.
What was hla altitude after sentence had
been passed upon him ? In public It re
mained what U had been before. He went t
thiough the terrible ordeal of public degra
dation In the presence of detachments from
)1 ) the bodies of troops then garrisoned In
Paris , surrounded by thousands and tbou-
cjnfa of spectators , whoso hearts wcro tilled
with execration for the crime of which he
bad been declared guilty , and who found even
his terrible punishment too lenient for such a
crime. Ho never Ulnched. From the mo
ment when ho was brought before the troops
to Iht end of that terrible marching past In
front of every detachment , after having the
luslsnla of his rank and hla uniform buttons )
torn from hlin , and after having been proclaimed -
claimed unworthy to belong to the French ,
deserted him.
army , his firmness never
Hardly any words escaped his llpa except
these : "I am Innocent ! Long live France ! "
Was bis attitude the same when far from the
public gaze ? Here the cautious historian
must refrain from making any positive
statement. The authorities contend that
some words that escaped the condemned man
contained a virtual admission of his guilt ;
his friends deny It.
On the whole , public opinion In France
accepted the verdict as a Just one. There
was no disposition to doubt either the cor
rectness of the proceedings or the Intolll-
icnce nnd honesty of tbe military Judges. It
n-aa known , moreover , that at the war office ,
from the minister , General Mercler , down ,
iverybody was convinced of Dreyfus' guilt ;
ind confidence In the motives and ability of [
tbo members of the war office was then
universal In France. Here and there only
"lome of the co-rellglonlsU of the degraded I
raptaln refused to bellevo In the guilt ot ono
f their race ; and It was soon known. In ad-
lltlon , that two other men , at least , were i
Inn believer * In bis Innocence. One was his
lounsel , Maltre Demange , who declared pub-
jlcly that he never would have appeared fern
\ \ nIf he had not believed him Innocent.
Hi * other was tbo officer In charge of the
military prison of Cherchc-Mldl , Major For- i
zlnetll. Hut , In spite ot these scattered exi
prepslons of dissent with the finding of the
court , thcro wan really DO discussion of fhe
merits of the case , of which , moreover , very
little was known ; and what Interested the
public was to learn bow the sentence that
had just been passed would bo carried out.
It was universally regretted that the military
code had not allowed tbe passing ot a death
sentence , and any alleviation of the penalty
would have been universally condemned. It
was soon announced that the epot selected
for the enforcement of the Judgment of the
court was a small Island near the coast ot
French Guiana , known by the name of
Devil's Island. There the captain wan to
remain alone with his keepers , and every
precaution was to be taken against his pos-
elblo escape. The program was carried out
to the letter , and soon Alfred Dreyfus was
on his way to his tcrrlblo abode of confine
ment ,
Ilrnrc Slrnnulo for Justice.
Chief among those who considered him a
victim cither of a m > eterlous fate or of a
base conspiracy were , of course , the members
of his family. Whatever opinion be held
about the man , no words of praise can do
more than simple justice to the admirable
wife whoso faith In him never wavered for a
moment nnd whose efforts1 In his behalf have
known neither rest nor discouragement.
She first asked to bo allowed to share her
husband's captivity , but thin , of course , had
to bo denied. At the same time , surrounded
by 1 her relatives and a few friends , and
guided i by the experience and devotion of
Maltro Demange , she went to work , trying
to j discover some flaw In the procedure which
had : resulted In her husband's conviction ,
and ' which had upon appeal been upheld by
the highest court In the land , the court ot
cassation. ' Her hope was that the discovery
ot some new fact might enable her to appeal
to the minister of Justice for a revision of
the trial. She and her friends also tried to
Influence public opinion , and their warm ad
vocacy of the ex-captain found a ready car
among the Hebrews In and outside of France ,
and also , to a certain extent , lu the most In
tellectual part ot the Paris population.
Protestants and freethinkers especially were
Impressed by the fact that nearly every one
of the officers of the War department who
had been most hostile to Dreyfus were grad
uates of a celebrated Jesuit school In Parts ,
which made a specialty ot fitting young a
for admission to tbo two great military
schools , the Ecolo de Saint Oyr and tbo Ecole
Polytechnlquo. Ground , therefore , had bt <
well prepared for a pamphlet which was
published In Belgium In the fall of 1895 , un
der the tltlo of "Uno orreur Judlclare , " and
the author ot which , though at first not
named on the title page , was soon known
to be a talented literary critic of Hebrew
parentage , M. Bernard Lazare.
ruhllc Intercut Revived.
From that moment the question of Drey
fus' guilt or Innocence was before the public.
Outside of France opinion seemed to be
almost unanimous that the military court
had sentenced a guiltless man. The gov
ernments of Germany and Italy , the two
countries which were believed to have been
the beneficiaries of Dreyfus' treason , took
pains to assert that they never had hail the
slightest dealings with him , and It was even
reported that the German emperor had gone
BO far as to state that ho know Dreyfus to
bo Innocent. In France opinion was divided.
While the mass of the nation persisted In
the belief that seven officers of the French
army , sitting as a military court , could not
have been capable of sentencing a brother
officer for treason unless his guilt was
absolutely demonstrated to thorn , the num
ber grew dally , among the most Intellectual
members of the population , of those who
believed that there had been some gross
Irregularity in the trial , and that the case
for the prosecution was not as strong In law
as It was said to be. It was stated that
the chief proof against Dreyfus was a
bordereau or list of documents' sent to a
foreign embassy , which he was charged with
and denied having written , nd that the
experts who bad examined the document
had been divided as to Us authorship. This
division of public opinion was made more
dangerous and violent by the Injection Into
the case of race feeling. Up to the opening
of the Dreyfus case there had been very
llttlo of this In France. TheantiSemitic
leaders had but a small following , much
smaller than had been the case In Germany
during the Stoeckcr agitation , or than was
actually the caao In Austria under the lead
ership of Dr. Lueger nnd Prlnz von Llchton-
fiteln. But the Dreyfus case made matters
decidedly worse In this reaped. Antl-
Somltto newspapers pointed to It as a
proof that they were Justified In their hatred
of the Jews. They called attention to the
fact that all over the world , and even In
France , Hebrews wcro mor ready to be
lieve that seven French officers had
sentenced an Innocent man than that a Jew
had been proved a traitor , nnd they soon
found ears willing to listen to them when
they accuaod the whole race of hatred
against the French army. The almost
unanimous stand taken abroad , especially
In England and Germany , against the finding
of the court , did not help matters ; rather
the reverse. It was considered an Intrusion
ot foreigners Into matters that did not con
cern them. It enabled the anti-Semitic
papers to state the case thus to the people :
On ono a I Jo the foreigners and the Jews , on
tbo other our own generals ; cheese between
tbe two. As for the government , which was
time and again questioned In the chambers
about the case , Its answer was always the
same : The Dreyfus case U res adjudlcata ,
I and unless nn application Is made In due
form to the minister of iitstlce for a revision -
vision of the case , an application based upon
new facts which -were not known at the time
of the 1S95 trial , there Is no longer any
Dreyfus case.
That there still was such a case became
however , evident when Lieutenant Colone
Plcquart , who had been for quite a while at
the bead of the secret Information department -
ment In the war office , was suddenly re
moved from his post and sent to commani
a regiment In Tunisia , for It was known a
once that the reason of this decision was a
difference of opinion between the lleutcnan
colonel and his brother officers In regard to
the whole affair. About the same time the
rumor grew that Dreyfus' conviction had
been procured only by the production before
the military Judges of secret documents
which had not been placed In evidence dur
Ing the trial , and which had never been
shown to the defendant or tp his counsel
Finally. In the fall of 1897 , It was an
nounced that one of the most eminent mem
bers of the republican party , M. Scheurer-
Kostner , vice president of the Senate , hai
become convinced ot Dreyfus' innocence and
would ask the government to grant him anew
now trial. Events after that began to follow
each other In rapid succession.
M. Scheurer-Kestner's appeal to Prime
Minister Mellne and to General Billet , then
minister of war , was not followed by any
practical results , except that In an later-
pellatlon to the cabinet an ex-minister of
war , M. Oodefroy Cavalgnac , Insisted that
there was In the hands ot the minister a re
port of Captain Lobrun-Ilcnault , who had
bad Dreyfus In his keeping on the day of
the military degradation , and that that re
port contained an admission of bis guilt by
the ex-captain. This , It must bo Bald , was
at once indignantly denied by Dreyfus'
friends and family , but It was later shown
that there was some foundation for M.
Cavalgnac's assertion.
The next step In the development of this
dramatic caao was a letter from M. Matbleu
Dr yfus , a brother of Alfred Dreyfus. This
letter , addressed to the war mlnUter , plainly
stated that Alfred Dreyfm had Ixen sen
tenced for another man's crime , and It give
that man's name. He was Count Ferdinand
Valsln Esterhazy , a major In a regiment ot
Infantry I , and WAS dcclircl to have bean the
author i of the bordereau which had played
an i Important part In the Irlat of 1S04. At
tbe I same time facsimile * of the bordereau
began I to appear In the dally papers , together
with specimens of the handwriting both ot
Dreyfus 1 anil Esterhary , and numbers of people
ple ] began to declare ti.it these documents
pointed to Esterhazy and not to Dreyfus as
the guilty man. Among thovi who thus
openly declared themselves was M , Emlle
Zola , the celebrated novelist. The publica
tion In the dally newspapers of letters pur
porting to have been written by Esterhruy ,
and -which were grossly Insulting to the
French army , compelled the war minister
to proceed against him , nnd lie was sent be
fore a military court , similar to the one
which had Judged Dreyfus. His trial was a
short one , conducted part of the time wltb
open , part with closed doors , and ho was
acquitted. The next day , In a paper ,
"L'Aurore , " edited by a prominent
politician who bad espoused Dreyfus' cause ,
M , Gcorgp CIcmenccau , appeared a letter
In which Emtlo Zola , using the most violent
expressions ho could find In the French
language , denounced tbe Eaterhazy trial
as a mcro sham , accused the war min
ister and all the officers of the general staff
of being members of a conspiracy of fraud
and deceit , proclaimed Dreyfus Innocent , and
dared the government to prosecute him.
I'roiecutlon of Kola.
The challenge was answered. Tbo prose
cution ( Of Zola was decided upon , but It was
determined to base the accusation simply
upon a few lines of the letter , charging the
Judges In the Estorhazy trial with having
acquitted , upon orders , a man whom they
held to bo guilty , and not upon the whole
etter.
In the trial , -which took place before tbo
ourt of assizes of Paris , every effort was
made by M. Zola's counsel , Maltro Labor ) , In
rder to bring about a complete examination
f the Dreyfus case , but these efforts were
; onerally thwarted by the presiding Judge ,
ustlce Delegorguc , and the trial resulted In
Zola's conviction. Ho was sentenced to one
car ot Imprisonment and a flno of five thou-
and francs , for libel against the military
ourt. A sensational Incident of the trial
lad been tbo assertion by ono of the wit
nesses , General de Pellleux , that there was
n the War department a letter , written In
S96 , which contained additional and abao-
utely convincing proof ot Dreyfus' guilt.
General de Pellleux's assertion was corrobo-
atcd by the chief of the geenral staff , Cen-
ral do Bolsdoffre.
One of the results of the trial was that It
began to bo generally admitted that Dreyfus'
onvlcllon had been procured by means ot
ocret documents which had not been In ovl-
lence at the trial. Upon this Madame Drcy-
us based a new request for revision , which
was answered negatively by the government ,
as they held that the fact of the Introduc-
lon of secret documents bad not yet been
iroved.
Upon appeal , the court of cassation an
nulled the proceedings against Zola , upon the
ground that they ought to have been Inl-
lated , not by the war minister , but by the
Ibcled court Itself ; and when an attempt
was made to begin a new trial , Maltre Laborl
managed to force a postponement ot the
lame , and Zola disappeared from the coun-
ry.
ry.In
In the meanwhile new elections had taken
place , and a now cabinet , of moro radical
ondencles than the Mellne cabinet , had come
nto office. It had for Ha war minister M.
Cavalgnac , who , a few days after taking ot-
Icc , delivered before the house a speech set
ting forth some of the proofs of Dreyfus'
guilt. Among these proofs he quoted the
etter ot 1896 , which had been alluded to In
the Zola trial. The next day. In an open
etter , Lieutenant Colonel Plcquart , who had
leen retired on account of his advocacy of
3reyfus' case , offered to prove that this let
ter was a forgery.
A few weeks later Lieutenant Colonel
Jonry admitted that he bad forged the letter
ifmself. He was Instantly put under arrect ,
and a few hours after being led to the Mont
Valcrlen fortress committed suicide.
Confe loii and Suicide.
Colonel Henry's confession and suicide
brought about a complete revulsion of public
reeling. Irrespective of their opinion about
Dreyfus' Innocence or guilt , tbe people In
sisted that a trial in which a self-confessed
forger had been one of the principal wit
nesses must bo rovlsed , and It was soon
known that the cabinet agreed with the
people.
In suite of the opposition of two successlvo
war ministers , the first stepa prescribed by
tbe law for the revision ot a criminal trial
were soon taken. A letter ot tbe minister
of Justice placed tbe whole matter In the
hands of the court of cassation.
On October 25 the house * , which had ad
journed for their summer vacation th
months before , resumed their sittings. Their
first session will ever remain a memorable
one In the parliamentary annals ot France
Goaded Into complete loss of self-control by
an Insulting attack ot the anti-Semitic
leader , Paul Deroulede , General Chauolne
announced from the speaking stand his resig
nation ot the office ot war minister not
however , until after assorting that he shared
his two predecessors' views In regard to
Dreyfus' guilt and the Inadvlsabtllty of
revision of his trial. Tbo discussion which
followed this unprecedented announcement
resulted In a defeat for the Brlsaon cabl'
net.
net.Two days later the criminal chamber of tin
court of cassation met , In coneequence o
the letter of the minister of Justice refer
ring to It the question of the revision of the
trial of 1894. It heard three very able ar
guraents : First , ono by ono ot the Justices
Justice Bard , who had been commissioned
according to the practice of the court , to
prepare a preliminary report ; second , th
requlsltotre of Procurour General Manau
representing the people ; third , an addres
by the lawyer representing the family , Maltr
Mornard. Every one of these arguments had
for Its conclusion a request to the court to
order a revision of the Judgment of 1894 am
a retrial ot Dreyfus. Procureur Genera
Mauau even asked for a suspension of th
penalty Inflicted by the- military tribunal.
Three courses wcro open to the court
First , a rejection of the request for a re
vision ; second , the quashing ot tbe Judg
rnent and the issuing of an order for a re
trial ; third , a declaration that more informa
tlon was needed , and that such Information
would be searched after by the court In se
cret sittings , but with full power to call for
ull documents , summon all witnesses , etc. ,
as specified In a law of 1895 , relating to the
revision of criminal trials. The court de
cided for the third course , and It has already
bcun to hear witnesses and examine the
fiosumenta relating to the case.
Tlie cabinet which opened the revision
proceedings Is no longer In office , but the
iic * cabinet , which , curiously enough , has i
for .te head the prime minister of Decem
ber , 1891. M. Charles Dupuy , has neither the
desire nor the power to Interfere with the
court of supreme Jurisdiction In Franco.
1 The ground Is now cleared. Nearly every
one who was concerned In the Dreyfus and
Esterhazy trials has had to step aside. Ks-
terhazy himself has been put out of the j
army by decision of a military board of t
Inquiry and expelled from tbe Legion ot t
Honor by the council of the order. General I
< ta Ioldeffre ) resigned his position of chief j
of-the general staff Immediately upon tbo
detection of Colonel Henry's forgery. Colonel
nel du Paty de Clam , who was one of
the- chief Informers against Dreyfus , has
been put on the retired list. General Genie ,
who was at the head ot the secret Informa
tion department ot the war office , has left t
the war office , and Lieutenant Colonel 1
Plcquart li In the military prison ot Chercho-
Midi.
This Is tbe past history and the present
state ot the * case. L t us hope that the new
trial of Dreyfua , which Is now Inevitable ,
win duxr lor all sincere minds tbe qnmlnu
ol "his gnflt or of hla Innocence.
SOLVING THE RACE PROBLEM
'wo Noted Southerners Discuss the Gauge of
the Trouble and the Cure.
ECENT OUTRAGES TAKEN AS A TEXT
White Man' * ( iovrrnnient nt Any Co t
AilvumtiMl with Fiery Kariientncax
Vlrwm of n I.rmler of the
Colored People.
According to ex-Oovcrnor McCorkle of
Vest Virginia and many other prominent
southerners , both white and black , negro
uffrage Is now the most serious problem
before the American people. In the artl-
le which follows , ho speaks with fiery
earnestness of the race troubles In the
: arollnas. Ho says that It Is folly to be-
love that the southern negroes vote ns they
desire , or that "they ever will bo allowed
o control elections , no matter how great
heir numerical majority.
In answering him , Hooker T , Waehlng-
on , the best known negro In the couth ,
ircsldent of the Tuckcgee Institute of Ala-
iama , makes the surprising statement that
le believes It was a mistake to glvo the
> allot to the negro originally and suggests
hat the right of suffrage be subject to
ducatlonol and property tests.
These two men represent < the most ad-
anced thought In the south on the race
. W. . McCorklo Is
problem. A. the cx-gov-
rnor of West Virginia , a lawyer by pro-
esslon , and he probable will be a United
jtates senator In the near future. His
tnowledge of the race problem la the re-
ult of generations of experience. His nn-
estora were the first people to settle In
ho valley of the Virginias , and the family
laa been there during the last ICO years.
Us statement was taken verbatim by
hortband In Mr. McCorkle's apartment at
ho Waldorf-Astoria , New York , and has
> eon carefully revised by htm. It follows :
Whnt Ex-Governor MuCorUlc Siiya.
"Let us look at the Inciting cause of the
recent trouble. Wilmington Is a very
beautiful town , Inhabited by the best and
most cultured white people on this con-
Inent , but Ignorant , brutal negroes con-
rol all of the public offices. About fifty
ustlce * ' positions within the Wilmington
llstrlct are held practically by negroes and
a few whlto people. At least forty of these
negroes can neither read nor write. Ruin
jollUcal , financial , and moral , stares the
and nnd property owning people of the
city In the face. Under the circumstances
.he good people of the city , without regard
0 politics , determined that no longer would
, hcy be under the control of the most
brutal rule that has ever cursed the coun
try outside of Haytl and San Domingo , and
.hoy have Joined together In a common
bond of public Interest. I speak plainly.
: t Is not a question of politics. Democrats
wore not the only ones In the trouble , but
a republican paying $1,500 a week exclu
sively to negro laborers , and ono of the
most Important men of the city , has been
the head and front of the league for defense
of the public safety.
"These men , without regard to politics ,
determined that this negro rule should then
and there cease. They notified the negroes
plainly that they should not continue this
state of affairs. Bad blood was engendered ,
aa It naturally -would be , nnd when they
attempted , by a strong hand , It Is true , to
da away with this anarchy , a personal con
flict was brought about , the first shot being
fired by the negroes , and things were done
which were never.xContemplatcd. It was re
gretted and deplored by every honest south
era man that blood wajjshed. . I speak
as a friend of the negroes. As a lawyer , I
have defended as many negroes as any man
In the south , without thought f reward.
When I was governor ot my state every
legal voter , white or black , when he approached
preached the ballot box , was allowed to
vote. I speak with a full sympathy for
the colored race , but , nevertheless , I speak
with a most earnest determination , ex
pressing the opinion of the Intelligent south
ern man , when I say that the white race
will not be controlled and ruled by the
negroes In the south.
Qumtlon of Life nnd Dentil.
"In the splendid state of South. Carolina
the-ro are 200,000 more negroes than whlto
people. In many portions of tb south
B proportion continues. I repeat most
solemnly thai the question In the south le
not a question of who shall bo the political
njlera , or whether negroes shall have the
right to vote , tut It is a question of life
nnd death to the southern people. This Is
above all statutory enactments. There are
6,000,000 of negroes In the south : an Inferior
race ; a standing menace to peace , law and
order. Wo' have spent millions of dollars
to raise them In enlightenment , and yet
today we are confronted In many portions
of the south by an alien race Ignorant
different In color , different In education nnd
refinement , absolutely dominating and con
trolling the fairest sections on the face of
the earth.
"There 14 also a law of race and nowhere
on Uio broad globe has over the Anglo-
Saxon or the Scotch-Irishman , the two
great strains of southern life , ever bowo <
his nock to nn Inferior race. What does 1
mean ? Although a young man , I have
sen ca magnificent county , Inhabited by a
splendid white population , with the mos
fertile fields , the most beautiful scenery
seen a magnificent country , Inhabited by a
of refinement and culture , nnd every office
In 'the ' county filled by Ignorant negroes.
have seen tbo Judges on the bench dls.
penslng Justice when the Judge could no
rea'd'nor write nnd had to make his mark ti
the court records. I have seen five schoo
commissioners In a district appointing the
Ediool teachers when not a single man o
them owned a dollar of property nnd when
not a Einelo one of them knew his ABC
1 have seen the assessors placing valuation
on loud when none of them ever owned a
cent's worth of property , negro policeman
enforcing the law , clerks making up th
sacred and solemn records when the clerk
himself could not sign his name to th
record nnd had to have It done by otic
men. This continued for long years. Justlc
was bought and sold ns n farmer buys a field
Taxation In three years was Increased ten
fold. Murder and riot were every day oc
currcnces and the Judge himself before n
r 'umcnt was concluded was token off th
bench , nnd gave hla decision to the high
est bidder. Lot me nsk you one thing ;
How long would the people of New York
j City or Bos'.on stand that situation of
affairs ? Broadway would bo aflame In a
week and riot would reign rampant up
Fifth avenue.
Negro SolilliTit In Control.
"Let me glvo you eome other plain facts.
In two years the negro government In
creased the state debt from $6,000,000 to $25-
' 000,000 and I was there when negro soldiers
twice marched Into the state house and
took the speaker away from his desk and
broke up the assembly and turned the mem-
bors out of doors. In four years they spent
$100,000,000. The taxable properties of the
state went down nearly two-thirds. In ten
years the negro rule of Louisiana squandered
$150,000,000 and not one single public Im
provement was left to how for It. In three
I years In the state of Mississippi taxca were
' raised fourteen-fold und the state debt In
, the same proportion. The whisky bill of one
' legislature was $350,000 , The bar was opened
I to members and their friends In a corn-
I mlttee room within the sound of the speak-
or' * gavel , The public printing In less than
fight > earn amounted to $1.600,000 , when U
had only amounted In all of seventy-five
yean to $000,000. The governor' * personal
xpenses In his election amounted to nearly
{ 00,000 and It nas paid out ot the public
unds.
"Will my brethren of the north consider
or one moment the effect of the dominance
f the ueero lu southern politics. Do you
lot sea that the control by the uegroes of
outhcrn affairs , as demanded by some
anatlcn , will mean the absaluto dominance
t the national legislature by the negro
vote ? U will give to them at least fifty
otcs In the house of representatives and at
east five or six senators. The balance of
tower will bo absolutely In the control of
he negro vote. 'Ho ' would entirely dominate
he house and senate ot tbo present con
gests. Are you willing to pay the price ?
Vould he be a safe arbiter ot the vast In-
ercsts of this nation ? I think not.
"Another point of Interest to my northern
rlcnd. You are today regenerating the
couth. You are building thousands of miles
t railroads. You arc pouring millions of
ollars Into our coal nnd Iron mines. You
re erecting vast manufactories. Public 1m-
rovcment , the result of millions of north-
rn money , Is showered on every side.
Vlthln ten years In my own state you have
laced more than $20,000,000. Your sons arc
omlng to live with us and are honored as
ur best citizens. Are you willing to have
11 this vast Interest at the beck and nod
f a venal legislature , or under the control
f Ignorant negroes ?
Ncicro Government n Failure.
"As a civilizing nnd governmental power
he negro has been a total failure In nil
ountrles and In all ages. In Liberia , Haytl ,
Africa and America he has left a swnth ot
ildeous desolation behind htm. He has not
had the training and will Improve , say those
who advocate giving him the reins of power
n the south ; ho will Improve , give him time
nd opportunity. Wo grant that the propo-
Itlons may be true , but we do not Intend
hat his experimental stages of training chall
> o made upon the south. If ho Is not yet
ducated for government let him wait until
10 learns the art. The oiler or the fireman
may become a good engineer , but until ho
oes wo who rldo on the train want him to
keep his hand away from the throttle. Wo
will help the negro to become a citizen , bv
not a ruler.
"It is folly , plain and unvarnished , for
he men of 'the ' soutU 'to gay to .tho . men
f the north that the noero Is allowed at
all tlraea to cast , his ballot as lie wishes ,
t 'la not true. It would bo ntlu to the
south , and every southern man well knows
t. It Is o. sad state of affairs , and we In
n the , south have to face the plain InfVac-
lon of the election laws , for the aVwplo
cason that unless they are Infringed upon
1-ere Is BO hope for the south.
"This brings up the question , w&at nre
vo going to do ? The twp races are side
by side , mragled and tetermlngled In every
magln bl way , but not In the old relation
of master nnd servant , and bavins non of
ho old sympathy. It Is a question which
led In His mercy will work out for these
people , but It Is a momentous question to
his country today. The only hope for the
oettleinont of thij pjoblam , Is In the gradual
enlightenment of Xtoo colored race. Nlne-
een-twentleths of the money expended ror
he education of the negro race In the south
s raised from tie whites , nnd ono-twentl-
ath from the negroes. When this gradual
enlightenment comes there will come with
t a solution of the question.
An Unfonndcd Charge.
"So many of the northern people are of
the opinion that we want the negroes back
to slavery. No statement can be further
from the truth. I was a slave owner my
self. Child as I was In the slavery days
and filled with all the traditions of too
southern people over that question , I epeak
as a pereon who Is familiar with the subject ,
and I say that there Is not an Intelligent
man or woman south of Mason and Dlxon's
line Who wishes to see the slaves back In
liondago. They feel at the same time that
the men whp were In bondage should not
today bo their ) rulers. As long ns they will
grow side by side , receiving an equal pro
tection under the general laws of the land ,
they will receive part of every cruet which
a southern man has 'to give , but when they
attempt to step forward and take the reins
of the government In their hand , then the
southern cWzens will peremptorily and
sternly stop that aspiration. Would not the
north do the same ? Surely It would.
"Nat very lonfc ago I heard a speech by a
negro man who has the true Idea nnd theory
of tl-o race question. Ho was sp < aklng U )
negroes. He eald : 'Remember , my breth
ren , this on thing ; that you are pretty
near up agalnot the race question In this
country , and when you do got to It , mark
what I tell you , tbo white people ot this
country will settle it , as 'the whlto people
have always ssKlod those questions , vigor
ously and earnestly , nnd In a way that the
whlto people want It settled. '
"In conclusion , I most earnestly and sol
emnly repeat that the one great pre-eminent
and prominent propotltlon stands head and
shoulders above this whole discussion , that
notwithstanding the mere enactment ot
statutes , the passing of laws , the southern
people do not Intend to bo ruled by the
negro race. The south will settle this ques
tion Justly , honestly and fairly to the ni-firo
race , but It will settle this question alone
and unaided and within herself. "
Views of a Neuro Lender.
Booker T. Washington wrote as follows :
"It was unfortunate that my people per
mitted themselves at the close of the civil
war to be led In such a wholesale manner
Into politics. In many cases rebpouslbllltles
were accepted by us which wo were iiot
equal to because of lack of education and
experience. I do not bellefe that It Is wise
for the government nor Just to the people
sought to bo helped to confer unlimited
suffrage upon any Ignorant , poverty-stricken ,
Inexperienced people. I would let the right
to vote bo Interwoven with the ability to
acquire Intelligence or property , or both.
The feeling Is very strong In the south that
since the negro pays such a small proportion
tion of the tax to support government that
he should have little or no control In the
government.
"Tho feeling also exists In some sections
that the negro wants to control the whlto
man. This Is not true of the black race as
a whole. Unless the negro gets Into the
hands of bad whlto men , he does not seek
to control anyone except himself , and ho
has a pretty hard taak often to do that.
"To my mind the way to remedy the
present evil Is for the negro not to get
discouraged. In the past I fear ho set too
much store by politics. In too many cases
ho has sought the shadow rather than the
substance. The negro all over this country
must become a large taxp'ayer , own prop-
"I have been iltlng I'A&CAItUTN for
Insomnia , with which I have been unllcted forever
over twenty year * , and I can nay that Cuscarets
have ilven mo moro relief inununy other reme
dy I have ever tried. I nhull certainly recom
mend them to my friends ag being all they or *
BnvAQAntAri . " Tus . ti . CILLAIIU , Elgin , 11U
CUKE ODHSTJPATiO
, , poUrtfl.fH.wl.tt.
crtr poncis a titgh decree of InJustrr , cklll
nod itibsUnUnt chiractor.Vt > mutt got our
young people off tbn street * , keep them out
of barrooms and ileus of crime. The fireal
bulk of our people In the eoutU are Btlll la
clonio Ignorance ; Ijnorsnco leads to Idle *
ness and Idleucsi to crlrar.
"The time ha come when the beat while
people and the bstt colored people In the
fouth should get together for counsal , odvlce
and pjmp.ithTho negro must not feel
that th nhlto man nbo li lils next door
nolRhbor Is bin enemy simply because be Is
a southeru nhltc > uun. "
Thcro l a Cuban Congregational chtiroh
n Florida wlUi a membership of eli-hty-
"Is , sixty of whom have been received luco
January , 1898.
Uov. Saaiuol Scovlllr , a son-in-law of
Henry \V rd neclnr , bus roslRiicu tao pus-
torato of the Flnt Qpntrtgntlonat church of
Stiiiifar.il. Conn.Vhlcn ho has held for
nearly twenty years.
Upon Ills icccnt Inotallntlon ns nbbut of
the Trapplst moulstery at Cctliscmaiie , Ky. ,
Knlher Obrocht was presented with a crozler
made of over 7,000 Closes of wood , the tsn
years' work of ono of tli monks.
Queen Wllhclmlna of Holland Is n flrm bo-
Hover In and u ntout supporter of the Salva
tion Army. She nnd her incrtlier regularly
scnO generous chocka to the orfianlznttou to
further the nark in Holland and In Its
colcnleB.
TUo Episcopal bishops of Winchester nnd
Rochester , England , are often seen In com
pany on cycltnij expeditions nnd the Houiau
Catholic bishops of Limerick and Cloyne ,
Ireland , spei\l ( their vacations on blcyclo
toUra.
Alexander McDonald , the Cincinnati mil
lionaire , has given the Younn Men's CUirls-
'tlnu ' association of his ulty $20,000 In addi
tion to $3,000 presented a short time ago.
This Is to free the loal association from
debt.
debt.A
A new Knlepp has arisen In the person of
Pastor Folke. who has a parish In Rcpoleu ,
ntiontsh Prussia. The number of his patients
already runs up Into the thousands nnd early
next year nn Institution will bo erected for
their better treatment.
llev. Everett neon of Portland , Me. , Is n
member of the local foot ball team. The
captain of the Hallowell , Me. , foot ball team
Is the Unlversallst pastor of the city. Thesv
gcntlcmon pound the ball on week days
nnd expound the bible on Sundays.
The Presbyterian Usard of Homo Missions
decided a few days ago to send Hcv. W. H.
Linzlc of the Canton mlsslou to the Philip
pine Islands for the purroce of studying
their missionary opportunities nnd report
upon the tyest places for missionary stations.
llev. I. M. B. Thompson , p stor of n Bap
tist church In Woodbury , N. J. , has raised
a etorm which may result In bis resignation
by endorsing a requcot of sumo colored Ilap-
tistn to use the baptismal pool of the church
to immense Uielr converts. Swno of the
whlto people objected and the congregation
If divided.
That there li mvjffh room for active ml -
Rlonary affort In this country Is shown by
the replies of a child of 9 years to a Now
York Judge who Inquired If she knew the
nature of an oath. "Yea , " she answered ,
"It's a bad word. " "Do you know who God
IB ? " said the Judge. "Who ? " said little Kate
Collins. "Clod , " said the Judge. "Nope , I
dunne Him , " said llttlo Kato Collins. "Did
anybody tver tell you you had a soul ? " Bald
the Judge. "Nope , I ain't got none. " "Do
you know where bad people go ? " "Yea. "
"Whoro ? " "To tU Tombs. " "Do you know
whore you go whan you die ? " "Yea. "
"Where , Ktle ? " "Out to the cemetery. "
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thie apd oriphinl re mod jr. As the )
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PMnli'ni , : | J uot ttlrln *
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OLIO
SURE SIGNS.
TYLER , Tex. , Aug. 12.
I could not walk ten stepa
without help when I com
menced using Wine of Cardui
for Falling of the Womb and
Kidney Disease. I am now-
house-work without
doing my -
out assistance.
MRS. E. M. KEY.
It is easy io tell when a woman has Falling of the Womb.
The signs are great fatigue in walking i pain Tow down In the
abdomen , in the small of the back , in the loins , in the thighs
a constant dragging and bearing down sensation. The trouble
U usually caused by weakness of the delicate muscles that bold
the womb in place. What b needed U a medicine that acb
directly upon those weak muscles. Wine of Cardui is such a
medicine. It b a strengthening vegetable wine of wonderful
healing power. Nature undoubtedly created the peculiar herbs
of which it is made for the cure of all womanly ailments. Since
the beginning of time no physician has ever been eble to write
a prescription of such universal benefit to our wives , mothers
and sisters. There is no womanly disorder it will not help.
There are few It will not cure. Kidney disease" , so-called , is
often a distinct "female trou
LADIES' ADVISORY DEPARTMENT. ble" , and Wine of Cardui
t'nr adTlc In , citei requiring iff- with a little Thedford's Black-
d indirection ,
! aurm iflnt irmi -
tnnf , iMiiltt' .ddi'Uvrv l > mrtnnnt , Draught will overcome it
' .
Tfc f'tiatlBBuoin Medicine
a , Teuo. C when nothing else will.
A Largo Uottle cnn be Lnd of for $1.00.