utherners. The Northern missionaries whose
duties place them in touch with the best and worst that there is in
Negro life have the real rounded view of the situation."

The governor's affability now disappeared. Said he:

"Don't praise those mawkish missionaries to me. They are down here
educating the heads of 'niggers.' We white folks have got enough heads
to run this country."

"Your irritation," said Earl, "paves the way for me to say what I came
to say. We Northerners are tired of being estranged from you
Southerners. We are becoming a world power and should have a thoroughly
united country. Why don't you Southern people begin a campaign of
education and let the North know your real mind, so that we won't tread
on your corns so often, to use a homely phrase."

"Ha, ha! the North knows my views. They were heralded abroad everywhere
and gave me the governorship. I had five planks in my platform and, to
match your homely phrase with another one, they took like hot cakes,"
said the governor.

"Would you object to outlining your platform to me," asked Earl.

"Object? Why I am the boldest man in the South. I don't bite my tongue.
Surely you have heard of me," said the governor.

"Yes, I have heard of you," said Earl, "but I did not know but what you
had been misrepresented by political enemies."

"Well, you can judge for yourself as to whether I have been
misrepresented or not. The five planks of my 'nigger' platform are
these," said he.

"First, this is a white man's country.

"Second, one drop of Negro blood in a man's veins makes him a 'nigger.'

[Illustration: "'We machine men in the South don't want this "nigger"
bugaboo put down. It's our war whoop.'"
(258-259.)]

"Third, public office, neither federal nor state, was gotten up for a
'nigger' to hold.

"Fourth, all money spent on educating a 'nigger,' except to teach him to
work, is a squandering of the public funds.

"Fifth, the outside world be d----d. We will deal with the 'nigger' to
suit ourselves.

"I will also tell you confidentially that I am one that don't want the
'nigger' question out of politics. We are living side by side with these
'niggers,' and public agitation helps our people to keep in mind that
there is an impassable gulf between the races. Such men as I am would be
perfect fools for trying to solve this 'nigger' problem. A crazy man can
see that the solving of this problem puts my