The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-02-21
BLACK MAN AND THE BALLOT.
BOOKER t. WASHINGTON ISSUES AN
ADDRESS.

IL Is for the PerusRI of the ConStitu-
tiOnal Convention Now in Session
in LOuisianR-SHys the Negro
Agrees That Ii Is Necessary to
Restrict the SufTrage-ContruI
Must be in the Hands of Men of
InteIIigenc He BeRs That the
Closing of the Ballot box he Ac-
cOmpanted bs the Opening of More
and Better schools.
New Orleans, Feb. 2O-Booker T. Wash
ington, prominent colored leader and cd
ucator OF Tuskegee, Ala. in an open letter
to the constitutional convention, now in
session In this city, in which, after ex-
planning the motives which prompt him to
address the convention. among other
things, says;
Since the war no state has had such
an opportunity to settle the race question,
so far as it concerns politics, as is now glv-
en- Louisiana.
The negro agrees with you that It is
necessary to the salvation of the South
that restriction be put upon the ballot. l
know that you have two serious problems
before you; ignorant and corrupt govern
ment on the one hand, and on the other a
way TO restrict the ballot so that control
will be in the hands of the intelligent
without regard to race.
with the sincerest sympathy with you
in your efforts to find way out of the diff
ficulty, 1 want to suggest that no state
in the South can make law that will pro-
vide an opportunity or temptation for an
ignorant colored man, without injuring
both men. Any law controlling the ballot
that is not absolutely just and fair TO both
races will work more permanent injury 10
the whites than to the blacks.
II beg of you further that in the degree
that you close the ballot box against the
ignorant that you open the school house.
More than one-half of the people of your
state are negroes. No state can long
prosper when a large percentage of its
citizenship is in ignorance and poverty,
and has no interest in government.
Let the very best educational opportu-
mites be provided for both races, and add
ed to this the enactment of an election
law that shall be incapable Of unjust dis
elimination at the same time providing
that in proportion as the ignorant secure
education, property and character they
will be given all the rights of citizenship.
Any other course Will take from one-half
your citizens interest in the state and
hope, and ambition to become intelligent
producers and taXpayers.-to become use
full and virtuous citizens.
Il believe that nothing will so help my
own PEOPLE In your state as provision at
some institution for the highest academic
and normal training in connection with
thorough training in agriculture, mechan-
les and domestic economy.
THE fact is that 80 per cent. of our
people depend upon the common occupa-
tons for their living and outside of the
cities So per cent. depend upon agriculture
for support.
Notwithstanding this, our people have
been educated since the war in everything
else but the very things that most of them
live by. Fi1st-class training in agrisul-
ture, horticulture, dairying, stock-raising,
the mechanical arts and domestic econ
omy, will make us intelligent producers,
and not only help us contribute our pro-
portion as taxpayers, but will result in
retaining much money in the state that
now goes outside for that which can be
produced at home.
THE highest test OF the civilization Of
any race is in it's willingness to extend a
helping hand to the less fortunate. A
race, like an individual, lifts itself up by
lifting others up. Surely no people ever
had a greater chance TO exhibit the aigh-
est Christian fortitude and magnanimity
than is now presented to the people Of
louisiana"