The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-07-18
one race by the other by au,algamation'
with its hybrid resultant.

false friends of the Afro-American invite
us to accept? In just subordination 10
the stronger and higher race, the inferior
may live and grow and prosper. l have
no prejudice whatever against the negro
race. But capacity for Self-sovernment
Is not as yet one of their good traits.
Capacity to govern their white country
men is certainly not one OF them. There
are many of them who are better citizens
and better fitted for citizenship than some
white men, but these are the EXCEPTIONS:
nor would these worthy and intelligent
colored men be deprived Of suffrage by
any amendment to our State Constitution
that the people of Virginia are likely to
adopt What I am convinced to be the
truth is that the negro population Of these
Southern States is not, as race and as
a class competent either for self-govern-
ment er for the government in part OF
their white fellow-citizens.
They are kindly, and an initiative
race. and as long as they have the Chris
tan civilization of the white man around
them and the white American citizen as
an exempIar, they will, to some extent
follow the examples OF virtue ana
piety set them by their white neishooEs'
and be supported Ind strengthened by
contact with the influence of the white
race. Unfortunately they initiate the vices
as we'll as the virtues of their white neigh
borS.
1T is the conscientious belief OF millions
of white people in this land, who know
the negro and have his interests at heart
that it is not good, proper, or right for the
average negro to be voter; that MS
voting does the negro no good, and does
the white man great harm.
I'm America as everywhere on earth,
the Caucasian race, will never be doni-
mated by any Of the colored races. God
made it superior a kingly race, and
man cannot by law. or long by frrud or
force undo Gods handiwork- And so in
these Southern States. neither statutes,
nor the bayonet, court DEGREES. nor bands
Of soldiers have sufficed 70 alter God
DEGREES or to make the negro lons a
dominant political power
ITO relieve such a revolving condition
as existed for a time in South Carohhh.
Mississippi. Louisiana. Alabama, NoFth
Carolina, and elsewhere in the southern
States, and to prevent such catastrophe
from Detailing their people. such measures
nnd such methods as were necessary TO
accomplish the results have been adopted.
Violence has been tried and has been con-
demned by the moral sense of these COM
munties.
Fraud and crooked schemes have been
tried and these ure condemned. TO
reach out for relief from evils ana
dangers and conditions so deploraole
and so impossible for free, brave and
true people to endure, the white popua-
ton of these Southern States have been
brought in the Providence of God to the
resolution that there must and there shall
be some remedy found better than either
force or fraud. Corruption in connection
with the conduct or the ascertanment OF
the result of elections, poisons the very
sources of political power, and will debase
and degrade any people who practice or
tolerate such methods. II is crime
against popular government and treason
against liberty The State Constitution
should be so framed that the crimes Of
bribery false registration, or false count
ing or other corrupt practices in connec-
ton with elections shall be made infa-
nous and their commission so dangerous
that even daring criminals and wrong
doors will be deferred from committing
them.
with only the fear of God before our
eyes, and without any fear OF man, let us
bravely confront this problem, and in the
interest alike OF the white and the black
| races seek for its solution. It is our duty
to do this for the projection of our wo-
men and children. 1t is our duty to do
this for the preservation of that civiliZa-
ton, whose achievements have made this
| land Respondent among all nations and
| through all the ages. But for the FIJI
| teenth Amendment to the Federal Con-
| stituton, the remedy would be easy enough.
! The adoption OF the Fifteenth Amendment
| was a wrong which can only be righted
| bv It's repeal. It is which NOT only
affects the people of the South as TO the
political status of the 100000 black peo-
pie within their borders, but also the peo-
| pie of all the States. as to what shall be
| the political status OF the millions OF the
yellow races who may in the years TO
come, by immigration, annexation or con-
| quest, become citizens OF the United
| States, and under the plain provisions OF
| the Fifteenth Amendment voters also.
| The abrogation of the Fifteenth Amend
! ment may be some day accomplished; IL
! cannot be considered practical remedy
! now. The only practical way in which re-
| lief can come is by some amendment OF
| the State Constitution which, without VI
| olating the Fourteenth and Fifteenth
| Amendments to the Federal Constitution,
| will reform, suffrage and eliminate the
votes of the great mass OF the ignorant
| and vicious negro popula ton. This IS one
| and the more important OF the two grea'
| PURPOSES which the people OF Virginia
| had at heart in recently ordering con-
| stitutional convention to be convened
| The other was to simplify and reduce the
| e,nenses of our State Government II
| N'ii"St-'N'
| ton makers to give the people a gov
eminent which will be felt not so much
| in the burdens 1t imposes. as In the bless.
| inss it hestows. But over and above all
| other reforms the reform OF the SUI
| frase which will make elections pure ana
| honest and vest the dominion OF virginia
| in the hands OF the race whose oiooo
! and bravery wrested this fair DOMAIN
from the wilderness and the EaVase' aiiG
who by their intelligence ana virtue anu
| fitness for government, derived from an,
| cestors trained for freedom IN the school
of experience OF thousand years are pre-
pared for self-government, should be the
| foremost object of the thoughts. study and
| labor OF this new convention.
fortunately much light has been
thrown upon the subject by the action
| and experience of the States of Mississlp'
nj. South Carolina and Louisiana. Missis'
| s,ppi lead the way, and Incorporated III
| her new Constitution, adopted in NoVem-
| Der. 1880. what Is now known as the Mis-
sissppi plan.' which with some !mportan
notifications. which do not, however, al
| feet the principle involved, has been In
corporated into the new Constitution O