The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-05-10
RACE PROBLEM CONVENTION.
IMPORTANT SUBJECT DISCUSSED AT
MONTGOMERY.

n
MONTGOMERY
Interesting Views On the Race cues
ton Presented by John Temple
Graves, Ex-secretary Herbert, and
Others-SOciety for the study of
Race Conditions Formed and OIL
GERS Elected - Ex-secretary Her
bert Was Chosen President.
Montgomery, Ala, May 9-The Society
for the Promotion of the Study of Race
Conditions and Problems in the South
to-day elected the following officers:
President-Hon. Hillary A. Herbert of
Alabama.
Vice observation-disclosures, James
Weatherly; Arkansas, Clifton r. Breckin-
ridge; District of Columbia, Hon. ]. L.
NJ Curry; Florida, w. A. Blount; Geor-
gia, Hon. Clark Howell; Kentucky, Rev
Charles f. Craik; Louisiana, c. R. Flick
lin; Mississippi, r. B. Fulton; Missouri,
Rev. j.. f. Cannon; North Carolina
Henry E. Fries; South Carolina, J. c..
Hemphill; Tennessee, Charles w. Dab
ney; Texas, Gov. Joseph D. Savers; Vir-
ginia, j. Hoge Tyler; West Virginia, Will
liam A. McCorkle.
Secretory-Rev. e. G. Murphy, Mont
gomery.
Treasurer-F. D. Ball, Montgomery.
The conference thus far has been a pro-
nounced success.
The Race Problem Conference began at
10 80 o'clock to-day.
Mayor Alfred M. Wadden of Winning
ton. N. c.. opened the discussion with an
address largely dealing with the condi-
tons in North Carolina. His statements
uttr Sfi
he denounced the Legislation which en-
franchsed the negro as the Tneanest po-
litical crime in the history of nations,
the audience of thousand people cheered
the sentiment, as they did when he de-
manded repeal of the fifteenth amend
ment.
Mayor WaddeIl's Speech.
In the galleries there were perhaps a
hundred negro leaders in Alabama. includ-
ing Booker T. Washington of Tuskegee,
and w. H. Council of Huntsville. Mayor
Waddell said among other things:
No people have ever had to wrestle
with such a muluform problem for SO long
time, and l believe in my soul that no
other people would have so patiently and
SO honorably dealt with it as they have,
1t must strike the future historian as
both astounding and Infinitely creditable
to the Southern people that for "a third
of a century, though poorer than ever
before, they taxed themselves literally for
the education Of the children of the ne
groes; provided them with asylums for
their afflicted, employed them almost ex-
clusively as artisans and laborers, SYM
pathiZed with them in their sorrows, and
helped them in their troubles; and yet
every year in that whole period saw these
same negroes go to the polls with unfail-
Ing regularity and vote as a unit and
as a race. against their every interest,
against good government and the welfare
OF both raceS-but still continued to employ
them and aid them as before. II is with
out parallel in human history.
In the light of such record, and
the results Of unqualified negro suffrage,
no man can justly say that an effort to
restrict that suffrage, whether the re-
stricton applies 20 others or not, is un-
righteous or oppressive. 1t win not do
to say that if the illiterate negro is dis
franchised, the illerate white man should
also be deprived of his vote. A very
large proportion of ilterate white men
have an intelligent understanding OF what
they are voting for. and of the merits of
candidates for Office
Leaving heredity out of view entirely
land it ought always 20 be kept IN mind
they have been accustomed all their lives
90 hear political discussions. These things
cannot truthfully be said of one illiterate
negro in five hundred. Doctrinaries and
moralists may theorize and dogmatiZe
forever, but they cannot convince an An
g.o-SaXon that negroes ought to partic:-
pate in the government of white men,
and statesman will always recognize
this insuperable fact in dealing with the
negro problem in the South.
What the negro needs is not political
power, but the help and sympathy of the
while people among whom he lives,
and which they have always
stood ready TO give. but which he has
hi 10 hi
natural inclination, but the result of false
and vicious training since his emancipa-
ton. He not only needs this help and
sympathy. but will perish without it. He
will never, however, receive il as he has
done until he abandons the idea of po-
litical power. White supremacy is alb
solutely essential to his welfare, because
it means the salvation Of those things
upon which his every interest depends"
John Temple Graves Views.
Col. John Temple Graves of Atlanta,
who followed Mayor Waddell, was given
an ovation by the audience. His plan
for settling the negro problem, the sep
Qration of the races, met with favor, es-
pecially from the large number of ladies
present.
He spoke in part as follows:
"Will the white man permit the negro
to have an equal part in the industrial,
political social and civil advantages of
the United States? This, as L understand
IT. Is the problem"
These words come from a negro-the
wisest, the most thoughtful and the most
eloquent negro of his time-as discreet as
Washington, a deeper thinker and a much
more eloquent man. But for one hour of
the Atlanta Exposition Council would
stand to-day where Washington stands
as the recognized leader of his race.
This question, asked by Council, as the
deliberate representative of his people, is
the core of the race question. l adopt 1t
as my own and 1 ask that question here
to-day.
The Answer.
The answer to ID is in every white mans
heart, even if 1t does not lie openly on
every white mans lips. 1t may be ex-
pressed in diplomacy; 1t may be yelled in
indirection; it may be softened in phil
anthropy; IL may be guarded in polite
utterance, and oftenest of all Ii is re-
strained by ultra conservatism and per-
sonal timidity. But wherever the answer
to this vital question comes, stripped of
fNra