Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-05-21
JUDGE CHAMBERS VIEWS
HOW THE NEGRO PROBLEM MAY BE
SATISFACTORILY SOLVED,
An Address Delivered at Mt. Vernon
Place Church by the Ex-Chief
Justice of Samoa.

Mr.. W. L. Chambers, formerly chief JUS
tice of Samoa. in address at Mount Yer
non Place Church last evening, on the sub
jeot of 'Methodsm, Its Relation to Impor-
tant Public Questions of the Day." after
briefly referring to the evils of our divorce
laws, saying that society needs today
more than it can possibly need anything
else salutary law on this subject. uniform
throughout the United States" proceeded
to discuss the negro problem and expansion
from religious point Of view. He said:
LESS than 3 per cent of our population
in the south is foreign. and these have come
to us slowly that they have been thor
oughly assimiated. Two-thirds of our peo-
Pile are Caucasian of the purest type in
America descendants in the main of An
glo-SaXon blood. The other third is of AZ
rican descent, almost exclusively of slave
ancestry, and whoever heard of a negro in
this country who was not American to the
backbone and who didn't regard the flag
as the emblem of all that makes life worth
living?
81 have been a good deal over the world
and have seen much Of the dark-sktn
races; my opportunities have been some
what advantageous for the study of their
condition, and my verdict is that in habits.
customs. capacity for work. intelligence
morality and in other qualifications for
civilized citizenship, our negroes are as far
in advance of any others as the proud
Anglo-Saxon race is of the serfs in Russia.
hope it is understood that I am neither
defending the institution of slavery nor
apologizing for the methods by which the
negro became full-fedged citizen of the
republic when he possessed so few. If any,
of the qualifications of that responsible re-
lation. The very idea of slavery is re-
pugnant in these days to all, and the
sentiment is practically unanimous among
people of all sections in our country that
no greater mistake was ever made by the
hor txrhn a n fra N
chisement of the negro at the time it was
DONE But the die was cast a generation
ago 1t is part of the Constitution. and
our sacred honor is pledged to the MAIN
tenance of that Magma Charta of our
rights. You might as well attempt to
reach the top of the Washington monu-
ment by climbing up its smooth marble
outside as to attempt to repeal the XIV
Amendment
How to Solve the Problem.
''It is a problem that must be solved in
the consciences as well as brains of the
dominant race, whose centuries of progress
in civilization have qualified us to provide
for the negro in political relations better
than he could for himself. Without preju-
dice on one side or maudlin sentimentality
on the other I insist that it is entirely
practicable for this great question to be
solved upon principles of complete justice
to the negro and to the permanent benefit
of both races. Not by possessing ourselves
of the election machinery. or by resorting
to any political leSerdemain whatsoever,
but by intelligent agitation. in cooperation
with other religious bodies closely related
to the negro. and by insisting upon a suf-
frage qualification, with clearly defined
limitations, excluding every possibility OF
trickery, that shall apply to all men, ire
spective of color II the moral sentiment
Of the southern people would converge
upon this solution Of the problem the de-
sired result could be quickly and easily
reached, upon n basis which would judi
ciously exclude an Objectionable class,
place the control of public affairs per-
manentiy in the hands Of those best quail