The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-05-11
RACE PROBLEM DISCUSSED.
southern People Ts.t over ths seush's
Burning Question.


auspices Of the South Society. and In.
tense interest In the mestincs IL being
manifested By beth whites ana blacks.
The opening address was delivered By the
Hon. Alfred Moore waddsll. mayer Of
Wilmington, N. O. He said;
SPEECH OF NIX. wADDELL.
The Hon. A. N. waddsn. Of Nsrth
Carolina, said In psrti
''In this age Of new religions, new
philcsophies, and new theories. social and
poiitioAl, II they really are new, there
has bean much 70 exotic the astonish-
msns and i.disnssiei,: re pity as 20. con
feeding man who hss any large aoquaint-
anos with human history and any love
for his kind. One only, however, Of the
phases Of modern oivilisation--if We may
70 term it-has been 10 ffiofent 70 xcite all
thess emotions IN suecession or COM bina-
tio.. This phass oons,isuttd the drams
which for s. years pest has been played
before the eyes Of the world In thsse
Southern States under various names.
ranging from the high-soundinR phrases
"Afro-American Problem" down TO
Ct . palmer, yuors ccrreot, and mora gem
orally accepted one Of the "Nssro auss-
cit ID not my purpose 10 discuss the
cons itusional questions Involved. Thst
straw hes been very thorouRhly threshed
and the outcome BY . general Consensus
Of opinion amoag lawyers, % we'll % by
the decisions OF ths supreme Court of
the United Statss. has been that the Gem
ssisution Of the United states does not
oonfsr the right OF spffengs upon any
regard to suffrage wbioh does not In
terms violate the provsious IN the 18th
Amsndmsnt 10 within the reserve powers
of the States, and that state has the
absolute control Of tbs outrage within
its own tsrritory, provided only that no
oitissn because Of race, color, or previous
conditions Of servitude.
"0rantsd the power, and admitting
the necessity for some restriction, the
q uestion 10, what II the fairest, wisest
and most lust arrangement that can be
made In regard to the vanchise under ex-
listing circumstances. In the solution Of
the Southern States for veal or woe, and
therefore the welfare Of the whole coun-
try. And when ssy the solution Of th is
q question / mean the solution of 10 py
legal and constitutional methods. So far
~ the actual exereiss Of the franchise By
the mass OF negroes 10 concerned. IL 10 al
ready settled. ~ least for some years TO
uS0ADt Jus u00n - SoA4AtAs8 - ~ ~
and must Be o source Of perpetual trouble
and discomfort.
"If 10 be true that the negro was invest
Cd with the right OF suffrage ~ Q punish
ment upon the South BY victorious
evsrbsaiing North, II this cruel thing.
done while the passions Of the war were
still prevailing, were done. not from any
or belief In his capacity for the intslli-
gent exercise Of the suffsas. bat az
punish ment upon the Southern psopls for
the falsely aIlsged crime Of treason and
rsbellion more than 60 years ago, what q
can possibly be found for a
longer continuance Of the punishmsnt In
visw OF the charges that have since oc-
with patisn little less than miraoa.
lous and fortituds unparalleled and
fidelity to their obligations unsurpassed,
the Southern people nave emerged from
tbs Jungle OF horrors Into which this got
drove them With heern still united, with
spirits still unbendr. with the light OF
In their faces and the glow OF
wealth and power In full view.
'.Whethsr their northern countrymsn
are willing 70 Lave this blot upon che
cor ssitution or.not IL restion for them
selves, but 1t 10, and II It remains there.
will continue 10 be vain memorial OF
their OWN shame. Unrestricted negro
suffrage In the South Is ended. a. 1t ought
10 be.
"Unrestrictsd negro suffrage In the
Southern states, II the right be fully and
freely exercised. means the most ignor-
ant, corrupt and evil government ever
known In true oountry. 1t means more
than this, for there can be no social Sc
purity where 1t prevails. Amongst white
men, political party asoendenoies are
never utilized to Affect social order. So
Nal disorder Invariably follows negro
political ascendenoy. The negro has had
nearly 40 years OF freedom and oitizsn-
,hip, and opportunity for education;
and yet, with many honorable exceptions.
he 10 quite as incapable of understanding
he meaning Of trns libsFty and Of iatelli-
vas when first emancipaeed. The South
I'm people, amidst all the oalamIties shat
have befallen the NJ, have expended about
400, COU,N0 for the education OF the
negroes since the year 1870. and yet, with
very succeeding year. they have becoms
Is race. less fitted for tine duties Of
,itizsr s nip and more and more . menace
% civilization and good government.
These are noI WILD and exaggerated state
ments, but facts oapahls Of proof.
al unhesltatingiy say that unrestr ted
negro Suffrage Is disastrous to good gov
,rnment and to the peace and welfare Of
ocisty. and 60 further and denounos the
cklslhtlou Wutcu hooohnpi . iou ~ ~ inc
greatest political orime that has been per-
,etrated In the history Of this country.
It has been and Will continue TO be, made
II no effect by methods which are them
elves necessarily injurious and democrat
lzing. and therefore IL Il doubly disas-
rous.
"The true remedy for 1t IL to be found
n the repeal or mobilization of the Fiji
esnth Amendment. / know that this
uRgesiion win be regarded by most per-
IONS as one the realization Of which II
,eyond reasonable hops, but there can be
ittls doubt that the mind of the country
North and South, especially since the &C.
cushion Of Hawaii, Pusito Rico and the
II In . more favorable con-
lition TO consider suoh . proposition than
ver before. The repeal of the amend
nsnt would not necsssarily mean the
utal Acknowledgement OF the negro.
rhs question NJ suffrage would be re-
nittsd to the states where 1t rightfuIly
,sloags. And / verify believe that the
rood people Of the South would event.
tally accord to the better class OF negroes
he right TO vote. They, as you well
NOW, cherish NO I'll win towards the
,ssro. On the CONTRARY. the only hope