The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-01-24
PHILIPPINES AND NEGROES.
CONTINUED from First PsgeJ

suffrage by the comforting of it upon an
other class"
He maintained that the right to vote
could be conferred only by state, and
there was no restriction upon the state
as to persons it might admit to the cleo
torate. He then said:
There is nothing in the text of the suf-
frage clause quoted to show that there
IS any denial or abridgment of the right
to vote on account of race, color or pre-
vious condition. The state, being the sole
judge of the qualifications of electors, can
discriminate among the iliiterate as to cleo
toral capacity.
The opportunities of the South are
those of the nation. Let her alone and
her possibilities for the future can only
be conjectured They are limtless.
The rapid industrial progress of the
South was impossible under negro domi
nation. Restore to the negro indscrimi-
nately the ballot and invest him with pow
er and there win not only be a check to
the progress of the South. but the ad-
vantage gained will be lost.
There can be no admiXture of the races.
This is a law of nature. They must work
out their desdnies on parallel lines, which
cannot come together The Angso-Saxon
blood and brain win always be the super
ior and cannot be subordinated by the
negro.
Improving the Negro.
1--WE of the South are making the ne
gros condition better every day. We do
not deny his political rights because he
is a negro. We regulate the suffrage be-
cause he is ignorant. and at present the
majority of the negro race has no cleo
toral capacity.
The question raised is a judicial one.
Congress has the power, but ii has NOT the
right to declare any law or constitutional
provision of a state unconstitutional.
Mr. Butler of North Carolina inquired
whether Mr.. McEnery, when the amend
ment to the Louisiana constitution SINH
lar to that now pending in North Carolina,
was under consideration did not pronounce
it unconstitutional.
Mr.. McEnery replied that he had pro
nounced it unconst itutlonal, but inasmuch
as it was adopted, he had said that he
would support IL in the Senate. He felt
II his duty to his constituents to do so,
and he would also be found supporting
the laws and constitution of both his state
and his country Referring to the Filipino
instruction in this connection, he said;
II do not stop to inquire now whether
my country in the Philippines is right or
not; l do not inquire who fired the first
shot which precipitated hostilities It is
enough for me to know that my govern
ment has been assailed; and ! Will uphold
its hands until its enemies are brought
INTO SupJScllOH
Mr.. Butler then read letters and papers
written by Mr.. McEnery calling the
Louisiana amendment grossly uncon-
stitutional," and that it was so regarded
by the ablest constitutional lawyers in the
state
Those Cotton Claims.
Mr.. Tillman called up a bill to revive
and amend an act to provide for the col
lection of abandoned property aud the
prevention of frauds in insurr0ctlonary
districts within the United States.
On Mr.. Tillman's request, Mr.. Davis ex-
plsined that the claims were not only
lust but it was the bounden duty Of
Congress to provide for their payment.
They covered captured and abandoned
cotton.
MIR Hale "Why that will amount to-
800 OOO. 900 or 800, 900 600"
To this Mr.. Davis dissented saying that
under court decisions the claims for cap
tured and abandoned cotton would aggre-
gate about 10000 This money was IN
the treasury and had been held up by
the United States for twenty years for
those to whom the courts had adjudged
il to belong.
1T Is not" said ne, "a sluiceway for
the payment of all claims which have
been referred TO by Mr.. Hale"
The bill was objected and II went over.
The Senate after a short executive ses-
sion adjourned.