The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-03-12
NEGRO SUFFRAGE A MISERA-
BILE FAILURE.

The Congregationalist and Christian
World, one of the leading papers of New
England has an editorial in a recent is
sue on suffrage that is significant of the
change of sentiment that has come over
the best element of the New England
course pursued in giving all the negroes
the ballot after the war, is being pursued
in the Hawaiian Islands, and it is easy
to see that the result in those islands
will be not different from the results that
followed negro enfrancbisement in the
South. We quote the editorial from the
Congregationalist and Christian World
in full as follows:
'Thirty-fve years ago the citizens of
our Northern States undertook to confer
the full rights of citizenship on a vast
mass of negroes whom Mr.. James Bryce
correctly describes in his American Com
monwealth as absolutely destitute not
only of political experience, but even of
the most rudimentary political ideas.
The verdict of the majority of those still
living who favored this policy would now
be, beyond question, that it has proved
disastrous failure. 1t has injured the
negroes as a whole, has retarded the
progress of the Southern States, has pro-
noted lawlessness and race conflicts, and
has finally failed in its immediate object
of making the negroes voters. We are
learning that there are certain prere-
quisiteS to making voters which cannot
be conveyed to masses of men by gift.
Mr.. Bryce refers to this experiment
in democracy as one not likely ever to
recur, either in the United States or
elsewhere 1t certainly ought not to be
expected that the same people would re-
peat it almost within the same genera
ton. But in its essential features 1t is
being repeated in the first opportunity
which has come to US to administer the
affairs of annexed territory. Two years
ago Congress gave manhood suffrage to
the Hawaiian Islands, and the first re-
suits are appearing in an incompetent
Legislature chosen by incompetent voters
and led by crafty and selfish politicians.
REV. d. A. S. Twombly, who recently
spent several months on the islands, has
described pcturesquely the first popular
election of November, 1900, in paper
read at the last Mohawk Conference.
The scenes were grotesque and pitiful.
They show, he says, that the extension
of the suffrage, instead of helping the
native, leaves him helpless in the hands
of demagogues and politicians and ele-
Yates designing adventures to places of
power Recent news from the islands
indicates that the attempt of Congress
to legislate for them, under the influence
of sentiment and with little knowledge of ,
conditions, is bringing forth the fruits
which might have been expected, and
which even a thoughtful consideration ,
of the history of the last thirty years of
the Southern States might have saved
us from. The stories of the prospective
removal of Governor Dole by President
Roosevelt, and of the appointment of his
successor of the last premier of the Ha- !
waiian Queen appear to be circulated
by those who are working to bring this
result about. We are assured by resi-
dents of the islands in whom We have
confidence that Mr.. Dole has not in any
way discredited his previous history OF
honorable and self-sacrifcing service of
the people. But he has had placed on
him an impossible task. In attempting
to confer self government, Congress has
imposed on the people impracticable :
laws, which those of them who knew |
anything about government would never |
have adopted for themselves.
ut will be difficult to retrace steps i,
taken hastily and without adequate |
knowledge and such steps will not be
retraced at all by our Government with
out much suffering and, disaster in the |
Hawaiian Islands, which might have !
dn6 1naG t
dearly learned ought not to be forgotten !
in the administration of other territory |
for which action with respect to the /
suffrage is not yet taken. The Danish I
West Indies which are about to become !
territory of the United States, are to /
large extent populated by negroes or |
persons of mixed blood. The question
who should have suffrage in these is |
lands is one that should not be settled by |
demagogues or sentimentalists. but upon !
testimony given by a competent commits |
sion after it has investigated their his /
tor wand conditions"
The truth is that we do not need to /
acquire territory in the tropics The in |
habitants are unfit to exercise the right |
of suffrage. and this Republic is weak /
ened whenever it mistakes imperialistic |
for proper expansion. The !
taking Of the Hawaii was a blot upon !
our history, as Mr.. Cleveland demon /
strated. The purchase of the Philip |
pines, Danish West Indies and other |
tropical countries is fraught with evil |
and evil only and evil continually.