The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-12-23

The speech of Governor Aycock at
Baltimore, at the North Carolina So
ciety dinner has been widely quoted in
the North and South. 1t was a notable
speech. The New York Times, an ably
edited and conservative independent pa
per, with Democratic leanings, deVotcs
column to discussing the speech. 1t finds
in it something both for commendation
and criticism. The Times says:
eve urge all Northern men to weigh
candidly and carefully the statement of
GOVERNOR AYCOCK OF NORTH CAR
OLINA, as to the way in which he thinks
the negro problem has been solved IN
his State. and can be solved IN other
States. There is an element in it that Will
offend many in the North. His assertion
that the whites have disfranchised the
negroes las far as possible under the
Fifteenth Amendment" his ailusion to
manifest destiny which leads to the
seizure Of Panama." and ito the domin-
ance of the Caucasian his boast that
in his veins flows the blood of the dom
inant race that has conquered the earth
and seeks out the mysteries of the heights
and the depths this has been heard
often from ignorant and shallow and con-
ceted men in the South in whom mere
savage selfshess silences the sense of duty
and banishes the sense of fairness and
decency.
1t would be a grave error to class Gov
ernor Aycock with these men. He is
iust-minded man of high ideals His
courage is ample and has been tested in
~. Iafo 1i,,cy hn
negroes against the class that would keep
them down in ignorance and poverty. He
is one of the educational governors" OF
the South, and has used all his power and
influence to promote to the utmost the
best schooling for the negroes. He G.
lieves and his works show it, that it is
the right of the negro and the duty OF
the white that the negro shall have
every possible chance in education, in IN
dustry, in the acquisition of property, in
everything save social equality with the
white race and political control. He
says:
"As white man l am afraid CT but
one thing for my race. and that is that
we shall become afraid to give the ne
gro a fair chance. The first duty of
every man is to develop himself to the
uttermost, and the only limitation up
on this duty is that he shall take pains
to see that in HI own development he
does no injustice to those beneath him.
This is true of races as we'll as of in
dividuals Considered properly. it is
not limitation, but condition of de-
velopment.
1.-THE white man in the South can
never attain to his fullest growth I'M
III he does absolute justice to the ne
gro race
We have said that Governor Aycock
would exclude the negroes from political
control That does not necessarily in
volve exclusion from the right of suf-
frage On the contrary, the constitution
of North Carolina, to which the Gov
ernor refers, applies an educational test,
on complying with which negroes can and
do vote He undoubtedly thinks that
the number SO voting will never secure
control Of the State, or, probably, OF any
considerable sub-div sion of the State. But
as it stands the educational test is not a
deprivation of suffrage on account of race,
color or previous condition of servitude.
1t does not violate the fifteenth amend
ment 1t is conceivable if the test were
fairly applied to whites and blacks alike
that IN time, in some sections of North
Carolina. possibly In the State govern
ment of some Southern States, the ne
groes would attain majority and control.
What Governor Aycock and those who
think with him would do in that case he
does not define. 1t is a remote and not
very practical question.
What has the North to say to this
theory? What has it to do in the situa-
ton it creates? In our judgment the i'm
mediate and ultimate future of the South
and o. the Nationl interests centered in
the South depends on whether that Sec
ton shall be led by men like Governor