The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-05-21
RACE PROBLEM
LEADING QUESTION
1t Was Discussed by Senator Simmons at the
Banquet Of the North Carolina Society.

New York, May 20.-The North Caro-
lima Society held its third annual ban
quet tonight at the Waldorf Astoria,
President B. N. Duke presiding.
Two hundred sons of the state, with
their guests, attended. At the guests
table were United States Senator Sim
mons of North Carolina, who responded
to the toast 1.-THE Race Problem in
the South" DIR. George F. Winston,
whose theme was 1.-The New North
State" Senator Chauncey M. Depew,
DR.. ]. N. Steele, president of the Mary
land Society; Robert c. Ogden, presi-
dent of the Pennsylvania Society; w.
E. Graybill, president of the Georgia
Society, and John M. Harrington, presi-
dent of the Southern Society of New
York city.
Senator Simmons was introduced by
President Duke.
Senator Simmons address was de-
voted almost entirely to a discussion
of the negro race problem. He said
that while the North does not admit
that the negro question is an exclu-
sively Southern question, it does adj
nit that it is a question in which the
South is more deeply interested and
which it understands better than any
other section, and that the North
shows a growing tendency to concede
that the attitude of the South towards
the negro is honest and sincere, and
that it's contention that the negro is
incompetent for elf-government finds
substantial support in the actual ex-
perience of the South with the negro
as a voter.
The present conditions of the negro
present three problems-social, politi-
cal and industrial. The social problem
mas been settled by the South, so far
as it is concerned, irrevocably. One
and all, now and at all times, they
refuse to even so much as to consider
the suggestion of social equality or So
cial intercourse with the negro. In
their view that would mean degrade
ton for the white man without COM
pensating benefits for the black This
is Southern condition which is mex
orable, and absolutely nothing can
change it.
AS to the political question, the
South has attempted to settle that in
a way reasonably satisfactory to itself
and in a way which it believes will
prove satisfactory to the North.
by one device or another" said
Senator Simmons I'VE have taken the
ballots from the illiterate negro, not for
political advantage. but, as we believe,
for his good and for the countrys good,
and for our own salvation. The manner
of his disfranchisement may seem
harsh and inequitable, but as matter
of fact 1t is neither. Experience has
conclusively proved that the negro pos
sesses no inherent capacities for self
government such as our race undoubt-
eddy has, and that he cannot be safely
trusted with the ballot until he shows
an attained capacity to use it, We are
content to leave to the courts the ques-
ton of the constitutionality of these
acts of Acknowledgement.
THE question of reduction of South
ern representation in Congress as a
result of these DISTINGUISHING acts is
one for discussion. We hold that these
non-voters are as much subject to the
law as the voters. We have disfran-
chised the negro, but we have not
abolished him or his family. They still
exist. Why then should they have not
the same representation in Congress as
is given to other non-voters of the
country? If it was wrong to disfran-
chise these negroes, would not the rem
edy proposed (reduced representation
be a greater wrong?
But If the worst comes to the worst
If the North is determined to consider
this question from the standpoint of
political advantages and we must
choose between reduction of represent
tation and unrestricted negro suffrage,
the South will not hesitate in making
its choice. Men do not hesitate in MAX
ing choice between life and death,
even though life be conditioned on OPP
pressive terms.
1.-THE negro industrial situation
does not present a present, but only
a piospe ctive problem. Up to the
present time the negro has confined
his activities chiefly to doing domestic
and rntnial service in the North ami
farm work in the South. For these oc-
equations he Is fitted and in their pu--
suit there has been but little friction
between hIm and his white co-laborers.
But IL IS now proposed to attempt the
education o. the negro mechanics o.
artisans. We believe that no great
number Of nesro mechanics or artisans
couhl secure employment in com ,sti-