The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-10-08

race, when dealing with an inferior ono twnore it 10 restrained. first by It's con-
 science. and second by its view of fts own
 interests; and 1t is only fair to assume that the superior race will be more re- sponsive to the dictates, Of conscience and
 VIII take broader view of its own in terests. than an Inferior race will. To make the application, the white people of the South, if in control. will be more apt justly with the blacks than the blacks would be, ifsin control, to deal just with the whites. And the whitesy if in con- trol will be more amenable to public opinion and will take a more comprehen- sive view of their own interests than the blacks would if in the same position. people differ not SO much in the pos session of . selfish spirit as they do in their breadth of view when they con- sider their own interests The man who steals tsS selfish, and yet the man who. refrains from stealing takes better care of his own interests than the man does who steals. If the white people of the South make laws that are unjust to the blacks, the more intelligent blacks will leave the South, and the whites of the South wfllSsaffer because of the absence of refining and elevating element among the blacks. The provision which the white people of the South have, at heavy expense. made for the education of the negro. shows that they realize that it is to their interest to raise the standard and elevate the condition of the black man. The excesses of the black iegisla- lures after the war show, on the other hand, the indifference of the blacks to their own interests as well as to the in- terest of the white people.
 ! am sure, that you will. pardon me, my dear sir, for putting aside the hypotheti. cal one-sided questions which you sub- f<A <vxA t .knrr ~l~.rn which are involved in this subject. If lived in the South and had to act upon the question, lywouid act upon it in acc cordance with the principles which l have suggested. fav0ring such qualihca- tons; as seemed to me necessary to pro- tect the. interests of all. making those qualifications as easysas conditions would permit, and doing justice to the black man and the white man both according to my best Judgment.
 As citizen of the North. practically unacquainted with the. conditions that the Southern whites have to meet, would re- fuse to express an opinion without first informing myself more fully. might fa- vor a qualification if lived in one. State and oppose it if lived in another. being goveren entirely by the conditions that had to be met.
 The position which I take does not in the least controvert the principles set forth in the Declaration of Independence. A qualification for suffrage does not deny the natural and inalienable rights of the black man. The negro in the South. as I have frequently pointed out, has the same constitutional guarantee as the white man, and lives under the law that the white man makes for himself. If he can not vote today. he can look forward to the time when he may vote. The subject, on the other hand. who lived under a colonial system is denied constitutional protection, cannot look forward to citi- zenship, and lives under a law passed by the dominant power-a power which itself escapes the burdens that it imposes upon the subject
 Where two races must live together under the same government, the superior race, as a matter of self-preservation. will impose conditions upon the inferior, just as the individual may defend him self even to the point of taking life in the protection of his own life, or he may put a dangerous enemy under bonds to keep the peace 1t is not a denial of the equal rights of others to protect ones own rights, but as it Is always necessary for one to show that he acted for the protection of himself, so at the bar of public opinion those who fix suffrage qualifications upon others must show that 1t is done in self defense, and not for self preservation. @ w. J. BRYAN.
 Lincoln, Neb., Sept. g.