The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-04-10
After Thirty Years of Observation He
Has Become Convinced Negro
Suffrage Is q Failure.
WHITES WILL NOT HAVE IT
AND THE BLACKS ARE NOT EQUAL
TO 1T, HE ASSERTS.
Political Agitation in Behalf of the
Colored Man Cannot Improve His
Condition I'm the south.

CHICAGO, April 9.-The annual banquet
Of the Hamilton Club. which is held each
year on the anniversary of the surrender
at Appomattox, took place tonight in the
Auditorium Hotel. A large number Of local
guests was present and many came from
distant States. Ex-Congressman Francis
w. Cushman, of Tacoma. WASH was to
have delivered an address, but was unable
to be present because of the death of his
father. The addresses were by Henry Wat
p Green. Cedar Rapids. Ia. and Edward
d. Hamilton, of Michigan.
Mr. Watterson said in part: IT grew up
to regard the institution of African slavery
as a monstrous evil. With gray jacket
on my back 1 abated no part of my alb
horrence of it. The war over. 1 fully real
lied that the negro could not be suspended,
like Mahomets coffin, in the neither air,
neither fish, flesh nor fowl: that he must be
made free man in fact, as he was in
name; that he must be habilitated to his
new belongings. and 1 promptly accepted
the three last amendments to the Consti-
tuition as the treaty Of peace between the
North and the South and went to work in
good faith to help carry them out. I
fought to remove the old black laws from
the statute book in Kentucky. 1 fought
the Kuklux Klan from start to finish.
fought In all possible ways to give the
black man opportunity to achieve the
hopes which in common with many other
of his friends had formed of him.
After thirty years of observation, ex-
perience and refiection-always directed
from a sympathetic point of view-I am
forced to agree with the secretary of war
that negro suffrage is failure. 1t is
not equal to Ii. 1t Is failure because the
Southern whites will not have 1t.
IF making hot answer to this, some
overzealous. and. as must think. some
mistaken partisan should say. we have the
power, we have the numbers, and We will
compel the whites of the South. my answer
shall be. You did, and behold what came of
it, And then If my warm-b -blooded friend
should throw up his hands in despair and
with a kind of disgust turn wearily away,
should continue-'May you not have been
from the first upon the wrong tack? is
there not another outlet to these perplexities,
another solution of this problem? After all,
is not your disquietude based upon the idea
that there are one set OF moral conditions
at the North and another set at the South,
to which the whole racial trouble is refer
able? Believe me, there is no such differ
ence Remove every white Democrat to-
day living in the South and replace him
with a Northern Republican. and twelve
months hence the conditions will be the
same. maybe worse, since the Northern
Republican would not be likely to have
either patience. the personal sympathy
and knowledge possessed by the native
Southerner.
THE ONLY SOLUTION.
Gentlemen. appeal to you as Republic
ans. and through you / appeal to the Re-
publicans of the United States. TO have
done with the conceit that, unless you stand
by the black man; that. unless you continue
him an issue in partisan politics, injus-
tice will be done him. In the bettering of
his condition. and in the acquisition of
property, starting with nothing, he has
made wondrous progress the last five and
thirty years; and. relatively. greater prog
ress at the South than at the North. He
! pathy and cooperation OF the Southern