The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1903-05-07
HENDERSON, N. RSDAY, MAY z, 1903.
An Important Admission.
Atlanta Constitution.

Commenting Oh the speech of Col
onel Henry Watterson before the
Hamilton Club, of Chicago, the De-
troit Free Press gives utterance to
some thoughts that are remarkable
for Sheir sanity, considering that pa
per's environments.
Colonel WattersOn told the MEM
bers OF the Hamilton Club that the
race question could not be settled by
political agitation, and he also made
it very clear that the average negro
OF the South is totally untitled to
WELD the franchise: for the very SIM
pie reason that he understands neith-
er the Importance nor the meaning
thereof.
The Detroit Free Press seems to be
convinced on these points, for it
plainly tells the people OF the North
that Colonel Watterson is standing
Oh solid ground and admits that
political agitation has been tried and
failed. the Free Press says:
''Most men OF the North have come
to understand that negro suffrage in
the aggregate has not proved sue
cess, and that the country has not
been able to digest this enormous
mass of citizenship which appreciated
none of its duties and responsible
ties. In individual cases the negro
has demonstrated his right to exer-
else the franchise. En- masse, we
have learned the folly of trying to
create citizens by reckless fiat of law.
Ii the South, in the exercise of that
self-preservation which is the first
law of nature, chooses to adopt con-
stitutiOns and enact laws which eX-
clude from the polls all negroes who
have not earned the right of suffrage,
none of us can quarrel with her. In
this, the Southern States are exercis-
ing sovereign right common to all
States, and which cannot be1lenied
them or withheld"
The above is simply plain, common
sense. 1t recognizes the situation as
it exists; it admits that the people
who are most directly concerned in
this problem are the only ones who
can be safely trusted to settle it.
Had the Free Press stopped right
there it's editorial would have been
altogether sound and of value But
the old sectional feeling will crop up
in connection with everything that
pertains to this race problem. For
instance, instead of resting it's repu-
tatiOn for common sense and fairness
on the foregoing, the Free Press
adds to it the assertion that IF the
South disfranchises the negro, the
states on the neither side of the line
have no legal right to representation
in Congress on the basis of this dis
franchised vote
This seems to be a sore point with
all Northern papers that undertake
a discussion of the South race prob
lem. AS much as they recognize the
justice of the South attitude toward
the negro, this thing of the South 5
representation in Congress" always
seems to stick in their craw.
1t seems impossible for them to
recognize another very important
fact in connection with this problem;
that the South has merely been doing
what other sections of the country
have done-excluded ignorance from
the polls. Various Northern states
have placed an educational qualifica-
tion on the voter, and we do not find
that their representation in Congress
has been affected thereby.
The Detroit Free Press admits that
ignorance should not be entrusted
with the franchise. 1t should occur
to all reasoning minds that to dis
franchise ignorance is absolutely es
sential to good government. This is
all that the South has done. And
this is what has been done elsewhere
The North gave the negro the fran
chise and in doing SO it almost dOu
bled the South's representation il
Congress and in the electoral college
1t was no work of ours. To nullify
this condition of affairs it must re
peal those enfranchising clauses o
the federal constitution which made
this situation possible. No Southern
state can repeal the federal cOnstitu
ton, nor has one OF them attempted
to do SO. But they can. and some O
them do, insist on an educatiOna
qualification for voters. This dc
prives no one of a vote who has an,
right thereto, moral or otherwise.