The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-06-18
SENATOR TILLMAN BREAKS OUT


Senator Tillman, Of South Caroline mas
given out an interview In which ne says:
The negro has reached his status In this
country and the repeal of the fourteenth
and fifteenth amendments Is inevitaoie.
There has been more discussion during the
last year or two concerning the status or
the negro end the question of negro suf-
frage than during many years previous.
several causes nave contributed to this,
chief among them being the adoption by
several Southern States Of constitutional
amendments practically DISTINGUISHING ne
groes. Booker T. Washington's efforts in
educating them and Representative Crum-
packers proposition TO reduce the repre-
sentation of Southern States in the proper
ton of the disfranchised negroes. The dis
cussion has taken a wide range and has
shown very clearly that the question of the
negro's status. present and prospective, is
far from being settled. In fact, no discus
sion Of recent years has brought out a
greater variety Of opinions from intelligent,
patriotic and fair-minded persons. who
have maintained their views with. candor
and ability. The discussion has not settled
anything except that there is great diver
sity of opinion on the subject and that the
satisfactory solution of the race problem is
still far in the future. Senator Tillman's
dogmatic statement that 'the negro has
reached his status in this country is that
of a narrow-minded politician who mis-
takes his prejudices for principles and
gropes helplessly in a fog of his own crea-
ton. His conception of what that status is
and Is to remain is shown by his further
statement that "the repeal of the four
teenth and fifteenth amendments to the
Constitution is inevitable" AS the repeal
of these amendments would deprive the ne
gro of all constitutional protection and not
only disfranchise but decitizenize him and
consign him to perpetual serfdom, that is
what Senator Tillman probably regards as
the true status of the negro. No doubt
there are many m~alignants in the South of
his way OF thinking, but for the honor of
the American name 1t is to be hoped they
are far from q majority.
When Senator Tillman says the repeal Of
the fourteenth and fifteenth amendments is
inevitable he implies that enough Northern
States will join with the South to accom-
plish the repeal. and that it will be done by
the Democratic party. This is a wild and
visionary idea, but 1t is a logical sequence
Of the action already taken by some South
ern States. The Constitution has been
amended many times by additions to the
original. but no provision once incorporated
In the Constitution has ever been repealed.
This could only be done. if at all, in the
form Of an amendment, which would re-
quire submission by Congress and ~ratiica-
ton by three-fourths Of all the States.
Congress will never submit the question of
repeating the amendments, and If it did the
proposed repeal would never be ratified by
the requisite number of States. There are
would be thirty-four. II the South should
be solid for repeal Of the amendments there
would still not be half enough States to
carry it, and no Northern State would ever
vote for 1t. The proposition is too wild for
serious discussion, yet 1t represents a phase
of Southern Democratic opinion that must
be reckoned with. One thing is certain,
and that is that the status of the negro is
fixed SO far as the Constitution is con-
cerned. 1t remains to be seen whether the
Southern States will be permitted to over
ride the Constitution by assigning the ne.
gro to a status entirely different from that
which it fixes.