The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-04-16
GROVER CLEVELAND ON THE NEGRO
PROBLEM.

GROVER CLEVELAND on THE NEGRO
PROBLEM.
1t was a courageous act on the part of
former President Cleveland to preside and
speak at meeting called in the interest
Of educating and uplifting the colored race
in the United States. There is not another
Americas living whose words spoken in
that cause would carry greater weight.
Coming from President Roosevelt or any
other prominent Republican they would
have been attributed by a great many peo-
pie to political motives, and with the whites
of the South would probably have been
construed as additional evidence that the
President favors social equality" With
ex-President Cleveland no such Interior
motive or false view could be imputed.
and the act was particularly courageous
because large portion of the Democratic
party has no sympathy with the views he
expressed.
Mr.. Clevelands speech was that of a
broad-minded American, sagacious enough
to perceive and conscientious enough to
admit that the negro problem as 1T now ex-
lists Is one of the most difficult ever pre-
sented to the American people and involv-
ing tremendous possibilities Of veal or woe
for both races. Mr.. Cleveland was par
ticular TO make it clear that he did not re-
gard the question from a sentimental point
OF view, but from the standpoint OF JUS
tice and OF settling a question which, IL
ignored or not put in the way of right set
Element. will become more difficult Of solu-
ton as time passes and may ultimately
prove to be an entering wedge that will
disrupt the Nation. For the negroes are
going to remain here and multiply. and If
they are neither enfranchised nor educated
they will eventually become an undigested
mass of illiterate and DISTINGUISHED persons
that will poison the whole body polite.
After making IL clear that he was not
present at the meeting nor speaking from
the Uncle Toms Cabin" view of the negro
question, Mr.. Cleveland said:
/ believe that neither the decree that
made the slaves free nor the enactment
that suddenly invested them with the right
of citizenship any more purged them OF
their racial and slavery-bred imperfections
and deficiencies than 1t changed the color
nearly 5000, 900 OF negroes who have been
intermixed with our citizenship there is
still a grievous amount of Ignorance, sad
amount OF viciousness and a tremendous
amount of laziness and thriftlessness. !
believe that those conditions inexorably
present TO the white people of the United
States, to each In his environment and un-
der the mandate of good citizenship,
problem which neither enlightened self
interest nor the higher motive OF human
sympathy will permit them to put aside
Then he declared himself In full SYM
pathy with Booker T. Washington, who sat
on the stage, and with the work that is
being done at Tuskegee Institute. The ex-
preston above quoted Is frank to an ex-
traordinary degree. but the best friends
of the colored race and the most intelli-
gent men of that race themselves must
admit that 1t is true. Comparatively few
Of the negroes OF the South were fit for the
franchise when 1t was bestowed upon them.
1.-THE racial and slavery-bred imperfec-
tons" which Mr.. Cleveland refers to were
painfully apparent. and they still survive
in too large a degree. But they gradu-
ally diminishing, and under the influence
of education and just and kindly treat
ment they will eventually disappear. The
traditional utterance. I'VE must educate.
we must educate or we shall perish" fits
the case exactly.
Mr.. Cleveland was right too, in saying
that the main burden of solving the negro
question rests with the whites of the
South and that they are entitled to large
| degree of sympathy and patience in dealing
with 1t. II several millions of negroes
| could be induced to leave the congested
districts OF the South and spread through
out the North the solution of the question
would be greatly accelerated. but as long
as they continue to mass in the Southern
| States about all the North can do is to
| contribute literally to their education, in
| dustrial and otherwise. and trust to time
to solve the political phase of the problem.
Mr.. Cleveland's theory Is that the educa-
ton and uplifting of the negroes are the
first step towards their safe enfranchise-
ment, and. therefore. the first duty. No
other utterance on the subject has pre-
| scented 1t in as serious a light or has caused
as much discussion as his speech will do.