The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-01-28
ON RACE PROBLEM
HARDWICK TALKS
BABY MEMBER OF THE HOUSE
RECEIVES A PAT ON THE BACK
FROM GROSVENOR.

After the Georgia Congressman
from the Tenth Concludes His
Speech the Ohio Congressman
Tells Him 1t Was the Best Presen-
tatiOn of a Bad Case He Had Ever
Heard-Hardwick Opposes the
Higher Education of the Negro.
Washington, Jan. 27.-General de-
bate in the House to-day on the Ur-
gent Deficiency bill digressed to a dis
cussion of political topics. the race
question, and aerial navigation. Mr..
Burkett of Nebraska led off with a
discussion of the political situation
from Republican view point, and Mr..
Cochran of Missouri spoke for the
Democrats.
Mr.. Hardwick (Democrat) of Geor-
gia made an extended address on the
race problem.
Discussion of flying machines was
precipitated by the report of the ap-
propriations committee, which recon-
mended the tabling OF a resolution
calling on the Secretary of War for
| information as to expenditures that
had been made in connection with the
| flying machine tests. Mr.. Hitchcock
| (DemocraD Of Nebraska, author of the
resolution, and Mr.. Robinson Demo
craft of Indiana spoke in opposition
to the motion. The resolution was
tabled.
c. B. Lands (Republican) of Indiana
| closed the day in political speech
lasting an hour. He declared that Mr..
Roosevelt will be nominated with the
record of his administration for his
platform.
Good Feeling of Sections.
Mr.. Hardwick rejoiced at the happy
| relation now existing between the
| North and South. He said the South
yielded to no section in loyalty and in
that spirit he invoked consideration of
the race question. Quoting census fig
| ureS, he showed that the negroes con-
| stitute about SO per cent. of those of
the voting population in eleven of the
! Southern States, which figures, he said,
suggested the magnitude of the prob
| lem
| Reviewing the voting qualifications
| imposed by a constitutional action in
Southern States, Mr.. Hardwick said it
was not believed by some of the law
yers of ability that any of these quail
| itications were in conflict with the fif-
| teeIlH amendment. lie SdlQ the ne
gro can no longer stand as a special
ward of the government, but must
stand on his merits as a citizen.
He said there never had been any
! disposition in the South to deprive the
negro of his civil rights-the right to
| earn a living and the right of protec-
ton to life and property. There cam
not be political equality, he said. He
quoted statistics and said it was shown
i
| race, criminality increased, from
which he deduced that education had
been detrimental rather than benefi-
cial to the negro.
Education Units Them.
Mr.. Watson of Indiana asked If he
believed in abolishing schools for the
negro.
Mr.. Hardwick replied that higher
education untitled the negro for work;
that it gave him an ambition too high
to be realized in the South or else
where. Calling attention to the laws
| of a number of states, including Ohio,
Vermont, Massachusetts,. Connecticut,
Maine, Oregon, California, Wyoming
and Idaho, he said, if the representa-
ton of the Southern states were to
| be reduced because of the voting quail
! iffcations imposed the representation of
the states named would have to be
| reduced IOT the SdIIle TedSOHs
Mr.. Grosvenor Republican. of Ohio
remarked to Mr.. Hardwick that it
was the best presentation of a bad
case he had ever heard.
Reference to election methods in
Southern states precipitated numerous
colloquies between Mr.. Lands, and
Mr.. Williams of Mississippi, and sew
eraI others on the minority side. Mr..
Lands said prosperity was here to
remain if the Democrats would let it
! stay, but the Democrats could scare
it away tomorrow, he added, by elect
ing a Democratic Congress and en-
acting a measure similar to the Cor
man-Wilson tariff bill. The Repub-
licans, declared Mr.. Lands, would go
into the battle on the party's record.
He called attention to the prosperous
condition of the Southern states, and
replying to a question by Mr.. Living
ton (of Georgia) said the Democratic
states were prosperous in spite of
| themselves.
The House adjourned until to-mor-
row.
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