The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-02-25
WAKEFIELD LAUDS ROOSEVELT
FOR HIS LINCOLN DAY SPEECH
on THE RACE QUESTION.
Presidents Policy for Advancing the
Negro Approved by Governor OF Mary
land Thinks Repeal OF the Fifteenth
Amendment Would solve Problem.

Amendment NOUUi SolNF fTupfcH'
Gov. Edwin Warfield Of Maryland came
over from Annapolis yesterday to attend
the Maryland Society dinner at the Hotel
Aston last night. There we're about 1875
at table At the platform table, in adj
dition TO President Steele and Gov. War
field, we're Robert c. Ogden, president Of
the Pennsylvania Society; Judge c. f.
Moore Henry Wooman Of the Missouri
Society. j. T.. Graybill Of the Georgia
Society. Robert l.. Harrison Of the Southern
Society. Justice Vernon NJ. Davis r l..
Gould and Postmaster Wilcox.
The greater part of Gov. Warfield's
speech was devoted to the race question
in the South. and he expressed satisfaction
that President Roosevelt, in his Lincoln
Day speech in Philadelphia, had followed
in the wake Of Southern orators and taken
such fair and patriotic stand upon this
question This speech of the Presidents
Gov. Warfeld said. had convinced the peo-
pie Of the Southern States that he is be-
ginning to realize the true status Of the
negro In the South and that what the PTesi-
dent said in that speech was being inter-
preted in the South as an earnest of Mr..
Roosevelt's determination to aid in main
tanning the relations now prevailing IN The
n.
continued Gov. Warfeld throughout the
land an the proper relations TO exist between
the races in every section of our country.
President Roosevelt has my approval In
the policy ne suggests 10 advance the negro
along lines that will make him a better
more useful man. and fit him for the grave
responsibilities Of citizenship.
at has been suggested that the solution
OF the race problem lies in the repeal of the
Fifteenth Amendment, thus leaving with
each State in the Union the power to adjust
the questions Of suffrage 10 suit its special
social conditions. The privilege to vote
could then be bestowed in a way to place the
electorate upon an intelligent basis, with
out the resort to the expedient OF unwlse
Constitutional amendments that strain the
oonsciences Of our best people and arouse
criticism. The solution OF the problem
in this way would result in benefit to the
negro, would prevent lawlessness and crime.
improve labor conditions and bring to the
deserving and worthy negro the recognition
recommended by the President in his pa
triotic uttefances, the recognition that
worth always wiz.
We have the race question now con-
fronting us in Maryland A strong feeling
has grown up in our State against the
negro in politics because OF the blind way
in which he follows the dictates and the
lead of designing Republican politicians
who use him for personal gain After
forty years OF freedom and thirty-fve years
OF Acknowledgement they stand in solid array
against the material welfare of the State
and vote az unit under the dictation OF
corrupt and selfish political bosses, many
of whom allied themselves with the Repub-
lican party after the Acknowledgement Of
the negro because they saw the oppor-
tunity Of using him TO advance their am
bition"
GOV War5eld said that negroes Of Mary
land were as unfit now TO exercise the
franchise as whom the vote was first given
TO them. The Governor. in further praise
Of President Roosevelt, said that he was
ri wing recognition to the best element of
the people Of the South in the matter of
appointments