The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-04-05

throes of burdensome emort-
 Of course there Is much 10 discourage in the shiftless and trifling character of so many ignorant negroes. who knowing no useful trade. are attracted to the Southern cities with nothing but menial occupations in which they can be employed or for which they are adapted Equally discouraging another way is the helpless condition of mind and body in which Il bright young col ored man finds himself with merely a literary education and inability to oyer come his repugnanee 10 what he(ha taught himself to believe Is the hu- initiation of manual service.
 It is said that only the picked ones of the race are educated at Hampton and Tuskegee, and therefore we may not infer from their character as de ve1oped by those institutions and their qualifications for success. what would he the result of extension of industrial education to those of their race who arc less qualified than they were to receive the benefit of such education. It seems to me that this Is most pessimistic view to take.
 But. say the pessimists. hat of the political future of the negror and this third. great war amendment--the fir teenth-which forbade that any State should deprive the negro of his vote on account of his color or previous gard the history of the forty years through which the negro of this coun- try has been obliged to struggle, the progress which I have already alluded to. material and educational. Is wonder ful. Consider the condition of things immediately after the war.
 Conditions After tne. War.
 Here were a brave, warlike and mas terful people who had been used to a social condition in which the negro oc- cupied servile status brought by law to pay the prospects of sharing po- litical control with poor ignorant be- wildered and Irresponsible people who but yesterday were their property.
 Declarations of equality and popular rights and universal suffrage offer but feathers weight against the inevit- able impulse of human nature. 1t was impossible that with the clements have stated there should not have been disturbance and fraud and violence and injustice and illegality and oppression.
 The negro's vote, after a long strug- gle the history of which I shall not recall. was made to count for nothing Then the leaders of the South, In many States came to realize the dread ful demoralization of all society If law was to he houted and fraud was to constitute the basis of the govern law square with the existing condition by property and educational qualifica tion, which should exclude the. negro
 hs xeG vosn ,o whcb s wont to overcome the colored vote in the South itself indicates turn for the better.
 "It Is impossible to frame a law which will. on it's face, stand the test of the Fifteenth amendment and which will not ultimately operate. no matter what the qualification or present ef- feet. to permit a certain class of the negroes to exercise the ballot It is true that some State constitutions or laws with the so-called grand father exclude him. but as they. expire in ef- feet, the Limitations on adult male suf- frage must become nothing more than educational or property qualifications
 Mere .PoiItIcai Children.
 When a class of persons is so ig- norant and so subject to oppression tai status of manhood. then 1t can hardly be said that their voice in the government secures any benefit to them. Therefore 1t seems to me that a policy of the Southern. people in adopting laws which exclude impartial ly both the black and white ignorant, cised. But. it Is said. but with what truth I do not know, that these laws are intended to be enforced by means of the discretionary power vested in to exclude the colored voters with vigor under their provisions and to al- low the white voters who ought also to be excluded. to enjoy the franchise. situation is still by no means hope less one, for the negro and the political power that he may In the future exer-
 'In the first place, If he continues to increase in intelligence by the accept ance of the educational opportunities influence of Washington in great in stitutions like this. and industrially he becomes a power and this gradually increases the number of his race who t<xtk Ia tr .tsa fF q n nA yU law, he introduces into the electorate body of individuals we'll qualified to act with common sense and Judgment and who, by their very, position in the community, give weight to the vote
 Coming to the ballot box in small numbers as compared with the total number of the race, 20 as to relieve the fear that an Ignorant majority will take over the government. their votes and their support will ultimately prove attractive to the parties into which the white race must inevitably divide: If then. with the independence of thought and action which. economic independence will surely. give them. tending parties their votes will be sought, instead of suppressed.
 Such a gradual acquisition of po- littcal power will secure more real political power and ability to help the negroes In their development than when their right of suffrage was unrestrict- ed. I cannot put myself among those pessimists who regard the settlement of the political question in the South as beyond hope"
 was of short duration. He glided int the institute and out again like a tor pedo boat into the enemy's harbor in time of war. He reached Tuskegee on the Ogden train at 3:15 o'clock in the afternoon. At 3:30 he reached the auditorium of the chapel building. An hour later he rose to address the audi ence there, and before 5:30 he had fin- ished his speech. At 6 o'clock he took dinner on board the train, and at he left on his return to Washington. His trip was strenuous in the extreme. It was touch and go. and evil to the man who could not keep up to him.
 Owing to the interference with the program, caused by the late arrival of speakers on the morning program spoke the list being placed later during the exercises. Two who spoke. however, were State Commissioner of Agriculture dent Charles c. Thach of the l4labama Polytechnic Institute of Auburn.
 The program for tonight included some of the more important speeches that were down on the program for this mornings session. together with the reg ular addresses for the evening meet ing. The principal speakers at this meeting were Robert c. ogden, Judge - -