The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-04-05
URGES The NEGRO
TO EARN SUFFRAGE
Secretary Taft Encourages Col
ored Men in Address at
Tuskegee.

Tuskegee, Ala, April 5.owing to
the beginning of the exercises in con.
nection with the celebration of the
twenty-ffth anniversary Of the Tuske-
gge gee nefma nt and aa institute
prominent men who attended and spoke
were Secretary of War William H. Taft,
Robert G. Ogden, president of the board]
of trustees; Charles w. Eliot, president
Of Harvard university; DR.. Lyman w.
Abbott and Oswald Garrison Willard,
editor of the New York Evening Post.
and alumni and by members nIoeu st Of ths
faculty and board of trustees.
Booker T.. Washington delivered an
address of welcome. Mr.. Ogden deliv-
cred a strong addres on the significance
of the celebration.
President Eliot Of Harvard spoke on
What = What, U y q Race and What Holds
Secretary Taft spoke in part as fol-
lows:
"The white men who can do the
most good for the negro, who can aid
him in his toilsome march to better
material and intellectual conditions are
the southern white men who are his
neighbors. 1t is one of the encourag-
ing signs Of the times that there is
growing up in the south BODY of lead
ing white men who feel that the future
of the negro race affects the future
| of the south and that both self-inter-
est and humanity require them to lend
all the aid they can to this people in
the throes of burdensome effort.
| But, say the pessimists, what Of
the political future Of the negro9' And
| this brings me to the consideration of
the third great war amendment-th
ifteenth-which forbade that any state
should deprive the negro of his vote
On On account OF MS color or previous con,
the history Of the forty years thru
which the negro of this country has been
| obliged to struggle, the progress which
/ have already alluded to, material and
educational, is wonderful.
"Declarations of equality and. popu.
lar rights and universal suffrage offer
but'a feathers weight against the in
evitable impulse Of human nature. Tt
was impossible that with the elements
I have stated there should not have
been disturbance and fraud and op-
preston. The negroes vote, after a
long struggle. the history of which I
shall not recall, was made to count for
"When class Of persons is SO ignor-
ant and so subject to oppression and
misleading that they are merely politi-
cal children, not having the mental
status of manhood, then it can hardly
be said that their voice in the govern
ment secures any benefit to them Prop
erty and educational qualifications are
whose lack of knowledge and lack of
vitality make doubtful their capacity
! to decide with safety to themselves and
the country what their own interests
are: Therefore, it seems to me that q
, policy Of the southern people in adopt
, ing laws which exclude impartially both
the black and white ignorant and ire
sponsible, could not be criticised.
, att is said, and with what truth ]
,, do not now discuss, these laws arr
the discretioary ef St f IN Cleo &C.
tion and other State z officers so as t
! exclude, the :eolleled voters with. vigo1
. under, their provisions, and to allow thu
: white, voters who ought also to. be ex
Z ing this to be true, still the situation
is by no means hopeless one for tn,
2 negro and the political power that, h,
may in the future exercise. 49,
/ nIn the first place. if he continue
,. to Increase in intelligence by the &C
4 ceptance of the educational opportuni
Y ties which are being offered him unde
: great. institutions. like this, and if. in
: dustrially he becomes power and thi
Q gradually increases the number of hi
8 race who are eligible to- vote in &C
!, cordance with law, such gradual &C
, QUESTION of political power Will secur
4 more real political power and abilit,
r ment than when their right of suffrag
r was unrestricted. I cannot put mysel
among those pessimists who regard tn
settlement Of the political question il
? the south as beyond hope.'