The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-04-07

better things, both because it is our
duty and our interest The negro's
chief hope of progress is by making
his labor and husbandry valuable to
the country.
with Difference to those who have
looked more into the question and
who differ on this point from what
am about to say, it seems to me that
instead of affording ground for dis
couragement of the solution of the
so-called negro problem, a review of
the history of this race since the war
justifies the statement that great pro-
gress has been made.
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 en-
couraging signs of the times that
there is growing up in the south a
body of leading white men who feel
that the future Of the. negro race af-
fects the future of the south and that
both self-interest and humanity re-
quire them to lend all the aid they
can to this people in the throes of a
burdensome effort.
"Of course, there is much to dis
courage in the shiftless and trifing
character of SO many ignorant ne
groes who, knowing no useful trade,
are attracted to the southern cities,
but find nothing but mental occupa-
tons in which they can be employed.
Equally discouraging another way
is the helpless condition of mind and
BODY in which bright young colored
man finds himself with merely lit
erary education and inability to over
come his repugnance to what he has
taught himself to believe is the hui
initiation Of manual service.
But, say the pessimists, what of the
political future of the negro? And
this brings me to the consideration of
the third great war amendment-the
fifteenth-which forbade that any
state should deprive the negro of his
vote on account fhis color or pre-
vious condition of servitude. When
we regard the history of the forty
years through which the negro of this
country has been Obliged to struggle,
the progress which l have already al
luded to, material and educational, is
wonderful. Here were brave, war
like and masterful people, who had
been used to a social condition in
which the negro occupied a servile
status, brought by law to face the
prospect of sharing political control
with the poor, ignorant, bewildered
and irresponsible people who but yes
terday were their property.
Declarations of equality and popu-
lar rights and universal suffrage offer
but feathers weight against the in
evitable impulse of human nature 1t
was impossible that with the elements
l have stated there should not have
been disturbance and fraud and OPP
preston. The negro's vote, after a
long struggle, the history of which l
shall not recall, was made to count
for nothing. Then the leaders of the
south in many states came to realize
the dreadful decentralization of all So
ciety if law was to be f1outed and
fraud was to constitute the basis of
government. So they cast about to
make the law square with the existing
condition by property and educational
qualifications which should exclude
the negro. 1t 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 for pres
ent effect. to permit certain class of
the negroes to exercise the ballot.
when a class of persons is so ig-
norant and so subject to oppression
and misleading that they are merely
political children, not having the men,
tai status of manhood, then it can
hardly be said that their voice in the
government secures any benefit to
them. Property and educational quail
ifications are adopted in order to ex-
clude those whose lac kof 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 a policy of the
southern people in adopting laws
which exclude impartially both the
black and white ignorant and ire
sponsible, could not be criticized. But
it is said, and with what truth l do
not now discuss, these laws are in
tended to be enforced by means of the
discretionary power vested in election
and other state officers so as to ex-
clude the coiored voters with vigor
under their provisions, and to allow
the white voters who ought also to
be excluded, to enjoy the franchise.
Assuming this to be true, still the sit
uation is by no means hopeless one,
for the negro and the political power
that he may in the future exercise.
"In the first place, if he continues
to increase in intelligence by the ac-
ceptance of the educational oppor-
tunities which are being offered him
nndnr ha inA 0f Mr.. +;
in great institutions like this. and if,
industrially, he becomes a power and
this gradually increases the number
in accordance with law, he introduces
uals we'll qualified to act with COM
mon sense and Judgment, and who, by
their very position in the community,
Coming to, the ballot box in small
numbers as compared with the total
number of the race, so 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 indepen-
dence of thought and action which
economic independence will surely
give them they divide their votes be-
tween cohtending parties their votes
will be sought instead of suppressed.
Such gradual acquisition of political
power will secure more real ecquisi-
ton of political power and ability to
help the negroes in their development
unrestricted. cannot put myself
among those pessimists who regard
the settlement of the political ques-
ton in the south as beyond hope"
Gvatnn,