The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-12-30
TILLMAN SPEAKS
ON RACE PROBLEM
Uses His "Pitchfork" Without
Reserve
AUDIENCE WAS LARGE
He Says Race Conflict In the South Is
Inevitable and Has No Immediate
Remedy to Offer the
People.

About one thousand people heard
United States Senator Benjamin r. Till
man at the Hppodrome, corner of Seven
teenth street and Third avenue, last
night in a characteristic discussion of
The Race Problem and Its Effect on the
South"
The speaker handled the subject with
out gloves, and almost every sentence
uttered brstled with expressions that
were thoroughly Tnlmanstie to an eX-
treme
He used his "pitchforlke without re-
serve.
During his discourse he said that the
south was face to face with the gravest
problem of the age or in the, history OK
the world, ana that he was at loss for
a remedy to Offer He said that a clash
between the two races inhabiting the
southern country is as inevitable as
DEATH unless some remedy is quickly
applied, and he saw no hope or remedy.
The only solution he offered was a law
similar to that in some European coun-
tries where every man is required to
carry a passport showing his regular
domIcile and some good cause for re-
naming away from that domicile at
night He also advocated stronger
yagrancy laws than are now in force in
most of the southern states.
Mr.. TiIlman introduced.
Senator Tillman spoke under the aus
piees of the United Charities of Birming-
ham. He was introduced to the audience
at $50 o'clock by Rufus N. Rhodes, who
said, in part, as follows:
Ladies and Gentlemen-1t gives me
pleasure to introduce to you one of the
greatest men of the age; a man who has
convictions and the courage to express
those convictions at any time and on any
occasion lie is the very incarnation OF
courage. We need more men In America
like him, who would not be afraid to
talk and fight for the right take
pleasure in introducing to you Senator
Benjamin r. Tillman of South Carolina
The senator spoke from the front gal
lery of the skating rink, which is con-
siderably elevated. Most of the audience
was below him and when he rose to
speak he made some witty remarks about
the peculiar situation. lie said he did
not like to speak over the heads of his
audience.
After thanking Mr.. Rhodes for his cor
dial Introduction the senator continued
In part as follows:
"The people of the south are confronted
with a dangerous condition. We who
passed through the period of reconstruc-
ton know something of the horrors of
the race problem, but the young genera
ton know but little of the conditions and
cannot appreciate the. true position in
which we stand today in reference to the
colored race. | have discussed this ques-
ton in the north as freely as l Will here
tonight, and those people seem to be
glad TO hear the truth Many of the
people in the north do not understand the
true condition of things as they exist in
the south and are anxious to know more.
I'm the six southern states, South Caro-
/ lima, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Missis-
/ sippi and Louisiana, a territory compris-
ing 100000 square miles, there are 10000
more negroes than white people. In
South Carolina and Mississippi each there
/ are more lIlan EhItDNV uloit iit - HN9 tiNiA
white people.
Constitutional Rights.
"What a prospect this holds out to us
| in the light of the fourteenth and fif-
teenth amendments, which give to the
negro the same constitutional rights as
are given the white people The southern
states, most of them, have secured to
themselves a temporary relief and a
measure of political and social safety in
the Acknowledgement of the negro but
this is only temporary. We have by state
constitutional amendment, placed the
right of franchise on an educational
! basis
I'm South Carolina we DISTINGUISHED
the negro eleven years ago, but have
continued to divide the school funds OF
the state with reasonable equity between
the white and negro children. The re-
suit of this is that we have had more
negro than white children in the schools
of South Carolina for the past thirty
years
"Thus. while we have temporarily dis.
franchised the negro, we have placed
within his eager hands the means oil
quickly merchandising himself, while the
white people are neglectng these oppor-
tunities In few years at the present
rate and under the present conditions, the
negro will again be qualified to vote. and
under our own laws and in number
| will he able to outvote us.
"rhere are people, some of them ii
the south, who tell us that there is nC
race problem. Others say that if th'
north will let alone we will settle
the question. But will the north let Us
alone? No. Not so long as the people
of that section re- lin in ignorance of th'
true situation down here.
Republicans Inactive.
ut is claimed that the republicans arr
not interfering with our efforts at solv
ing the problem, OF course they are not
They are in power and do not need thu
votes Of the negroes. But let the power o
the republican party begin to trembl,
and you will hear from Them Their pol
icy now is to stand pat We should be
gin now to prepare to meet the ISSUE
when the power Of government ma,