The Cairo bulletin., 1907-07-29
SOUTH IS BLAMED
FOR RACE EVILS
BLOODY Shirt SENATOR FROM
OHIO REPLIES TO SENA-
TOR TlLLMAN.
POLITICAL EQUALITY
Only Was Intended by the Fifteenth
Anendment-Says Fourteenth
Should Not Have Been
Spurned,

1PlfHGus
Bellefontaine. Ohio, July rs RI
cent remarks on the race question b
United States Senator Tillmaa q
Soota Carolina. before simila- O "a
gathering brought an extended answe
by United States Senator Forakey o
Ohio in an address to the Chautauqui
assembly at this place today,
In part Foraker said;
Before taking up anything else
want to speak briefly in answer Il
some uttelances of Senator Tillman
He has been making speech in Oh't
It was On the race problem. This Il
| his favorite topi He is at his les
when ne talks on that subject but hi
vest is also his worst, He is one o
ne frankest and one CT the ables
men the South has ever produced
Every one is fond Of him as a man
BUT his views on this subject are 81
extreme that but few OF his Demo
cratic colleagues in the senate, II any
1f them. fully agree with him
In this latest speech he Is qucte5
rs saying III after the war the
North had not. In It's passion ana sec
ional hatred, gone far beyond thu
bounds of reason decency AMI RICH
.eousness. there would today be nc
ace problem.
I'VE resent and desist the doctrine
ot equality under the fourjeeath aud
fifteenth amendments
You have done wrong The North
has done wlong. Il can remedy the
feeling by repeating the fifteenth
amendment and letting the states
control the franchise
All the way through his discussion
s in the nature of a protest against
social equality Nothing could be more
wide of the mark Everybody under
food then as now that social equality
can rot be for ed upon anybody
The purpose of the fourteenth and
fifteenth amendments was to provide
political equality. 20 put all citizens
DC the United States whether rich or
poor. white or black, upon the same
nlane SO fae as the political rights Of
citizenship were concerned.
'What / want to answer is his
charge that In hatred and passion the
fourteenth and fifteenth amendments
10 the constitution were forced upon
the South. and that in this way the
North needessly preciptatel- upon
the South the evils they suffered dur
Zig the reconstruction period. These
If not fully demanded
by the war itself were made neces
sary by the situation created in the
seeding states Immediately after the
var"
Senator Foraker discussed condi
ions at the close OF the civil war at
considerable length, and then con
tinued
Ban1es South For II.
IF they had accepted the fourteenth
amendment there would not have
teen any fifteenth amendment, TO
with the fourteenth amendment ae.
cepted and ali the seeding states re-
stored TO their places in the govern
ment. the ratification of the fifteenth
by the requisite number
Of states would have been an impossi-
tility IT, therefore. there be any
fault to find with anybody on account
OF the fifteenth amendment IT rests
IA I'M sfu hnp
by their refusal to accept the four
teenth amendment not only com
peeled reconstruction. but precipitlted
a submission and ratification Of the
fifteenth amendment.
They accumulated this by their
treatment of the freedmen. It would
be difficult TO exaggerate the IN
friendly character of the legislation
affecting them that was enacted i'm
mediately after the war in most of
the seeding states
1t is no exaggeration TO say that
the spirit Of the legislation was no
Justice. hut injustice. and that of the
most malicious aud revengeful char
difti. Ms hfiu q lt-l-t
coupled with refusal to accept what
were thought 90 be the generous
-erms Of the fourteenth amendment
naturally created a public sentiment
IN the North that secured the ratifica
lion of the fourteenth amendment and
led to the fifteenth amendment. by
which it is provided that no state
should have the right 10 deny or
abridge the right to vote on account
Of race. color or previous condition
II servitude.
There was never a time, except
)nly when The fifteenth amendment
Nas adopted that it could have been
adopted. aud there has never been a
line when il could be repealed, sim
ply because it was right then and is
light now. It was a great forward
.tep in the recognition by government
" he right Of citizens governed TO |
participate in their government and To
concluded IN Third psRa.I