The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-03-25
DEFENDS CUASE OF
SEPARATE STATES
Bryan Discusses Race Question
in South and West
Mr.. BRYAN'S ARGUMENT
He Argues That States Are Better
Able to Cope With Questions of
Government Than Federal
Institution.
Mr.. BRYAN'S ARGUMENT

Washington, March 24-(Specal. will
liam Jennings Bryan has raised the race
question In the south and the race ques-
ton on the Pacific coast as two obstacles
to radical Capitalization of authority in
the federal government at Washington.
In the second installment of his debate
in the Reader magazine with Senator
Beevridge of Indiana Mr.. Bryan con-
tlnues to defend the rights of the sep
arate states to deal with the questions
which seriously affect them, and he calls
for extension of the federal laws only to
supplement tho state laws and not to
obliterate them.
Senator Beveridge on the other hand
calls more strongly than ever for increase
of federal. power and bitterly asasls the
action of the people of San Francisco in
segregating Japanees children in their
schools. and declares that the Presidents
attitude I'M dealing with San Francisco
was prompted by his desire TO avert
national war"
Bryan's Argument.
Mr.. Bryan declares that Senator Bever-
idge presents badly and without qualifica-
tion the position of the advocates of CEN
tralization Taking up the senator's argu-
ment that the people have nothing to
fear from extension of federal power be-
cause the federal government is the peu-
pie.
Mr.. Bryan presents arguments in de-
Tense of local self-government. and it is
here that he brings in the race question
by saying:
Yes. the people of the states are the
same people who act together as parts
of the union, but when the people of q.
state act together on a local matters
there nearer to the subject under discus
sion and, therefore, can act more intelli-
gently. IL the arguments in defense of
local self-government are unsound then
the whole theory of self-govenrment is de-
fective. 1t must be assumed that the
people want to do what is right upon
no other theory can we have self-govern-
ment. 1t must also be assumed that the
| people can act most intelligeHtly UPON
that which they LOST nhderstand That
they can best understand a thing with
which they deal daily Is automatic, and
1t is equally true that they will study
most those things in which they are in
dividually interested
Makes Supposition.
Suppose the people of one section de-
eide that they have no discernible inter-
est In what Is being done In another sec
ton, are they likely to study the question
as carefully as they should? And IL they
attempt to act upon n question remote
from them. are they sure to act wisely?
| Two questions now before the country
may be used for an illustration Take
the race question in the south The peo-
pie of the northern states do not come
into contact with the black race as the
people of the south do, and because the
experiences are different I'm the two sec
tons. the views of the subject are diff
ferent. If a citizen of the north moves
into the black belt he soon recognizes
that he has a different situation to deal
with from that which confronted him in
the north, and his views of the subject
are likely to undergo quite n change
Even a winters stay In the south is apt
to have an educational Influence upon the
citizen of the north and he ceases to
make sweeping criticisms of the south
erners
On Pacific Coast.
"rhe race question on the Pacific coast
presents another illustration The peo-
pie who come into daily contact with the
Orientals have fan iliarity with the SUBJ
tect which those cannot possibly have
who live in other sections and who sell
dom see one of the immigrants from
Asia. The school question is one that
enters into the life of every community,
and the people who send their children TO
school are more concerned in the well
fare of that school than any outside
people can be. Thy not only have the
knowledge, but they have the deep per-
sonal interest that compels investigation
of all the facts and a study of all tho
conditions that are to be met"