The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-08-23
TAFT DISCUSSES
NEGRO QUESTION
Fifteen til Amendment
Requires That Every Ne
gro Should Vote.
SOUTH NEGRO'S
TRUEST FRIEND
Understands Race Best and Has
More Sympathy With 1t.
Longs for Day When
South Shall Cease
to Fear Spec

LEXINGTON. Is Ky, August a2-sec-
retary of War Taft to-day opened the
Republican State campaign with a dis
cussion Of the race problem. general
political issues from the Southern
standpoint, and an appeal to Kentuck
| ians to aid the Republican party in
support of those principles. Calling
attention to what he called the Soutlls
lack of representation in the councils
4 of the nation. he declared that this was
| because oneA AsingIe issue has made it 4
the perpetual tail of the Democratic
party. so that however small the North
lern head it wags that tail. The South
has permitted the shadow of an issue
that circumstances ought long ago to
have removed to bind 1t to the Demo-
cratic party, no matter what principles
or candidates that party adopts.
| He called attention to. the prosperity
Iof Kentucky's industries and agrcul-
ture. and expressed the belief that
many Kentuckfans who favored a pro-
tective tariff had blindly voted the
/ Democratic ticket because of feeling
on the race issue
Race Question.
Then taking up ,the race question, he
said
Il know that the discussion by
Northern man OF the question is apt
/ to rouse from the Southern Demo-
crat the objection that he does not
understand tile question: that he does
not know the difficulties OF it, and
that if he cannot take it UP with
sympathy with the attitude of the
white man of the South, lie had bet
ter not take 1T UP at all. On the other
hand he is liable to encounter the
criticism of the colored man, who with
u natural sensitiveness, remembering
the wrongs and oppression to which
their race has been subjected. resents
any attitude which does not involve
the condemnation of the Southern
white man or which manifests tile
slightest consideration for his view.
| am not a ipessimst with respect to
/, the race question. am convinced that
+ it is working itself out, and ami con-
vinced that nothingshas so much con-
tributed to Its gradual solution as
the Thirteenth Fourteenth and Fif-
teenth Amendments"
Negroes Progress.
He continued: II shall not stop 70
give you the statistics showing the
great progress that has been made
by the negro race in the South We
are apt to forget this real improves
ment in the diatribes that we occasions
ally hear from men who lack SYM
, pathy with the progress OF the coll
ored race and who denounce the en-s
tire race on account of a comparative
ly small criminal class that forms the
dregs of the Southern populations"
After mentioning the various means
of disfranchisng voters, and declaring
/, that such laws We're proper, II applisui
with equal fairness to besh wnise NE anu as
black he expressed the hope that as
the colored citizens, under the leader
ship of such men as Booker L Nasn-
ington would become respecaeetat s,ett s eun =,
| ,1,arS .,f
. which they live. and when they eNsr-
: else Independence of Judgment In re-
srect to political issues, we may t v,ps ps
, will be accorded them and they Will
= exercise far more useful influence as as
= intellisent and s9ld me,psrs ne =, erohers; a.,
: of their race would have exercised nad
c they been allowed to vote In THIS way. y:
! through devious Haa WAYS Wnreh ve maW nnn, still
!, reach result that VIII square square G1nn Ganl
d the requirements of the Federal sons .3nt.
every ssers'op Political tH and economical right.
. The negro is necessary to the SomLn It
! as a iaborer--skiled and unskilled me ne
$ for for labor, and were the negro to {, ,,ts be
n Withdrawn from the south, the diin5
: culties under which agricnittutrea re- Wom,a mhe,
ntbar nngro country try than this, and called upon
70 defend It he lays down n, his lfs Maan an
= = sacrifices sac ] his. Ours is. the flag he I.
ls ls loyesIthe only one he knows. It IS
= our duty to see to It that nds tPat PAN his
d progress Is as incessant as proper en-
couragement can make It.
South His Best Friend.
Ellis best frtend--the one that can
do most for him. and the @ one IN n mShn ,,,s,
most--is the Southern White man. ne ne
understands his defects. lie knows ths ms
opportunities for Improvement as Book
a er IT Washington points them out, We
can be sure that he VIII grow In t;vehs the
Of the south. and that the great prob
lon which has burdened the South Will
be largely solved.
"The fifteenth amendment does not.
require that every negro should vote; 9;
n All that it requires Is that he ,should
!, not be excluded from voting because AVS
If uualitications, property dualiteations.
s. or any other qualification that the state at
1t may lawfully impose as Q rue m ,'av 9. ei,s hs
- srihilltv for its voters. then ne may ~
~ Be excluded; provided that every one
81 eise who lacks similar qualifications 10
equally excluded rhs attssnen tn seeur him
o in his political rights from race avs
a. crlmination by the States. ~, 49,
re- ut is not intended TO give hr nm ~ sis sia
.nl race Its strict enforcement does ~ nos
:, involve an amalgamatlon OF me races.
~ l.hns nothing to do Win socidi dssoSssh-
n tor ton or equality. II does not involye
n Sc o-oalled negro dominati9n. and nd g pei, per-.
:, YEARS after the war, to control the. votes
r. Of Intelligent men In raspest 70 issues ss
" that are living Is TO indicate the laeN
y. az sense of proportion, which can.
ly not think viii continue to manifest
ofIitself in the South,
ed Its Crownlng Glory.
s. "lf only under the ipriuence Of Prsst-
y dent Rooseveit's administration some.
We of the Southern States. Including, Ken
no lucky, could be led into the Repubii-
AZ can column In accordance with rms
" real sympathias of theayoters or tltuse.
ne states, it would be n crowning glory
T. of his administration AS an Amert;.
+ can citizen and luyHr of mn CcuntrY. ii