The advocate. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1901-1913, 1907-08-01
MASTERY
Continued from Page One.
MADE THE FIFTEENTH NECES-
SARY


.4| SARY
- IF they had accepted the Four
teenth Amendment there would not
nave been any Fifteenth Amend
ment, for with the Fourteenth
r Amendment accepted and all the Sc
ced1ng States restored to their places
In the Government the ratification
OF the Fifteenth Amendment by the
requisite number Of States would
nave been an impossibility. If
therefore, there be any fault to find
with anybody on account of the Fiji
teenth Amendment, it rests with
those seeding States, for they, by
their refusal to accept the Four
r feenth Amendment, not only COM
PEELED reconstruction, but precipi-
tated submission and ratification
of the Fifteenth Amendment.
They accentuated all this by
their treatment 'of the freedmen. 1t
would be difficult to exaggerate the
unfrlendly character of the legisla-
ton affecting them that was enacted
Immediately after the war in most
of the seeding States.
Loiterlng statutes were common.
They provided heavy fines of $50 to
500 to be imposed upon any one
who was found lettering without
work. The freedman. who had just
been emancipated, had neither work
nor money. No matter how jealous
~ he might seek employment, he was
helpless if employment should be re-
I fused him. Under these statutes, if
found Idle he was a loiterer, and if
he had no money, as he did not have,
with which to pay his fines, he was
hired to the highest bidder, thus be-
coming bound TO labor for those who
had no interest whatever in either
his health or his life beyond the term
for which he was hired.
This brought about a condition
Of things worse than slavery. BY
another bill it was provided that ev-
: cry adult freedman should provide
himself with comfortable home and
visible means Of support within 20
days after the passage Of the act, and
failing to do SO, should be hired at
= public cutlery to the highest bidder
+ for the period Of one year. By an
other law it was provided that all ag-
- Ticultural laborers should be COM
PEELED to make contracts for labor
during the first 10 days Of January
for the entire year. All failing to
do so were liable to heavy fines and
severe penalties. Scores Of like stat
utes, some Of them worse even than
these, were enacted.
WAS AN INJUSTICE
ut is no eXaggeratiOn to say that
the spirit Of this legislation was not
justice, but injustice, and that Of the
most malicious and revengcful char
acter. This kind Of legislation
= coupled with refusal to accept what
hn hn
+ terms Of the Fourteenth Amendment
!. naturally created a public sentiment
in the North that secured the rati
fication of the Fourteenth Amend
4 ment and led to the Fifteenth
Amendment, by which it was provid
ed that no State should have the
4 right to deny or abridge. the right tt
H. vote on account Of race. color o.
%f, previous condition Of servtude. Blu
81 1T was not passion, neither was i
$Gtt hatred, that brought about these re
hi suits, but only a solemn sense o
|3H duty There was never time, eX
D, $cept only when the Fifteenth Amend
if sTnent was adopted, that it could have
81 been adopted, and there has neve
absEbeen a time since it was adopted
y when 1T could have been repealed
s$s ahd in my opinion there never vii
sIsSbA a time when it can be repealed
because 1t was right then ant
q As right now. 1t was great fOrwaf'
FFSS5S5 step In the recognition by Govern
Ss gIIaent OF the right Of citizens gov
sri erned to participate in their govern
Eminent and to have equal protection
stDler it. IF in some places it ha
81 STALLED to bring good results. tina
n S6aet Is due more to the bad faith tina
,ss has been practiced to defeat its pur
Stpose than to any inherent trouble.
M Except only to state these fact
sSSiof history ! have no desire to pursu
Z &&this subject further at this time
but / cannot help remarking tina
Ssj God moves in q mysterious way hi
"A wonders to perform Out Of tn
vanity and folly Of Andrew JOhnso
sH and the obduracy and unreasonabl
conduct Of the seeding States cam
The conditions that prevented tn
IIs8Sg american people from stopping Shol
1n the great work OF establishing til
~ aEoctrine Of human equality befOr
tie law for all men. That was ne
HE work OF the Republican party {
rs me @peopia@sG the North, but Of tn
q d HBT living God. The noble men VIII