The advocate. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1901-1913, 1907-08-29
TAFT.
.Exten',dllss !: , nd the, Olive
!. !. !. b Branch I J. !.
l>eNNarese His Opposition to Legls
. latioh Aimed AT the Franchise
Of the Coiored CLIFTON. =,

FS ", 1SVVV ASpAuiICduS anQ
democrats Secretary OF War: William
a. TART made an address at the au.
toltorium here this afternoon, ex-
pressing his views on questions of
interest to the Southern people,
Throughout his speech he was liber-
ally applauded by those agreeing
WIN him, and the utmost respect was
paid by those who disagreed with
his views. The drizzltng rain doubt
less kept away thousands of people,
Only auestions. Of national inter-
est were touched upon by Secretary
Taft, as. he left the state issues In
kentucky and Ohio to those cam
paigning in these states. Features
OF his address included a bold an
nouncement Of his opposition to the
action taken by legislatures in South
ern states disfranchising Negro vpt-
ers. His declaration that such dis
franchisement of Negro voters was
fraud and oppression; his frank dis
cuss1on of the race question; his con-
demnatiop Of Southern suen for their
outburst against Presi lent Roose-
Welt for his sympathy Co. the Negro,
and his assertion chat the Negro is
necessary to the South; that he is
an American, and ."our flag is the
fag he 1oves", are regarded as over
lures for peace to the Negroes and
evidently resulted from Senator For
aker's continued prodding.
The Secretary said In part:
1T Is a great pleasure for me
to be given the opportunity to ad-
dress an audience like this of state
lying. next to my own, and one with
which have been Inorej or less Ia
5s'iliar since, boyhood: / can we'll
remember how often. In early years
! looked from the suburbs >of Gin
cinnati where I 'IiWas born and
brought up, to Kentucky and dis
covered the. 5agns og fganing ;stlmmet
In the apple, rps@elr aGId Cherry trees
that flung out their bekutiful ban.
ners OF blossoms da the hills i'm
mediately opposite. = ....
LAS one looks over this blue grass
region, far famed as it is for its
beautiful women, magnificent horses
and other things country that God
has blessed In so many different
ways, and observes the wealth and
prosperity of Its inhabitants and the
comforts which they enjoy on every
hand, he .is >nlOved to inquire why 1t
Is that the cover Hmental control
Of this great United States, so fair,
SO educated, 80 intelligent a COM
munity as that OF kentucky Yields
comparatively so small an influence
IN the general government, Why is
1t that KentuckiAns are not in the
council of the. nation
"It Is true they have their con-
gressional and senatorial represen-
tatives, but why ID: It that in franz
ing TIE policies foreign and domes-
tic, with which we have to do as a
nation - Kentuckians, like their
brethren, Of all the Southern states,
have so. little to say?: This patent
fact in respect to che government at
Washington has not failed to escape
the attention Of the, leading men who
represent the Sphth in, congress,
and it has called for regretful COM
ment, with explanations, that, with
deference to- those who make them,
l submit not the true ones. ...-:
fine reHsum ~ the So sotith szieF rs tt;
80 little political .tnauehce in the
guidance Of the nation is because
one single issue has made it the per-
petual tail Of the democratic party,
, so that however small the norther u
head, 1t wags that tail. The South
has permitted the shadow Of an is-
sue that circumstances in this state
ought long ago TO have removed
from political controversy, to bind
1t solidly to the democratic party
no matter what the principles or can
didates that party has adopted.
Specter of Control.
'The speoter Of so-called Negro
domination, the threat Of recur-
renee to the days of reconstruction
however weighty they might be at
one time in the history Of the far
Southern states, have never had any
substantial weight or reason for be-
ing in this great state OF kentucky,
for the colored people OF the state
were never SO numerous as the
white voters. The force Of merits
keeping voters 1of the democratic
party on the race issue was In this
state always mere sentiment with
out reason. Nevertheless, Kentucky hs
trailed along with her sisters farther
South. 1t has always been regarded
as a solid democratic state, no mat
ter what the democratic party did in
its conventions, no matter whom it
nominated. Under these circum-
stances, with human nature as it is,
why should the northern democrats
pay the slightest attention to what
tho Kentucky dainocrats desired? +?