The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1907-07-11
GREAT American TOBACCO TRUST
MAY BE FORCED TO DISSOLVE
NEGRO
PROBLEM Is TOLD of BY FIERY
.PITCHFoRKr. BEN TILL
MAN AT THE GRAND
OPERA HOUSE.

Benjamin R. Tillman. the rip
roaring. snorting, fre-eating, vitup-
eratiye South Caroiinian senator. one
of the most unique characters in the
nation. held the boards at the Grand.
opera house Tuesday evening and
delivered his famous lecture on the
race problem to large audience.
Those who attended the lecture
went for the purpose of seeing and.
hearing the man, Ben Tillman, dis
play MS strong personality, his fiery
impetuosity and his peculiar char
acteristics rather than to hear his
observations and doctrines which a
large majority or the audience had
previously read in the public prints.
They went largely out of desire to
satiate their curiosity. more than to
hear anything new and they got
their moneys worth for "Pitchfork"
Ben was there with the goods as adj
vertised.
War Didn't Settle 1t.
Senator Tillnian believes that the
race problem is the most serious
thing confronting the nation today.
The Civil war was fought to settle
the question, but inshis opinion the
war didn't settle it. After reciting
the terrible cost of the great rebel
lion Senator Tillman. declared that
the question looms up constantly
and in more threatening proportions
every day and the danger lies in per-
uniting the negroes the right of suff-
rage which will give them the .privi-
lege of taking over the reins of gov
eminent in those southern states
where the negro population is great
er than the white This. the south
erners will not stand for and they
will fight to the. last stand to pre-
vent 1t. :,
DISTINGUISHING the Negro.
The speaker went over lot OF
statistics showing the relative pro-
portions of the negro population in
the south and in the north, saying
that the northerners did not under
stand nor appreciate the situation
as it is in the south. He told how
South Carolina disfranchised the
negroes and thus regained the gov
eminent for the white citizens by
means of the educational qualifica,
ton and the property tax requisite.
But, he said, after thus disfranchis-
ing the negro because he could not
read or write. nor understand
clause Of the constitution Of the
United States when read to him,
schools are being built and maintain
ed to teach him these things and
II the negro. does obtain suff-
rage. there will be repetition of
the racial strife in those commune
ties where the negro population is in
the majority.
The Remedy.
All this can be remedied or pre-
vented. Senator Tillman believes. by
"a repeal of the fifteenth amendment
Of the Constitution of the United
States, which would then give each
state the power Of regulating It's own
suffrage and the negro question.
Transportation of the negro is
moonshine, said Senator Tillman, be-
cause the negro cannot be driven
away from among US.
Equality An Impossibility.
The negro cannot be made the
equal of the white man. declared
Senator Tillman. You can't make
a white man out of a negro" he
said. God didn't and how in the
name of common sense can you do
it?" Slavery Is damnable. cruel.
miserable. awful thing and he does
not believe in 1t. The negro one.
two and three generations ago was
barbarian, native of the continent
whose people have been barbarians
for all time and the negro cannot
possibly be turned into an equal Of
the white man because Of his hered-
itary influences. and because he has
shown by centuries of history that he
cannot.
Mr.. Tiliman believes that he Is
doing his country great service in
promulgating his doctrines on the
race problem and said that he is not
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