Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1907-11-09

were illiterate when they were en-
. franchised. and even on Mr.. Carne-
gfe's showing az per cent. We're still
SO.
IL seemed to him that period of
( tutelage might have been wisely
imposed Had moi the United States
7 he asked in a generous impulse of
the moment admitted TO the fran
chise men wholly incompetent 20 ex-
/ ercise that high prerogative?
There was danger. he declared. I'm
| dealing with vast masses of voters,
of undertaking the individual i'm
portance. he might. indeed, say the
solemnity. OF a vote. Looking cool
~ and historically back with criti-
cism. which is so easy now. OF what
/ WAS done in hot blood and calling up
/ the old picture OF a chained slave
appealing to a white man. saying.
Am ! not q man and brother? he
could not help thinking the wise an
swer would have been. CA man2 Yes.
I A brother? Yes. but IL you think you
I have proved your fitness for the suf-
frage and full citizenship, no"
We are not surprised at Lord
/ Roseb rvs frank expression OF opin-
ion ana pause TO remark that this
would be substantially his opinion of
the English colouists who landed up
ION these shores. If he comedies that
when man, be he black or white,
red or yellow, Jew or Gentle proves
his fitness to suffrage and full citi-
zenship, he is entitled to receive it,
then there is no disagreement be-
tween him and the leading Negroes
of this country.
We are handicapped by the doc
trine of caste. that color bars adj
vancement along all lines.
The report says further:
Continuing Lord Rosebery said
that things were sometimes done ur-
der high and generous impulses
which were afterward regretted. He
was inclined To- think there were
some persons in America who regret
ted that the suffrage had been given
Go the Negroes. Dealing more brief
ly with future fusion OF the races
and the persistence of the color line.
regarding which ne said ne would re-
froin from prophesying. Lord Rose
berry described the experiment ga the
lamalgamation of races going on I'm
the United States as one OF intense
interest. He said on this subject;
"The United States is a great Cruz
chile In which the metals of every
race and nation under the sun are
being melted together VIII this re-
suit en- the production of the perfect
al. Ha.H
new type hitherto unknown TO au-
/ thropologists. which viii be the SUBJ
|3cct OF study by the older races of
tho globc2 We who are ina quasi
Inaternol position look forward TO the
/ development of the experiment with
+ almost breathless interest
Our hope is that out OF the ANAL
gam viii arise men like Mr.. Carnegie
/ whose generous character and large
philanthropy are not limited by the
boundaries OF countries or differences
Iof race, but VINO scatters his benc-
factions as a locomotive scattcrs
sparks.
We are of the opinion that Lord
/ Rosebery meant well and that mis-
cautious but blunt utterances came
from the fullnoss Of n pure heart.
lie was evidently influenced however
/ by the ropresel OF white men
who were unfair I'm their statements.
/ 10 Is generally accepted that The
basis OF political accountability is cd
ucatIon. Whcs the Negro was en-
/ franchised go per cent OF them were
Inliterate ANA now only A per cent.
of them are still SO. The question
presented is "shau che SO per cent.
OF educated Negroes be permitted TO
/ exercise the right of franchise?"
III Lord Rosebery had attacked the
/ American experiment OF universal
suffrage. rather than the specific act
of the United States Government IN
enfranchisiug the slave. we would
have been in position to understand
his utterances and we would have
declared that he was uutainted by
the racial antipathy which is now
( holding high carnival in this coun-
, try.
! The point that we wish to empha-
size here is that a Negro may be in
telligent without being educated.
Thousands of these kind of people
live in the Southland. There are
men and women here who earn mon
ey, buy property and conduct bust
ness. guided only 10y that innate
wisdom, known from one section of
this country to the other as mother
wit"
They hire the "schooI-learned fe-
male and the college-bred male to
keep books for them and to conduct
that part of the business with which
they are not educationaHy acquaint-
ed. We know nHterate men and
women who buy and sell produce in
this city who can figure to quarter
of cent a pound more quickly and
accurately than some OF the best
learned students in our schools.
They are quick~witted, honest. law
abiding, God-fearing and yet 1t is
argued that a sporting white liber-