The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1908-12-09

the historian would and we can eX-
plain the situation as it is; but l do
not think we can justify or excuse a
continuance OF it. Looking back into
the past, Of course. the explanation of
the difference between the South and
the other two sections was in he in
stitution OF slavery. II is Of no pur-
pose 10 point out that carly in the
history of the country. the North was
as responsible for bringing slaves here
as the South, because we are not con-
corning with whose fault it was that
there was such an institution as
slavery.
Nor are we concerned with the
probability that had the NOrtherners
been interested in slaves they would
have viewed the institution exactly as
the Southerners viewed it, and would
have fought 70 defend it because it
was as sacred as the institution Of
private property Itself. II does not
help in the slightest degree in the
present day to stir up the embers or
the controversy of the past by at
tempting 70 fix blame on one part of
the country or the other in respect TO
an institution which has gone and hap
| PLY gone. on the one hand, or in re-
spect 10 the consequences of that in
stitution which We still have with US
on he other. These consequences were
! to recognize as a condition and
| fact, and a problem for solution rath-
or than as an occasion for elimination
or recrimina ton with respect to whose
fault they may involve.
Equal Chance for Negroes
Il am not going to rehearse the
painful history of reconstruction or
what followed il. | come at once to
1.-THE present condition of things, stat
ed from a constitutional and political
standpoint and that is this: That in
| all Southern states, it is possible, by
election laws prescribing proper quail
| ifications for the suffrage, which
square with the Fifteenth amendment
and which shall be equally admins
tered as between the black and white
races. to prevent entirely the possibili
ity of a domination or Southern state,
county or municipal governments by
an ignorant electorate, white or black.
It is further true that the sooner such
| laws when adopted are applied with
exact equality and justice to the two
traces the better for the moral tone of
the state and community concerned.
Negroes should be given an oppOrtu-
nifty equally with whites by education
and thrift, to meet the requirements
Of eligibility which the state legisla-
lures in their wisdom shall lay down
in order to secure the safe exercise
of the electoral franchise The negro
should ask nothing other than an equal
chance to qualify himself for the
| franchise and when that is granted
by law and not denied by executive
| discrimination he has nothing to COM
plain Of
1.-The proposal to repeal the Fiji
Iteenth amendment is utterly impracti-
cable and should be relegated to the
| limbo of forgotten issues. What we
are considering is something practical
BILE. something that means attainable
progress 1t seems to me to follow,
therefore. that there is or ought to be
| q common ground upon which we can
| all stand in respect to the race queS-
ton in the South and it's political
bearing, that takes away any justi-
| fication for maintaining the continued
sOlidity of the South to prevent the
So called negro domination.
1.-The fear that in some way or 9TH
er a social equality between the races
shall be enforced by law or brought
about by political measures really has
no foundation. except in the magma
ton Of those who fear such a result
The federal government has nothing
| 10 cnniol Tho Xx-a
amendments do not declare in favor
of social equality; all that the law or
constitution attempts to secure is
equality Of opportunity before the law
and in the pursuit of happiness and in
the enjoyment Of life. liberty and
prosperity. Social equality is SOME
thing that grows out of voluntary con-
cessi0ns by the individuals forming
society.
Reason for solid South"
| With the elimination of the race
lquestiOn can We say that there are
removed all the reasons why the peo-
pie of the South are reluctant to give
lup their political sOlidity and divide
themselves on party lines in accord
ance with their economical and politi-
cal views? No, there are other rea-
sons: perhaps. only reasons OF senti-
ment. but with the Southern people,
who are high strung, sensitive and
OutspOken people. considerations OF
sentiment are frequently quite as
strong as those of some political or
economic character. In the first place
it is now nearly forty years since the
South acquired its political solidarity
l,,1 Il, ;,,+o ,,e hv- u hic n