The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-12-08


 equally with whites by education and thrift to meet the requiremtnts of eligibility which the State Legislatures in their wisdom shall lay down in or- 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 he has nothing to complain Of.
 The Race Question.
 The proposal to repeal the Eff teenth Amendment is utterly impracti- limbo of forgotten issues. What we are considering is something practt- cal, something that means attainable progress. It seems to me to follow. be. q common ground upon which we can all stand in respect to the race question In tie South and its political bearing, that takes away any tustt- solidity of the South to prevent the so-called negro domination. The fear that in some way or other social equality between the. races shall be enforced by law or brought about by present measures, really has no foun- dation. except in the imagination of those who fear such a result. The Federal Government has nothing to do ments do not declare in favor of so- cial equality; all that the law or Con- stitution attempt to secure is equal- fly of opportunity before the law in the pursuit of happiness and in the enjoyment of life. liberty and prop erty. Sor3ial equality fR something that grows out of voluntary concessions by the individuals forming society.
 With the elimination of the. race question, can we say that there are removed all the reasons why the peo- pie of the South are reluctant to give up their political solidity and divide hen Raa trvN r@fv ItrA tv, 4 ance with their economic and pollti- cal views. No. there are other reasons, perhaps only reasons of sentiment, but with the Southern people who are a people. considerations of sentiment are frequently quite as strong as those of some political or economic character.
 Tn the first place, 1t is now nearly forty years since the South acquired its political solidarity and the inten- | sity of feeling by which 1t was main | tained, and the ostracism and social prescription imposed on those white | with the necessity for such solidarity could not but make lasting impression and create a permanent bias that would naturally outlast the reason for its original existence"
 Mir. Taft referred to the trials of the reconstruction period which accen- tuated the greater trials of the past and the slow return of prosperity to the South following the civil strifes as further agencies that helped to keep alive the feeling engendered by that controversy. and continued:
 SOuth's marvellous Growth.
 But times change and men change with them in any community. however fixed Its thoughts or habits, and many circumstances have blessed us with growth of the South since 1890 has been marvellous. The manufacturing capital in 1880 was $25O, 900 900; in 1890 s65o. 100000; and in 1900 S1,t5o, ,oO0. 900. and in 1903 $2,1oo 0oo, ,Ooe while the value of the manufactures increased from $450,000,000 in 1880 to $9O0, ,00O,- . 900 in 1890. to $1,450, ,000. 900 in 1900 and to $2.6O0. 900 900 in 19s. The farm pro- $77O,000,000: in 1909 $1 270. 000, 900. and in 1908, $2,2OO, 100000. The exports from the South Tn 1880 were $2sO.- 900, 900, and in 1890. $306, 900 ,000 in O00, ,oOO. N " -'''' ''O'.-
 Tn this marvellous growth, the man. ufactures of the South now exceed the agricultural products and thus com plete change has come over the char acter of her industries. The South has become rich and only the surface of her wealth has been scratched Her growth has exceeded that of the rest of the country and she is now in eV- cry way sharing in it's prosperity
 "Again the Democratic Party has not preserved lnviolate its traditional doc- tflncS as 10 OIAtSs FlRntS and. other issues and has for the time adopted new doctrines of possibly doubtful economic truth and wisdom. Southern men adherIng to the party and the name, ind themselves. through the In. fiuence of tradition and the fear of restora ton of conditions which are now impossible. supporting a platform and candidate whose political and eco- homie theories they distrust
 Now I am not one of those who are disposed to criticise or emphasize the inconsistency of the position in which these gentlemen find themselves I can readily understand the weight and inertia of the tradition and social con alterations that make them hesitate. believe that the movement away from political solidity has started and ought to be encouraged, and I think one way to encourage 1t is to have the South North and the Republican party toward 1t is not one of hostility or criticism or opposition. political or otherwise: that they believe in the maintenance of the fifteenth amendment, but that as already explained they do not deem that amendment to be inconsistent with the South's obtaining and maintaining 'what it regards as It's political safety from domination of an ignorant elec- CT association with the South; that its citizens deprecate that reserve used in politics. which so long has been main tained in the otherwise delightful and social relations between Southerners and Northerners. as they are more and moro frequently thrown together.
 4 Delicate Situation.
 "In welcoming to a change of party afftliation many southerners who have