Omaha daily bee., 1908-12-08
TAFT TO TALK TO SOUTH
President Elect Guest of North Caro-
lima Society of New York.
RACE ISSUE CAN BE SOLVED
It's Disposition VIII Enable Southern
states to Again Have Voice i'm
Conduct of National
Affairs.

NEW YORK, Dec. 7.-President-elect-
Taft was the principal speaker at the an
nual banquet of the society of North
Carolina tonight.
After paying tribute t9 North Carolina
Mr.. Taft pointed out that the laws were
made for the north and for the south and
functions of the government extended
from the Canadian border to the Gulf of
Mexico and led up to this question:
What is it that sets the south apart and
takes from the southern people the re-
sponsibilities which the members of a re-
public ought to share in respect to the
conduct of the national government?
betterHe continued:
l am not going to rehearse the painful
history of reconstruction or what fol-
lowed it. / come at once to the present
tutional and political standpoint, and that
is this: That in all southern states It is
possible by election laws, prescribing
which square with the fifteenth amend
ment and which shall be equally admin
istered as between the black and white
races, to prevent entirely the possibility
of domination of southrn state, county
or municipal governments by an igno
true that the sooner such laws when
adopted are applied with exact equality
and Justice to the two races. the better
for the moral tone Of the state and com
munity concerned. Negroes should be
given an opportunity equally with whites
6y Heaon n, and tht to bS meet the t6 rte
legislatures in their wisdom shall lay
down in order to secure the safe exercise
shall ask nothing other than an equal
chance to qualify himself for the fran
chise and when that is granted by law
and not denied by executive discrimination
he has nothing to complain of.
Common Ground Found.
The proposal to repeal the fifteenth
amendment is utterly unpracticable and
should be relegated to the limbo of for
gotten issues What we are considering Is
something practical something that means
attainable progress. 1t seems to me to
follow, therefore, that there is, or ought
TO be common ground upon which We
all can stand in respect to the race ques-
tion in the south and its judicial bear
ing, that takes away any justification for
maintaining the continued solidity of the
south to prevent negro domination. The
fear that in some way or other a social
equality between the races shall be en-
forced by law or brought about by poll
tical measures really has no foundation
except in the Imagination of those who
fear such a result. The federal govern
ment has nothing to do with social equal
ity. The war 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 property.
Social equality is something that grows
out OL voluntary COnCeSSlOuS the lul-
Viduals forming socity.
Times and Conditions Change.
Mr. Taft referred to the trials Of the
reconstruction period which accentuated
the greater trials of the past and the
slow return of prosperity to the south
following the civil strife, as further agen-
cies that helped to keep alive the feeling
engendered by that controversy and con-
tinued:
But times change and men change with
them in any community however fixed its
thoughts or habits and many circumstan-
ces have blessed us with their influence
in this matter. The growth of the south
since 1880 has been marvellous. The manu-
featuring capital in 1880 was $3.50 zoo, 900, in
1880 $3.50. .OOO, tOO in 1900, N,l5O0OO, 600 and in
1905 so, 100, 10000, while the value of the
manufactures increased from $3.50 0OO,O0 in
1880 TO $500 OOOO in 1880 to $,45OOOO,OOO in
1900 and 10 ~. .6O0, 10000 in 1905.
The farm products in 1880 were $3.50, 0O0-
900; in 1880, S710OO0,0OO; in 1900 $780, 900,
and in 1908, s., 200, 900, 900. The exports from
the south In 1880 were $4,000, 90; in 1890,
1906 10000; in 1890, s4S4,OOo,Ooo, and IN 1905.
$64s, 10000.
In this marvellous growth the manufac-
lures of the south now exceed the agri-
cultural products, and thus a complete
change has come over the character of
Its industries. The south has become rich.
and only the surface OF its wealth has
been scratched.
Democrats No Longer Democratic.
Again the democratic party has not pre-
served inWolate its traditional doctI ines as
TO states rights and other issues and has
sibly doubtful economic truth and wisdom.
Southern men adhering to the party and
the name find themselves, througa The in
fluence OF tradition and the fear Of res ora
tion Of conditions which ara now impossible,
CONTINUED on Second Pase)