The advocate. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1901-1913, 1908-12-10
OF THE RACE PROBLEM is EDU-
~. ~ CATION. - ~
Hesident-elect Taft Urges State
Laws On An Equal Suffrage Not
Conflicting With the 10Th Amend
ment. =" = "

Co=nlght by, that organization at their
annual dinner at the Hotel Astor.
Mr.. Taft, in the course Of an ad-
dress which was confined entirely to
the South and it's problems, did not
hesitate to follow up what. he re-
CARDS as the advantages Of his trip
through the. South during the recent
campaign, and urged again that the
voters should break away from the
outlived sentiment and traditions OF
their political Affiliations and cast
their< ballots in accordance rather
with their economic and real political
beliefs. -
At the conclusion or practically
every one Of his pointed sentences
Mr.. Taft was interrupted by applause
and cheering. : He frankly expressed
himself regar ding the so-called NE
'gro-question," and declared that
neither he nor the Republican party
had any idea of forcing upon the
people of the South the dominance
Of an ignorant class.
Mr.. Taft's speech was reserved for
the last and when he arose to respond
the diners stood and cheered for sev-
eral minutes. Mr.. Taft reached the
city at one o'clock this afternoon,
having come direct from Hot Springs
Va. He spent the afternoon at. the
home Of his brother, Henry w. Taft,
and while there was in consultation
with a number Of friends and poll
ticaI callers, among them being Will
liam Nelson Cromwell. Mr.. Taft
leaves early tomorrow morning for
Washington.
.> Boduets for the South.
After paying a tribute to North
Carolina, which he said presented an
admirable type Of present conditions
III the South; the public spirit of IT'S
citizens; progress Of it's industries,
and the charming championship
which the Northerner always, found
there, the speaker pointed out that
the laws were made for the North
and South and the functions Of the
Government extended from the Ca
madam border to the Gulf Of Mexico
and he led up to these questions: :.
What Is it that sets the South
apart and takes from the Southern
people the responsibility which the
members of republic ought to
share in respect to the conduct Of
the National Governments"
'Why is it that what is done at
Washington seems to be the work Of
the North and West and not Of the
South? Should this state Of affairs
continue?
."These are the questions that force
themselves on those Of us concerned
with the Government and who are
most anious to have a solid united
country.
eve can answer these questions as
the historian would and we can eX-
plain the situation as it is, but
don't think we can Justify Or excuse
q continuance Of it.
Looking back into the past, Of
course, the explanation of the differ
ence between the South and the 9TH
er two sections was in the institution
Of slavery.
For Equal Education.
II am not going to rehearse the
painful history Of reconstruction.
come at once to the present condi-
tion Of things, stated from constt,
tutional and political standpoint.
And this is this:
THAT in all Southern states it is
possible by election laws, prescribing
proper qualifications for the suffrage
which, agree with the fifteenth
amendment and which shall be
equally administered as between the
black and white races, to prevent en-
tirely the possibility Of q Southern
state, county or municipal govern.
ment by an ignorant electorate
white or black. 1t is further true
that the sooner such laws, wher
| adopted, are applied with exact
equality and justice to the two races
the better for the moral tone Of the
state and community concerned.
Negroes should be given an op.
portunity equally with whites, by
education and thrift, to meet the re.
quirements of eligibility which the
| State Legislatures in their wisdom
shall lay down in order to secure the
safe exercise Of tho electoral fran
| chise. The Negro should ask moth
| ing other. than an equal chance tc
| qualify himself for the franchise
and when that is granted by law and
not denied by executive discrimina
tion he has nothing to complain Of
Urges Practical Laws.
"The proposal to repeal the Fiji
teenth Amendment is utterly imprac.
ticable and should be relegated tc
the limbo Of forgotten issues. What
we are considering is something that
means attainable progress. 1t Iaseemr
to me to follow therefore that there