The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-12-08
NEGRO PROBLEM HANDLED
 WITH GREAT FRANKNESS
President-EIect Declares That the Re- publican Party Will Not Try to Force Upon the South Doml-
 nance of Ignorant Glass.

New York, December 7.-President- t-eleet William H. Taft, who came to New York today to address the North Carolina so- eiety of this city, was given a tumuItuous reception tonight by the members of the organization, and by prominent men from all parts of the south at the annual din- her of the North Carolinians at the Hotel Astor Five hundred members and guests of the society filled the brilliantly deco rated banquet hall, which was redolent of the pines of the Tar Heel state. the cones and branches of the resinous trees forming the background for more frag- rant blooms, which were scattered every where over snowy linens and fag-draped walls. Intertwined ensigns of the state and nation were conspicuous in the deco rations of tho banquet hall and larger flags were displayed in front of the hotel throughout the day and evening.
 MT. Taft in the course of an address. which was confined entirely to the south and its problems, urged again that the voters of the south should break away from the outlived sentiment and traditions of their past political affiliations and cast their ballots in accordance rather with their economic and real political beliefs MT. Taft declared that nothing would give him greater pride during his coming term in the chief executives office than to so | direct the policy of the national govern l ment with respect to the southern states | as to convince the intelligent citizens of | the south of the desire of his administra- ton to aid them in working out sstis- factorily the problems before them and of bringing them and their northern fel- l low-citizens closer and closer in sympathy and point of view.
 Taft on the Negro.
 At the costcusion of practically every one of his pointed sentences MT. Taft was interrupted by applause and cheers lie frankly expressed himself regarding the l so-ealled negro question:" and declared 1 that neither he nor the republican party had any idea of forcing upon the people ot the south the dominance of an ignorant class.
 MT. Taft quoted statistics to show that the industries of the south had grown and prospered more during the past de- cade than any other sections of the coun- Istry. As to the negro, MT. Taft said he should neither ask nor receive more than an equal chance to qualify himself for the franchise.
 Other speakers at the banquet were President w. W. Finley of the Southern Railway company, J. r. Joyner, state su- perintendent of public instruction of North Carolina; Dr. Joseph H. Dillard of New Orleans and Junius w. Parker of New York. Among the more prominent guests were Clark Howell of Atlanta, Henry w. Taft, brother of the President elect; President Nicholas Murray Butter of Columbia university, Consul General Midzuno of Japan, Dr. H. B. Frissell of Hampton institute.
 MT. Taft spoke last, and when he arose to respond as the guest of honor of the evening the diners stood and cheered for several minutes. MT. Taft reached the city at l o'clock today from Hot Springs, Va. He spent the afternoon at the home of his brother, Henry W. Taft, and while there was iI consultation with number of friends and political callers. MT. Taft leaves early tomorrow for Washington. After paying a tribute to North Car olna, which he said, presented an ad- mirable type of present conditions in the south, the public spirit of it's cti- zens. progressive industries and the charming companonship which the north erner always found there, the speak CT pointed out that the laws were made 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 responsibilities which the members of republic ought to share in respect to the conduct of the goVernment?' He added.
 why is that what is done at Washing ton 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 these of us concerned with the govern ment and who are most anxious to have Of whose will tho course of the government shall be an in telligent interpretation and expression.
 Real Difference.
 We can answer these questions as the historian would and we can explain as it Is but I don't think we can justify or excuse continuance of 1t. Looking back into the past, of course, the ex- plantation of the difference between the south and the other two sections was from the institution of slavery 1t is of no purpose to point out that early in the history of the country the north was as responsible for bringing slaves here the south, because we are not concerned with whose fault it was that there was such an institution slavery. Nor are we concerned with the probabil- ity that, had the northerners been in- terested in slaves they would have viewed the institution exactly the southern- CTS viewed it and would have fought to defend it, because 1t was as sacred as the institution of private property it. self. It does not help in the slightest de- gree In the present day to stir up the embers of the controversy of the past by attempting to fix blame on one part of the country or the other in respect to an institution which has gone.
 Painful History.
 q am not going to rehearse the pain ful history of reconstruction or what followed. I come at once to the present condition of things, stated from con- stitutional and political standpoint and that is this: That in all southern states, by election laws prescribing proper quail ifications for the suffrage which square
 CONTINUED ON PAGE 2.)