Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-12-08

up the pmbers Cf III" controversy OF
the past BY attempting TO fix 5lam"
on one part of the co"ntry or III"
other in respect To an institution
which has gone. and happily gone. On
the ore hand: or il respect To III"
consequences Of that institution whl>h
we still have on the other. The con
SEQUENCES we are to recognize rs
facts and problems f"r solution. rath-
'er than AS an occasion for Crimina
ton or recriminaiion with respect to
whose failt they ma Involve.
South Can Bar Ignorance.
Il am not going I" r"h"arse the
painful history of rr"onsiructiCn or
what followed it. come at ono" to
The present condition OF things. stat
cd from financial and political
.tandp0nt. And that is: That IN ali
South states il is possible hy Cl""-
ton laws prescribing pr"a"r QuaIitl
cations for the suffrac" which SQuar"
, with the fifteenth amendment. and
which shall Re equally administered
as between the black and whit" races,
to prevent entirely the possibility or
a domination Of SoulHrrn state. cCun-
" or municipal governments Nv an
Ignorant electorate white or black. II
is further true that IT," sooner SCch
Nws. when adopted ii" applied with
exact equality and Justice 10 tn" two
races the better for m" moral tone
of the state and community concern
cd NEGROES should b" given an OPP
pcrtunity equally with whites, by "du-
cation and thrift. 20 meet III" require
mcnts Of eligibility which III" stat"
legislatures in their wisdom shall la
down in order to secure The safe cXrr-
els" OF the electoral franchise. TIL"
nero ;hOuld ask nothing other than
an cGuai chance t. qualify hirt ic!f
fer tn" franchise. ard when that Is
granted hv law and nor denied by leg
iSla'ivc discrimination he haS nothing
To cCmrlain of.
Fifteenth Amendment Stands.
The proposal to- repeal the FIT
tc"n'h amendment is utterly imprac-
tiCabie. AMI should Il" r"leeated ~
She limbo Of forgotten issues. What,
we are considering l. something prac-
teal. something that means at;aina-
BILE progress II seems to me to fol
low. therefore. that there rs. or ought
10 be- common ground upon which
We can all stard in respect to the
race question in the South and its
political bearing. that takes away any
iustifi "aticn for maintaining the con-
tinued solidi;y Of the South to pre-
vent the sO-called negro domination.
Social Equality Net Threatened.
THE fear that in some way or 9th
er a social equality between the races
shall be enforced by law or brought
has no foundation except in the imag-
ination of those who fear such a re-
suit The war amendments do not
call for social equality. all that the
law or constitution attempts 20 So
cur" is equally Of oppOrtuni-
ty before the law. and the pursuit OF
happiness and in the enjoyment OF
life. liberty End property Social
equality is something that grows
cut of voluntary concessions
by the individuals forming society.
Other Than Race Reasons.
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 so!idity and divide
themselves on party lines. in accord
ance with their economic and pOliti-
cal views? No. there are other rea-
sons: perhaps. only reasons Of senti-
me?t. l~rt with the Southern people.
who are high strung. sensitive and
outs Doken people considerations Of
sentiment are frequently quite as
, strong as those OF como political or
economic character. In the first place
il is now nesrl- 40 years since the
South acquired its political solidity.
and the intensity Of feeling by which
it was maintained. and the ostracism
and social prescription imposed on
those white Southcrners. who dill not
s;mpathizc with the necessity for
such soiidity. could not hut make
lasting Impression ard create a pcr-
marcn' bias that would naturally out
last The reason for its original exist
ence'
Times and Men Change.
Mr.. Taft referred to the trials OF
I recon. friction which acentuated the
greater trials Of The past. and the
slow return Of prosperity to the
! South following tho civil strife as
further agencies that helped tn keep
alive III" feeling "ngondered ny that
controversy. and continued:
: Put times change. and men change
with ih"m IN any community. how
over Sx"d iis thoughts OF habits. and
, man. circumstances have blessed US
with thc;r irfurrco in this ms'tcr
Tho Growth OF he .ou'h since iS"'
has hccn marv"lCus. Tho manufac-
turing capital in 1880 wss $3.50. coo
+ SEQ: in 1899 $3.50. oe0. o0o: in Iso'
! ~lnv-n hundred and fifty millions ::
and in 1905 fw"nt zone hundred nail
. liens. while tho values " tho manr
fsctTrns 'rCrea from $3.50 66o. 600 In
iSsn 10 sann 10 90 m ISan IN 81