Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1908-09-16
TAFT TELLS Of
FRIENDSHIP
FOR NEGRO
NON POLITICAL ADDRESS
TO C0L0RED MINISTER'S
Advises Hearers to Become
Useful Members Of Society
Whenl He Believes, Race Pre-
judiCe viii Fade Away

IBy Morning journal Special Leased WIreI
Cincinnati sept 15.--W. II. Taft
today declined to go farther with Mr..
Bryan in newspaper controversy
over the issues OF the campaign,
There is nothing in MIR. Bryan's
statement OF today which seems to re-
quire an answer Should it appear so
later, | will take up the subject in my
public speeches"
This was Mr.. Taft's ultimatum. as
he expressed willingness that Mr.
Bryan should have the last word of
comment on President RoUsevelts
Taft letter
This. the 5lst anniversary of Mr..
Tafts birth, proved to be the busiest
day he has had since his arrival here
a week ago He delivered an address
tonight to a body OF ministers, COM
posing the Ohio conference of the Al
rican Methodist Episcopal church, the
first speech OF his campaign to me-
groes The address was not political
one. but gave q clear outline of the
sympathetic understanding and feel
ing entertained for the struggles of
the race, possessed by the candidate.
The candidate was escorted from
the Taft residence to Allen Temple IN
the evening by party of the clergy
men. He began his address By com
fa ftfnpitg with the
temple and the congregation. lie was
there he said, for the purpose OF eX-
pressing his sympathy with the negro
race in its struggle for better things,
"a sympathy" he said, which |
have had from the time was small
boy. for inherited it from my father.
Alphonso Taft, than whom the colored
race never had better friend"
This interest, Mr.. Taft had been
! stAAulated through his experience in
: the Philippines. He reviewed the
7 struggle of the race from the time OF
slavery 1t had made the most prog
ress in agricultural pursuits and II was
I'm this line he believed they should
continue, although he spent consider
able time In his comment on the value
of education, which he said, had in
creased from to 80 per cent in the
last forty years. The education to he
most sought for by the negro race, he
said, was primarily the rudlments OF
knowledge combined with Industrial
( training. This should be supplements
cd by higher education for more
limited number to furnish well
grounded ministers, doctors, teachers
and lawyers
"It will be much easier for him
(the negro) 10 secure his civil and
political fights when he becomes use
=, full tn the community aud a source OF
J profit to many members OF IT, PreJu-
7 dIces against the race fades away
u most rapidly when there are pecuniary
= reasons for its disappearance
The candidate said he had not al-
c WAYS been In favor of higher educa-
. ton for members of the negro race.
e but after full consideration of the
: needs Of the race am convinced that
was in error"
y on the subject of race prejudice and
e mob violence, Mr.. Taft said:
: 'I don't know that the race bitter
ness Is any stronger today than 1t ever
y was. For a long time II seems to DO
II altogether abated and then there VIII
o be an outbreak, a mob will be formed.
:. developing the most iendlsh cruelty,
'e manIfestlng itself In the blindest and
most unreasonable assaults upon per-
fectly innocent people, simply because
OF their color. II is only fair to say
] that such british exhibitions are not
Q. confined to any one section
= "It is impossible to read accounts OF
,e this sort without having ones blood
boil with Indignation that there can
reside In the human breast such a
: savage and beastly impulse AM mo
tive. But we must remcT' tNl
, things: first that In spite OF our edu-
9 cation and refinement and progress to-
- ward Christian ideals, we still retain
In our nature great deal Of the or
iginal animal and second, that the
spirit of a mob seems to a different
splrit from that of the individuals
making Il up and 10 disclose a more
insensate and inhuman state of I'm
pulses than II would be possible to finc
In any one of its members.
HIne DcSt remedy NHu Tue h'Ateetai ,
one is an Improvement IN the admin
istration OF our criminal laws and tho
holding to strict account the officer
of the law who don't use all possible
means to prevent and suppress suef
outbreaks
Il cannot too strongly condemn I'M
attitude OF those public men who ar
in their discussions OF the negro dues
tIon, use language calculated 70 afous'
In the ignorant deep contempt to'
the negro race and an altogether un
friendly attitude toward Il. They mus
be held responsible for much Of tn
feeling that manifests Itself IN th'
c0ntumely heaped upon the negro q
times and the actual cruelty exhibit
ed toward him. on the other hand
believe sincerely that all through tn
Dl- south a very much better feeling