The Nashville globe. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1906-193?, 1908-10-30

idence. thrift, industry and higher
morality-thus laying the foundation
for the permanent uplifting OF the race
to a state where its participation in
government will not meet with the OPP
position that now confronts it. 1t Is
believed by some that the Negro ought
not to possess the privilege of voting;
that the association with the whites
that necessarily results from the exer-
else of political and civil rights will
gradually break down the partition
that separates the races socially. | do
not think So But whatever may be
ones view of this, it may be considered
closed question. The guarantees in
the Federal Constitution of their po-
litical and civil rights will never be
abrogated The South must solve its
problem with this as an accepted fact.
The Negro so far as the written law is
concerned, has had in Tennessee for
over thirty years the same political
and civil rights as the white man-and
there are no indications of any dis
turbances of our social life in it's pri-
vate relations.
Now, as man who has arrived at
the age of sound discretion, looking
beyond the present day, having in
mind the destiny and we'll being of
our people, | appeal to them to stand
by those who have always stood by us
for equal civil and political rights
Let us not sell the birthright of our
selves and of our children for mess
of pottage,
1t is gratifying to learn as | have
gone from place to place in the State
that the quiet and stealthy efforts of
the Democracy to win the Negro have
been of no avail. | say quiet and
stoalthy efforts" because even the
Negro Democratic orators and cam
paigners are not permitted to make
public speeches in their efforts to win
Negro votes. After all, it is clearly
evident that the colored vote will, as
q whole, be cast as usual for the best
interests of the country, of the race,
and of the party which has always
stood for these things. And in this
I believe him to be right for what is
to be gained by allying ourselves with
party which does not even openly
ask for our votes?
If the next legislature should sub
nit a constitutional amendment to
the PEOPLE of this State proposing to
disfranchise the colored people as has
bern done in almost all other Southern
States, Governor Patterson would at
once approve the proposition as he
o0Nroved a resolution endorsing the
dismissal of the colored soldiers on
account of the Brownsville incident.
In such event, what would Mr.. Till
man do if he were Governor? I'm
doubtly he would promptly veto any
such measure.
In Nashville and in Davidson Coun-
ty we constitute one-third of the pop
ulation. We are law-abiding. We
pay taxes. We conform to all the re-
quirements of Christian and an adj
vancing civilization With all this
under Democratic rule we are deprived
Of representation and are utterly
without voice or influence in the
administration of the affairs of the
governments which we support and
under which we live. VIII any of the
colOred gentlemen who are advocat.
ing Governor Pattersons cause say
that they are satisfied with this con.
dition of things? Or will they say
that he and his party are responsible
for them? Those of us who are SIM.
PORTING the Taft and Tillman ticket
me not satisfied and hope for an carly
change which we thin'y re zoe IN the
near future. J. G. NAPIER.