New-York tribune., 1908-09-16
TAFT TO NEGROES
EXPLORES MOB VIOLENCE.
Es Fifty-trst Birthday Full of
paGuess-Many Congratulations.
rPv Telegraph to The Tribune. J

me
snu o-,ers Mr Burton talked for some time
T,,aee Taft over the political situation. the
viz ..nner Of meeting the campaign being
pes. ~, Nrr Bryan. etc After leaving Mr.
na .47ce MI Burton said that he had moth
Ia .r for publication except that the corre-
ne &c from out Of town might quote him as
.,.-a WAS not the slightest possibility of
sasi-s s.,1,,g 70 give her electoral vote to Taft
O4-o one in Ohio knows il will be a Taft
he added Asked TO his own candi-
co. the Senate, Mr.. Burton said that at
"A0' his every energy was bent on rolling up
-.oio-ity for Taft, and that personal am
s ,rs-e for the time being, set aside.
- rar-ton will return to Cleveland to-mor-
~ ,o,.,q this evening addressed the Ohio
~" -, association. and Friday Will make
- -,,,+ical speeches in Iowa one at the Tri-
NV at Donelson. and the other at Bur
- IN the evening. From Burlington he
- :. kansas where he will spend a week
=, fo- the national ticket. and thence
~ IotIsborna speaking at Muskegee. He will
-, - 70 Ohio on october !. and on October
- I'll make a speech in Galesburg. Ill His
..-.,s- plans are not yet formulated.
,,asa Taft had a conference to-day with
"a. nsvis. Guido Cores and H. V. Speelman.
:. tbs Ohio branch of the League of Republican
r,rhs which is 10 hold a convention here on
ea-,snner % There VIII be no preliminary
,,rv.n,ion Of the Ohio League. but President
c,.snsn VIII select the six delegates at large
s the four delegates from each district 10
.-ts,s the convention of the national league.
1r5ee Taft received excursionists from Green
ssl6 Ind. this forenoon in the assembly room
:, tbe sinton Hotel large percentage of whom
,,-s school teachers. The committee consisting
Ton TIA airO-
s,a John T johnson, had advised head
r.-ters here that there would be at least one
-bousand in the excursion but their plans ap-
-srsntlv rniscarried. for less than two hundred
e--ived. Judge Taft spoke few words Of well
c,,,e and then shook hands with the members
Of the party
This being Judge Taft's hfty-frst birthday.
great many messages Of congratulation were
received both at headquarters and at hts home,
among them being notes from President Scar
bprough Of Wilberforce; Representative McKln-
lev Of Illinois: Leroy T. Vernon. Register of the
Treasury and others.
EDUCATION TO BE sOUGHT.
This evening Judge Taft delivered an address
on the progress Of the Negro race in America
70 the members of the African Methodist Epis-
copal Conference Having been escorted to the
conference by q delegation appointed for that
purpose.
Bishop ". B Derrick who presided al the
meeting. aroused great enthusiasm, both by his
Introduction Of Judge Taft and in a speech
which followed that Of the candidate Resolu-
tons indorsing the Republican platform and
state and county tickets were adopted Allen
Temple, an edifice which Will hold several
thousand persons, was crowded
He was there Judge Taft said. for the pur-
pose OF expressing his sympathy with the negro
race in its struggle for better things
"A sympathy" he added. which have had
from the time I was small boy. for inherit
ed il from my father. AlQhonso Taft than whom
the colored race never had better friend
This interest, Mr.. Taft said. had been slim
ulated through his experience in the Philippines
He reviewed the struggle Of the race from the
time Of slavery. It had made the most progress
in agricultural pursuits, and it was in this line
he believed It should continue4 although he spent
considerable time in his comment on the value
Of education. which he said had increased from
3 10 30 per cent IN the last forty years The
education TO be most sought for by the Negro
race he said, was primarily the rudiments OF
knowledge combined with industrial training
This should be supplemented by higher educa-
ton for q more limited number, 10 furnish well
rounded ministers, doctors, teachers and law
yers.
TT will be greatly easier for him 1.-THE Negrol
10 secure his civil and political rights when he
becomes useful 10 the community and source
Of profit 10 many members Of it Prejudice
against the race fades away most rapidly when
there are pecuniary reasons for its disappear
ance"
Judge Taft said he had not always been IN
favor Of higher education for members OF the
Negro race. but after full consideration Of the
needs OF the race ] am convinced that was
IN error"
On the subject Of race prejudice and mob vio-
ience Ar. Taft said:
I don't know that the race bitterness is any
stronger to-day than it ever was For length
OF tine IL seems TO be altogether abateo, ana
then there will be an outbreak, mop VIII De
termed developfng the most fendish cruelty,
H2ntfestng itself in the hlindest ana most uh-
eAsonable assaults upon perfectly innocent peo-
pie simply because Of their color. IL is only
fair 10 say that such british exhibitions are nor
confined any section.
II is impossible TO read accounts Of this sort
without having ones blood boil with indignation
that there can reside in the human breast such
savage and beastly impulse and motive. But
we must remember two things: First that IN
spite OF our education and refinement and prog
ress toward Christian ideals we still retain IN
our nature a great deal Of the Original animal;
and second, that the spirit Of q mob seems to be
different spirit from that OF the individuals
making II 1Jr and TO disclose a more inhuman
state Of impulses than IL would be possiDle 10
mo In any one OF its members
The best remedy and the necessary one is an
Improvement in the administration Of our Grim
ma laws, and the holding 10 strict account
tne officers Of the law who do not use all pos
soie means 10 prevent and suppress such out
breaks
! cannot too strongly condemn the attitude
o. those public men who in their discussions
ol the negro question use language Calculated
20 arouse IN the ignorant deep contempt for
me negro race and an altogether unfriendly
attitude toward IL. They must be held respon-
slple for much Of the feeling that manifests
Itself in the conturnely heaped upon the negro
sI times and the actual cruelty exhfDiteo
toward him. On the other hand. ! believe sin