Tonopah daily bonanza. [volume] (Tonopah, Nev.) 1906-1929, 1909-03-05
PRESIDENT TAFT'S
INAUGURAL ADDRESS
CONTINUED from Page 81

ditions in the Philippines and the de-
velopment of a mutually profitable
trade between this country and the
islands. Meanwhile our government
in each dependency is unfolding the
traditions of civil liberty and increas-
ing popular control which might be
expected under American auspices.
The work which we are doing there
rebounds to our credit as a nation.
look forward with hope to In
creasing the already good feeling be-
tween the South and the other sec
tions of the country. My chief pur-
pose is not to effect change in the
electoral vote of the Southern States.
That is secondary consideration.
What look forward to is an increase
in the tolerance of political views of
all kinds and their advocacy through
out the South. and the existence of a
respectable. political opposition in
every State; even more than this, to
an increased feeling on the part of
all the peopleSin the south that this
Government is their Government.
and that its officers In their States
are their officers.
The consideration of this question
cannot, however. be complete and
full without reference to the negro
race, its progress ard it's present con-
dition. The 18th Amendment Sc
cured them freedom! the 18th
Amendment the process of law, pro-
lection of property and the pusuit of
happiness; and the 18th Amendment
attempted to secure the negro against
any deprivation of the privilege to
vote, because he was a negro. The
18th and 14th Amendments have
been generally enforced and have
secured the objects for which they
were intended. While the 18th
Amendment has not been generally
observed in the past, it ought to be
observed, and the tendency of South
ern legislation to-day is toward the
enactment of electoral qualifications
which shall square with that amend
ment. OF course, the mere adoption
Of constitutional law is only one
step in the right direction. 1t must
be fairly and justly enforced as we'll.
In time both will come. Hence it is
clear to all that the domination of an
ignorant, irresponsible element can
be prevented by constitutional laws
which shall exclude from voting both
negroes and whites not having edu-
cation or Observation-Disclosures thought
to be necessary to a proper elector-
ate. The danger of the control of
an ignorant electorate has there
fore passed With this change, the
interest which many of the Southern
white citizens take in the welfare of
the negroes has increased The col
ored men must base their hope on
the results of their own industry
self-restraint, thrift and business
success, as we'll as upon the aid and
comfort and sympathy which they
may receive from their white neigh
bors of the South There was time
when Northerners who sympathized
with the negro in his necessary strug-
gle for better conditinns sought to
give him the suffrage as a protec.
ton. and to enforce its exercise
against the prevailing sentiment OF
the South. The movement proved tc
be a failure. What remains is the
18th Amendment to the Constitution
and the right to have statutes oil
States specifying qualifications fol
electors subjected to the test of com
plfance with that amendment. This
IS great protection to the negro
1t never will be repealed, and it never
ought to be repealed. If it had mo-
been passed, it might be difficult now
to adopt it; but with it in our foun
damental law, the policy of Southern
legislation must and will tend t.
obey it, and so long as the statutue.
of the States meet the test of thil
amendment and are not otherwis il
conflict with the constitution anC
laws of the United States, it is no
the disposition or within the proyinc,
of the Federal Government to inter
fere with the regulation by Southern
States of their domestic affairs
There is in the South a stronger feel
ing than ever among the intelligent
well-to-do and Influential element il
favor of the industrial education O
the negro and the encouragement O
the race to make themselves usefu
members of the community. TIL,
progress which the negro has mad,
in the past fifty pears from slavery
when its statistics are reveiewd, Il
marvellous, and it furnishes ever,
reason to hope that within the mex
twenty-five years still greater i'm