The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-03-04
TAFT'S INAUGURAL
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tempted 10 secure the negro against any deprivation of the privilege to vote because he was a negro. The thirteenth and fourteenth amend ments have been generally enforced and have secured the objects for which they were intended. While the if teenth amendment has not been gener- ally observed in the past, 1t ought to be observed. and the tendency of southern legislation today is toward the enactment of electoral qualiflca- dons which shall square with that amendment.
 No Repeal of Fifteenth Amendment.
 Of course the mere adoption of a constitutional law is only one step in the right direction. It must be fairly and justly enforced as well. In time both will come. Hence it is clear to all that the domination of an ignorant, irresponsible element can be prevent ed by constitutional laws which shall exclude from voting both negroes and whites not having education or other qualifications thought to be necessary for a proper electorate. The danger of the control of an ignorant electorate has therefore passed. With this change the interest which many of the south ern 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 re straint thrift and business success as well as upon the aid and comfort and sympathy which they may receive fram their white neighbors of the soqth. There was time when north er&ers who sympathized with the ne grp in his necessary struggle for bet tel conditions sought to give to him tho suffrage as a protection and to en- fo{ce it's, exercise against the prevail inn sentiment of the south. The move mint proved to be a failure. What re mAins Is the fifteenth amendment to the constitution and the right to have statutes of states specifying qualifca- tions for electors subjected to the test of compliance with that amendment. This is a great protection to the negro. It never will be repealed, and it never ought to be repealed If it had not been passed it might be difficult now to adopt it, but with it in our funda- mental law the policy of southern leg islatione must and will tend to obey it. and so long as the statutes of the states meet the test of this amend ment and are not otherwise in con- flict with the constitution and laws of the United States 1t is not the disposi- tion or within the province of the fed eral government to interfere with the regulation by southern states of their domestic affairs.
 "Nesro Is Now American"
 There is in the south a stronger feel ing than ever among the intelligent, well to do and influential element in favor of the industrial education of the negro and the encouragement of the race to make themselves useful members of the community. The progress which the negro has made in the last fifty years from slavery, when its statistics are reviewed, is marvel ous. and it furnishes every reason to hope that in the next twenty-five years O still greater improvement in his con- aition as productive member of so- ciety, on the farm and in the shop and in other occupations, may come. The negroes are now Americans Their ancestors came here years ago against their will, and this is their only coun- try and their only flag. They have shown themselves anxious to live for it and to die for it. Encountering the race feeling against them. subjected at times to cruel injustice growing out of it. they may we'll have our profound, sympathy and aid in the struggle they are making We are charged with the sacred duty of making their path as smooth and easy as we. can. Any recognition of their distinguished men, any appointment to office from among their number, is properly taken as an encouragement and an appreciation Of their progress, and this just policy shall be pursued.
 ss Tho Appointment of Negroes.
 But it may well admit of doubt whether in case of any race an ap- pointment of one of their number to a local office in a community in which the race feeling is so widespread and acute as to interfere with the ease and facility with which the local govern ment business can be done by the ap- pointee is of sufficient benefit by way of encouragement to the race to out weigh the recurrence and increase of race feeling which such an appoint ment is likely to engender. Therefore the executive in recognizing the negro race by appointments must exercise careful discretion not thereby to do it more harm than good. On the other hand, we must be careful not to en- courage the mere pretense of race feel ing manufactured in the interest of in- dividual political ambition.
 No Race Feeling In White House.
 Personally I have not the slightest race prejudice or feeling. and recogni- tions of its existence only awakens in my heart q deeper sympathy for those who have to bear it or suffer from it, and I question the wisdom of policy which is likely to increase it. Mean time. if nothing is done to prevent, a better feeling between the negroes and the whites in the south will continue to grow, and more and more of the white people will come to realize that the3Uture af tho solth is to be much