Morris tribune., 1909-03-06

work to bring about the early compile
ton of this the greatest constructive
enterprise Of modern times.
Free Trade With Philippines.
The governments of our dependen-
cies in Porto Rico and the Philippines
are progressing as favorably as could
be desired. The prosperity Of Porto
| Rico continues unabated. The bust
ness conditions in the Philippines are
not all that we could wish them to be,
but with the passage of the new tariff
: bill permitting free trade between the
United States and the archipelago,
with such limitations in sugar and
tobacco as shall prevent injury to the
domestic interests on those products,
we can count On an Improvement in
business conditions in the Philippines
and the development Of a mutually
| profitable trade between this country
and the islands. Meantime our gov
ernment in each dependency is uphold
ing the traditions of civil liberty and
increasing popular control, which might
be expected under American auspices.
hO WO1h "ulCu We. are IuSIC
rebounds to our credit as a nation
Words of Friendship For the South.
look forward with hope to increas-
ing the already good feeling between
the south and the other sections of the
country. My chief purpose is not to
effect change in the electoral vote of
the southern states. That is a second
ary consideration. What I look for
ward to is an increase in the tolerance
Of political views of all kinds and
their advocacy throughout the south
and the existence of a respectable po-
more than than this, to an increased
feeling on the part Of all the people in
the south that this government is their
government and that it's officers in
their states are their officers.
The Negro Question.
The consideration of this question
cannot, however, be complete and full
without reference to the negro race,
it's progress and it's present condition.
The thirteenth amendment secured
them freedom, the fourteenth amend
ment due process Of law, protection
Of property and the pursuit of happi-
ness, and the fifteenth amendment at
tempted to 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 fif-
teenth amendment has not been gener-
ally observed in the past, it ought to
be observed, and the tendency of
southern legislation today is toward
the enactment of electoral qualitica-
tions which shall square with that
amendment.
Nc Repeal of Fifteenth Amendment.
Of course the mere adoption of
constitutional law is only one step in
the right direction. 1t 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 |
from their white neighbors of the !
south. There was a time when north !
erners who sympathized with the ne !
gro in his necessary struggle for bet |
ter conditions sought to give to him
force its exercise against the prevail /
ing sentiment of the south. The move
ment proved to be failure. What re- i
mains is the fifteenth amendment to /
the constitution and the right to have !
statutes Of states specifying qualifica
of compliance with that amendment.
This is a great protection to the negro.
1t 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
lslation 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-
fict with the constitution and laws of
the United States 1t is not the disposi-
ton or within the province of the fed
eral government to interfere with the
by southern states of their
domestic affairs.
"Negro Is Now American"
There is in the south a stronger feel
ng than ever among the intelligent,
veil to do and influential element in
'avor Of the Industrial education of
he negro and the announcement of
ha racn to mako than,so1rac ,,cof,,l