The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1909-03-10

tlOn of this the greatest cOnstructiv,
enterprise of modern times.
Free Trade With Philippines.
The governments Of our dependen
cies in Porto Rico and the Philippine.
are progressing as favorably as coult
be desired. The prosperity Of Porte
Rico continues undated. The bust
S conditions in the Philippines ar
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 an6
tobacco Is shall prevent injury to the
domestic interests on those products
We a 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.
eminent in each dependency is uphold.
ing the traditions Of civil liberty and
increasing popular control, which might
be expected under American auspices.
The work which we are doing there
rebounds to u credit as a nation.
Words Of Friendship For the South.
I 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 tc
effect a change In the electoral vote of
the southern states. That Is q 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 pc.
ltical opposition in every state-even
more than than this, to an increased
feeling on the part Of all the people in
the south that this government is thei1
government and that its 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,
its progress and its 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 Mt.
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 fit.
koov%H r,or1voov hos not Innn rornr
ally observed in the past, it ought to
he observed, and the tendency Of
southern legislation today is toward
the enactment of electoral qualifica'
lions which shall square with that
amendment.
OF course the mere adoption Of Il
constitutional law is only ~ step in
the right direction. 1t must be fairly
and justly enforced as well. In time
both will come. Hence 1t 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
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 q time when north
rners who sympathized with the ne
gro in his necessary struggle for bet
ter conditions sought to give to him
the suffrage as a protection and to
force its exercise against the prevail
ing sentiment Of the south. The move
ment proved to be a failure. What re-
mains is the fifteenth amendment to
the constitution and the right to have
statutes Of states specifying qualiica-
tons for electors subjected to the test
Of compliance with that amendment.
This Is a great protection to the negro.
1t will be repealed, and it never
ought to be repealed. If 1t had not
been passed it might be difficult now
to adopt 1t, but with 1t in our funda-
mental law the policy Of southern leg
islation must and will tend to obey 1t,
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 It Is not the disposi.
ton or within the province of the fed
eral government to interfere with the
regulation by southern states Of their
domestic affairs.
"Negro 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