Semi-weekly herald., 1909-03-08

the archipelago, with such Limitations
: in sugar and tobacco as shall prevent
injury to the domestic interests on
these products, we can count on al
improvement in business conditions In
the Philippines and the development,
of mutually profitable trade between
this country and the islands.
Meanwhile our government in each
dependency is upholding the traditions
OF civil liberty and Increasing popular
control which might be expected un.
der American auspices. The work
which we are doing there rebounds TO
our credit as nation.
Il look forward with hope to I'm.
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 n
respectable political opposition in ev
cry state; even more than this. to
an increased feeling on the part OF
all the people In the south that this
government is their government, and
that its officers in their states ars
theii officers.
The consideration of this question
cannot. however, be complete and full
without reference to the negro race,
It's progress and its present condition
The thirteenth amendment secured
freedom; the fourteen amendment due
process of law. protection of property
and the pursit OF happiness: and the
fifteenth amendment attempted to Sc
| cure the negro against any deprivation
of the privilege to vote, because he
was negro. The thirteenth and four
teenth amendments have been general.
| ly enforced and have secured the OBJ
iects for which they were intended
while the fifteenth amendment has
not been generally observed In the past
It ought to be observed. and the ten.
dency of southern legislation today is
toward the enactment of electoral
| qualifications which shall square with
that amendment. OF course. the mere
adoption OF constitutional law is
only one step in the right direction. II
must be fairly and justly enforced as
| well. In time both viii 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
| education or other qualifications
thought to be necessary for proper
electorate. The danger of the control
of an ignorant electorate has therefore
passed With this change, the Interest
which many OF the southern white cit
liens take IN the welfare of the ne
groes has increased.
"The colored men must base their
hope on the results OF their own In.
dustry, self-restaint, thrift and bust.
ness success. as well as upon the aid
and comfort and sympathy which they
may receive from their white neigh
bors of the south. There was a time
when northerners who sympathized
with the negro In his necessary strug
gle for better conditions sought to
give him the suffrage as protection,
and to enforce its exercise against
the prevailing sentiment OF the south
The movement proved to be failure
What remains is the fifteenth
amendment to the constitution and the
right to have statutes of states speci-
Tying qualifications for electors sub.
iected TO the test OF compliance with
that amendment. This is great pro.
lection 10 the negro. II never will be
repealed. and II never ought to be
repealed. II 1t had not been passed,
1t might be difficult now to adopt 1t /;
but with It in our fundamental law, the
policy OF southern Legislation must and
will tend to obey 1t. and so long as the
statutes of the state meet the test OF
this amendment and are not other.
wise In conflict with the constitution
and laws Of the United States, 1t is
not the disposition or within the prov
ince of the federal government to In.
terfere with the regulation by south
ern states OF their domestic affairs
There is in the south a stronger
feeling than ever among the intelll
gent, well-tO-do and influential ele-
ment In favor of the industrial educa
tion of the negro and the encourage
ment OF the race to make themselves
useful members of the community
The progress which the negro has
made In the last fifty years from slav
cry, when its statistics are reviewed
ia marvellous, and 1t furnishes every
reason TO hope that in the next twenty
five years a still greater improvement
in his condition as a productive mem
ber OF society. on the farm. and In ths
shop and in other occupations. may
come.
"rhe negroes are now Americans