Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1909-01-20
SOUTHERN VIEW
OF NEGR0QUESTION
Senator Frazier Says is Mistake
To Treat Him as Constant
Object Of Special Care.
SKETCHES HIS CHARACTER.
Never Again VIII lie be AllowcJ to
Dominate a Sovereign state
I'm the Union.

washington. Jan. zo.-senator Fra
zier OF Tennessee. today spoke on the
Brownsville affair and opposed the
passage OF any one Of the pending bills
for the re-enlistment OF the negro sol-
diers VI the Twenty regiment who
were discharged without honor by the
president. Senator Fraziers remarks
were OF special interest as he was a
member Of the committee on military
affairs which Investigated the Browns
Wills Incident his views being those
q % southerner, who had an intimate
knowledge Of the negro race.
Whenever" declared Mr.. Frazier,
amy question arises after seeing the
negro, there are certain people includ-
ing the negro himself, who seem to
think that he should be dealt with in
an exceptional and unusual way; that
he IS 20 be treated as the ward Of the
nation, and must be the constant OBJ
iect Of its care and solicitude. No
greater wrong can be done the negro,
and no greater injury can be inflicted
upon the country as a whole. than TO
impress upon the negro such false and
erroneous teachings. Those who have
been Instrumental in placing the en-
tire negro population OF the country
Ia the attitude Of defending the Grim
mails OF their race. because they were
Of their race, have assumed a grave
responsibility. indeed. They have in
hicted a lasting injury upon the cOun-
try and upon the negro himself. If
those people ln every section Of the
country who are especially solicltous
for the Negroes welfare by act or word
teach tho negro that he h 70 be shown
no exceptional consideration. but must
stand or fall on his conduct and merit
alone. they would render him incalcu-
liable benefit and the country a lasting
service"
Analysing the testimony taken in
various Investigations. MT Frazier
said there was no question as to the
guilt OF the soldiers OF the Twenty
fifth regiment He justified the presi-
dent in his discharge OF the entire body
Of troops. Speaking OF the incentive
of the soldiers FOR the commitment Of
the crime, he said:
CHARACTER OF NEGRO.
NO one not familiar with the real
character OF tho negro race, knows on
can fully appreciate the intensity OF
feeling with which he Tesents any ap-
parent discrimination against him on
account of his race and color. This IS
strkingly illustrated in the intense op-
position Of the negro 10 those laws
In effect I'M some states, providing for
the separation OF the races in railway
coaches even where the accommoda-
tons are equal and exactly alike. 10
was admitted by many OF the soldiers In
their testimony that this subject to-
gether with tho subject OF indignities
which they claimed had been inflicted
upon some Of them were frequent mat
tiers OF discussion in the barracks of
the soldiers.
Their restriction in the saloons OF
Brownsville" Mr.. Frazier said, gave
ample incentive for the resentment
that was shown among them against
the people of the town.
In the conclusion which / have
reached In this matter, and in the
views I have expressed upon IL, / have
been influenced by no prejudice against
the negro" he said. i have never fov-
ored any policy with reference TO the
negro that did not recognize his rights
as a man. and did not assure him equal
and exact Justice before the law. !
have never failed 10 condemn every
act Of lawlessness inflicted upon the
negro, and have always demanded for
him a fair and impartial trial. when
he has been charged with the violation
OF law. Il mattered not how atrocious
his crime I know the negro, his
faults and his virtues-and he has
many virtues. My knowledge and OBJ
servation of the negro race covers al
most the span Of my life, for they
nursed me la my infancy, played with
me in my boyhood, and I have known
and studied them as a lawyer; / have
tried and passed sentence upon them
as "a judge. / have exerted the power
OF the state 10 shield and protect them
against lawlessness sougth 20 be IN
hicted upon them for grave crimes
when / was governor or my state and
many times IN pity have reached out
to them the hand or executive elem
ency because Of their weakness. !
recall with gratitude and ! pray God
NAV never forget their loyalty and
fidelity 10 those whom they served and
loved during the turmoil, and strife
and bitterness Of the Civil war"
Speaking OF tho treatment Of the
negro by the people OF the south, Mr.
Il would not be entirely frank n /
did not say that upon certain phases
Of the race question, i, IN common
with tho rest OF tho south have stood
and I believe win ever stand, Arm and
unalterable;
TWO PROPOSITIONS.
"First. never again win tho negro
race be allowed % practically dominate
a sovereign state Ia this Union, Sec
oud. the social barrier which separates
the races viii never be allowed 20 be
lowered.
"For 40 years iu patience and kind
ness. the people of the south have
wrestled with this problem he said in
conclusion 1T a. stu unaolved. What
the end win be only God in His infinite
wisdom can soc. Shall IL be that the
black race win be deportcd. ~ feasible,
ID would remove the last remaining
barrier to complete the unity OF the
American people. Shall a. be a race
war. bloody. fierce, discriminating
WAT for the survival OF the ntcstf God
forbid. shall II be- amalgamatiou ana
me unspeakable horror OF corrupted
and Inferior race
'sro allow n would Doe 10 destroy
that civilization which De- at once our
strength and pride. Shall IL Boz that
die two races will dwell together and
vet apart in peace and harmony To
DO 30 without the one race dominat-
ing and ruling the other would boz 90
belle the universal verdict Of racial
history 1 DO not know. but ono
thing / do know that tho solution Of
this problem rests primarily In the
hands of the southern white man and
the southern black man"