The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1909-03-12

uOmeSt1C interests on tnOSe pIOuuSlS.
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
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 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
airy consideration. What | 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-
litical opposition in every state-even
| more than than this, to an increased
! feeling on tie part of all the people in
| the south that this government is their
| 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,
| 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, II ought to
be observed. and the tendency Of
southern legislation today is toward
the enactment of electoral qualifica-
lions which shall square with that
| amendment
No Repeal of Fifteenth Amendment.
OF course the mere adoption of
constitutional law is only one step iii
the right direction. 1t must he fairly
and Justly enforced as we'll 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 OF 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 time when north
erners who sympathized with the ne
gro in his necessary struggle for bet
ter conditions sought TO give to him
the suffrage as protection and to en-
| force it's exercise against the prevail
ing sentiment of the south. The move
ment proved to be failure What re-
| mains is the fifteenth amendment to
the constitution and the right to have
statutes of states specifying qualifica-
tons for electors subjected to the test
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 1t had not
been passed It might be difficult now
to adopt it. but with it in our funda-
i mental law the policy Of southern leg
islatiOn 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
fiict 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.
"Neero Is Now American"
There is in the south stronger feel
ing than ever among the intelligent.
! a
favor Of the industrial education o"
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 fiftg- years from slavery, when
it's statistics are reviewed. is marvel
Gus, and it furnishes every reason to
hope that in the next twenty-five years
n still greater improvement in his con
dition as q 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 1T. they may well 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 eaSv az wa con Anyl