The Robesonian. [volume] (Lumberton, N.C.) 1870-current, 1909-03-04

ene iheh VIII are uoiug Truthful har0
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 undated 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
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.
l 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 Il 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 respectable Do
litical 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 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,
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 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 If
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 qualifca-
tons which shall square with that
amendment.
p No Repeal of Fifteenth Amendment.
= Of course the mere adoption Of a
I constitutional law is only one step In
9 the right direction. 1t must be fairly
h and justly enforced as well. In time
! both wiki come. Hence it is clear to
:. all thu he domination of an ignorant,
: irresponsible element can be prevent
A ed by constitutional laws which shall
% exclude from voting both negroes and
>. whites not having education or othel
" qualifications thought to be necessary
for a proper electorate. The danger
f. of the control Of an ignorant electorate
% has therefore passed. With this chang
% the interest which many Of the south
Il ern white citizens take in the welfare
q. Of the negroes has increased. The col
r. ored men must base their hope on thu
If results of their own industry, self re
e straint, thrift and business success a
II well as upon the aid and comfort an(
,e sympathy which they may receive
from their white neighbors Of tn
south. There was a time when north
- erners who sympathized with the ne
a gro in his necessary struggle for bet
= ter conditions sought to give to hin
NJ the suffrage as a protection and to en-
~ force its exercise against the prevail
=, ing sentiment of the south. The move
49, ment proved to be failure. What re
); mains is the fifteenth amendment t
= the constitution and the right to hav
81 statutes of states specifying qualiflca
70 tons for electors subjected to the ties
10 of compliance with that amendment
a. This is a great protection to the negro
II 1t never will be repealed, and it neve
10 ought to be repealed. If it had no
"A been passed 1t might be difficult nov
no to adopt it, but with it in our funds
- mental law the policy Of southern LEI
bo islation must and will tend to obey 4
Nv and so long as the statutes Of tn
~ states meet the test Of this amend
Nv ment and are not otherwise in col
I'd f1ict with the constitution and laws 9
bo the United States it is not the dispos
vo ton or within the province Of the fet
On eral government to interfere with th
ho regulation by southern states Of the
no domestic affairs.
IN "Neere 10 Now American"
re There is in the south stronger fee
on ing than ever among the intelligen
a well to do and influential element
m. favor of the Industrial education {
oh the negro and the encouragement {
re- the race to make themselves usefl
NO members Of the community. tt
,ly progress which the negro has made
ge the last fifty years from slavery, whe
,al its statistics are reviewed, is marve
90 Gus, and it furnishes every reason
on hope that in the next twenty-five zeal
his a still greater Improvement in his col
itb dition as productive member of 8
-ed | ciety, on the farm and in the shop AZ
,ot in other occupations, may come. IT
negroes are now Americans. The
m ancestors came here years ago again
CO. their will, and this is their only cou
NO try and their only flag. They ha'
1 % hvrn