The Topeka state journal., 1909-03-04

SiAH StcStOrdte mas therefore passed.
with this change, the interest which
many of the southern white citizens
take IN the welfare Of the negroes has
increased: The colored men must base
Lneir nope on the results of their own
inodstry, Sef-restraint thrift and bus
mess, success, as well as upon the aid
anu comfort and sympathy which
they may receive from their white
neishoors of the south. There was a
tlfne when northerners who sympa-
thized with the negro in his necessary
struggle for better conditions sought
70 give him the suffrage as a protec-
tion, and to enforce it's exercise against
the prevailing sentiment of the south.
Ihe movement proved to be a failure.
What remains is the fifteenth
amendment to the constitution and |
the right to have statutes of states
specifying qualifications for electors
subjected to the test of compliance
with that amendment. This Is great
protection to the negro It never will
be repealed, and it never ought to be
repealed. If it had not been passed, |
1T might be difficult now to adopt 1t; |
but with 1t in our fundamental law,
the policy of southern legislation must
and will tend to obey it, and so long
as the statutes of the states meet the
test of this amendment and are not
otherwise in conflict with the constitu
ton and laws of the United States, 1t
is not the disposition or within the
province of the federal government
to interfere with the regulation by
southern states OF their domestic
affairs
Education of the Negro.
There Is In the south stronger
feeling that ever among the. intel
ligent, we1l-te~do and influential ele-
ment In favor of the Industrial educa-
tien Of the negro and the encourage
Tnent OF the race to make themselves
useful members of the community.
The progress which the negro has
slavery, when its statistics are re-
viewed, is marvellous, and it furnishes
every reason to hope that in the next
twenty-five years a still greater dm-
provement In his condition as a pro-
ductive member of society, 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 country and
their only flag. They have shown
themselves anxious to live for it and
to die for 1t. Encountering the. race
feeling against them, subjected at
times to cruel injustice growing out of
pathy and aid in the struggle they are
making. We are charged with the
sacred duty Of making their path as
smooth and easy as we can. Any
men, any appointment to office from
among their number, is properly
taken as an encouragement, and an
appreciation of their progress, and
this just policy shall be pursued.
But 1t may well admit of doubt
whether. In the case of any race, an
appointment of one of their number
to a local Office in a community in
which the race feeling is so wide
spread and acute as to interfere with
the ease and facility with which the
local government business can be done
by the appointee, is of sufficient bene-
ht by way of encouragement to the
race to outweigh the recurrence and
increase of race feeling which such
an appointment is likely to engender.
Therefore, the executive, in recogniz-
must exercise a careful discretion not
thereby to do it more harm than
good. On the other hand we must
be careful not to encourage the mere
in the interest of individual political
ambition.
Has No Race Prejudice.
Personally I have not the slightest
race prejudice or feeling, and recog-
milton of its existence only awakens
in my heart a deeper sympathy for
those who have to bear it or suffer
from it, and 1 question the wisdom of
a policy which is likely to increase it.
Meantime if nothing is done to pre-
vent, a better feeling between the
negroes and the whites in the south
will continue to grow, and more and
more of the white people will come to
realize that the future of the south
is to be much benefited by the indus
trial and intellectual progress of the
negro. The exercise of political fran
chises by those of his race who are
intelligent and well to do will be
acQuiesced in, and the right to vote
will be withheld only from the ignor-
ant and irresponsible of both races.
There is one other mater to which
I shall refer. 1t was made the sub
ject of great controversy during the
election, and calls for at least pass
ing reference now. My distinguished
predecessor has given much attention
to the cause of labor, with whose
struggle for better things he has
shown the sincerest sympathy. At his
instance, congress has passed the bill
fixing the liability of interstate carriers
to their employees for injury sustained
in the course of employment, abolish
ing the rule of fellow servant and the
common law rule as to contributory
negligence, and substituting therefor
the socalled rule of comparative neg