Arizona republican., 1909-03-05
4 PLEDGE OF PROSPERITY
Continued from page 8

| meet the test or tlllS amendment ana
 are not otherwise in conflict with the
 constitution and laws of the United States, it is not the disposition or within the province of the federal
 government to interfere with the reg
 ulation by southern states of their domestic affairs. There is in the south stronger feeling than ever
 among the intelligent, we'll to-do and influential element in favor of the
 industrial education of 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 fifty years from slavery, when it's statis tics are reviewed, is marvellous, and i it furnishes every reason to hope that lin the next twenty-five years a still
 greater improvement in his condition
 as productive 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 it. En- icountering the race feeling against
 them subjected at times to cruel in- justice growing out of it, they may we'll have our profound sympathy
 and aid in the struggle they are mak- ! ing We are charged with the sacred
 duty of making their path as smooth
 and easy as we can. Any recogni- tion of their distinguished men, any apointment to office from among their number, is properly taken as an encouragement, and an appreciation of their progress, and this last pol fey shall be pursued.
 But it may well admit of doubt whether, in the case of any race, an appointment of one of their number to 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 the local government business can be done by the appointee, is of sufficient benefit by way of encouragement to the race to outweigh the recurrence and increase of race feeling which such an appointment is likely to en- gender. Therefore, the executive, in recognizing the negro race by ap-
 
 discretion not thereby to do it more harm than good. On the other hand we must be careful not to encourage the mere pretense of race feeling manufactured in the interest of in- dividual political ambition.
 Personally l have not the slightest race prejudice or feeling, and recOgni ton of its existence only awakens in
 f,- those who have to bear it or suffer from it, and I question the wisdom of q policy which is likely to increase it. Meantime, if nothing is done to prevent it, 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 industrial and intellectual pro- gress of the negro. The exercise of political franchises 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 ignorant and irresponsible of both races.
 The Cause of Labor.
 There is one other matter to which I shall refer. It was made the sub ject of great controversy during the election, and calls for at least a pas sing reference now. My distinguished predecessor has given much atten- ton to the cause of labor with whose struggle for better things he has shown the sincerest sympathy. At hic cororraer bac uaccad 10 bill fixing the liability of interstate carriers to their employees for injury sustained in the course of employ ment, abolishing the rule of fellow servant and the common law rule as to contributary negligence, and sub stituting therefor the so-calied rule of comparative negligence. It has also passed a law fixing the compen- sation of government employees for injuries sustained in the employment of the government through the negli- gence of the superior. It also passed model child labor law for the Dis trict of Columbia. In previous ad- ministratiOns an arbitration law for interstate commerce railroads aI.> their employees, and laws for the ap- plication of safety devices to save the l lives and limbs of employees of inter state railroads had been passed. Ad- ! ditional legislation of this kind was passed by the outgoing congress.
 l wish to say that in so far as } can, I hope to promote the enactment l of further legislation of this charact- | CT. l am strongly convinced that the | government should make itself as re- | sponsible to employees injured in it's | employ as an interstate railway cor | poration is made responsible by feder | al law to it's employees; and I shall be | glad, whenever any additional reason | able safety device can be invented to | reduce the loss of life and limb among | railway employees, to urge congress to | require it's adoption by interstate rail- ways.
 Another labor question has arisen which has awakened the most excited | That is in respect to the power of the federal courts to issue injunctions in industrial disputes. As to that, my convictions are fixed. Take away from courts, if it could be taken away, the power to issue in functions in labor disputes, and it would create a privileged class among the laborers and save the lawleSs