Los Angeles herald., 1909-03-05

ment secured them freedom; the
fourteenth amendment due process
of law, protection of property and
the pursuit of happiness; and the
fifteenth amendment attempted to
secure the negro against any dep
rivation of the privilege to vote, be-
cause he was negro. The thir-
teenth and fourteenth amendments
have been generally enforced and
have secured the objects for which
they were intended. While the fif-
tenth amendment has not been
generally observed in the past, it
ought to be observed, and the tend
ency of southern legislation today
is toward the enactment of electoral
qualifications which shall square
with that amendment. OF course,
the adoption of a constitutional law
is only one step in the right direc-
ton. 1t must be fairly and justly
enforced as well. In time both will
come. Hence it is clear to all that
the domination of an ignorant, ir-
responsible element can be prevent
ed by constitutional laws which
shall exclude from voting both ne
groes and whites not having educa-
ton or other qualifications thought
to be necessary for a proper electo-
rate. The danger of the control of
an ignorant electorate has therefore
passed. With this change, the in
terest which many of the southern
white citizens take in the welfare
of the negroes has increased. The
colored men must base their hope
on the result of their own industry.
self-restraint, thrift and business
success, as we'll as upon the aid and
comfort and sympathy which they
may receive from their white neigh
bors of the south. There was a time
when northerners who sympathized
with the negro in his necessary
struggle for better conditions
sought to give him the suffrage as
a protection, and to enforce it's ex-
ercise against the prevailing senti-
ment of the south. The movement
proved to be a failure. /. What re-
mains is the fifteenth amendment
to the constitution and the right to
have the statutes of states specify
ing qualifications for electors sub
jected 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never will be repealed, and it never
ought to be repealed.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 it had not
been passed, it might be difficult
now to adopt it; but with it in our
fundamental law, the policy of
southern legislation must and will
tend to obey it, and so long as the
statutes meet the test of this
amendment and are not otherwise
in conflict with the constitution and
laws of the United States. it is not
the disposition or within the prov
ince of the federal government to
interfere with the regulation by
southern states of their domestic
affairs.
Careful with Appointments
But it may we'll 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 case and facility with
which the local government bust
ness can be done by the appointee,
is of sufficient benefit by way of en-
couragement to the race to out
weigh the recurrence and increase
of race feeling which such an APP
pointment is likely to engender.
Therefore, the executive, in recog-
nizing the negro race by appoint
ments, must exercise a careful dis
erection 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 Individual political ambition.
Personally have not the slightest
race prejudice or feeling, and rec
IGNITION of its existence only awak-
ems in my heart 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 prevent. 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