Gainesville daily sun. (Gainesville, Fla.) 190?-1938, 1909-05-04
The BEARD RESOLUTION.

Tie IlMes-t Iiun q lasf SaturGa.
comments as follows upon the uropoa.
cd suffrage amendment Co the consti.
tuition which passed the state senate
last week and g. nov before the
House:
when resolution was introduced
in the Florida Senate proposing the
Acknowledgement uf the negro. to. the
purpose % testing the Consti'utiouality
70 the fifteenth amendment. We iid
not express any opinion abol' 10. for
The Times.Uuion is not in me habit
of fghting vindmills. but striuE' 60
say the Senate has adopted that I,ao-
lutlon. and the adoption by the Sen.
ate makes Il a matter worthy Of no.
tice. Il becomes the duty Of every
Florida paper 20 try u save the Stat.
from the shame which would attach
tC such an utter piece OF folly on a,
part OF the Legislature.
II; there IS a paper published any
where on earth that g. Llore enti..ly
Southern than The Times-Union We
have never seen H. OJr readers
know that no paper Is quicker 10 TO-
sent any injustice to the South ard
none shows greater pride m TIE his
tory. the achievements. the maLhooc
81 the Southern people.
1t Is not inconsistent with This
love Of the South, but a part 81 Il,
% bitterly oppose anything that
tends 20 revive sectional animositiCs
Our people have passed through the
fire. but they have come Out Of Il
triumphant so far as home rule is
The North nov stands
aside and leaves the settlement, OF
Southern questions 70 the white men
Of the South. without a protest.
But there Is a class az the South
thank God they are few-whO grow !
more belligerent as the North grows |
more pacific. When the Republican |
party trusted 90 the bloody shirt FIR |
lbs victories; when IL trea. a hatred |
Df the South as its chief political as
set; when il was trying 70 force ne
gro domination on the SOuth-then
was the time. II ever. 10 fight back.
Put our firebrands were then not Hglt-
"a. Now when peace reigns and the
ghOle nation Is pleased that the South
srn white man is I'm control Of his
home affairs; when We have a Presi.
tent who is IN closer sympathy with
he South than any President has
been in fifty years. the call 10 arms
s. sounded. The warriors go out -
ight after the fight is over.
But II We take only a unitarian
rev OF this question. the passage OF /
his resolution would be- iuconCeiy-
bly, foolish. Why do we wish 10 dis.
Ianchise the negro. In Florida TO any
greater extent than his ignorance has
.lrCady disfranchised him? From the
;scambia 20 Florida KEYS. from con
table TO Governor. what official has
he elected? What policy has he in
ears forced on the State or ON any /
ouuty OF the Statce The passage of /
his resolution would not rob tha ue. h
.ro OF political power for d. has .
lone. II would only sound the tocsin
hat would call the Norih to arms
md array it once more 90 solid ranks
.glinst the South o. would reopen /.
fight that We have already won;
{ would place IN jeopardy % victory
hat We have already gained
We endured negO suffrage when
q vas causing disaster aud ruin. bgt
PEE passed through that to a period of
gain. and now wc0,sh 60 throw away
Dee gain
DO the gentlemen who ar. die
.ussiug this question not know that
he South gained fifteen Representa-.
ives in Congress and fifteen electoral
.otos by the Acknowledgement Of tho
negroes. and that We would lose moe
han that number now DO they We're
lisfranchised? Before the negroes
become voters the South had only
There IS more catarrh 100 thIs src-