The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-03-05

ignorant Irresponsible element can be prevented by constitutional laws which shall exclude from voting both negroes and whites not having education or other qualifications thought to be necessary for proper electorate. The danger of the control of an ignorant electorate has 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 their hope on the results of their own in dustry. self-restraint, thrift and busi- and comfort and sympathy which they may receive from their white neigh bors of the South. There was a time when Northerners who sympathize ed with the negro in his necessary struG- gle for better conditions sought to give to him the suffrage as a protec- ton, and to enforce its exercise against the prevailing sentiment of the south. Tbe movement proved to be a failure. What remains is the 18th Amendment to the Constitution and the right to have statutes of states speci- flying qualifications for electors sub that amendment. This Is a great pro lection to the negro. It never will be repealed. and 1t never ought to be re- pealed. If 1t had not been passed, 1t with 1t in our fundamental law. the policy of Southern legislation must and will tend to obey 1t. and so long as the statutes of the states meet the test of this amendment and are not otherwise in conflict with the constitu- tion 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 South ern states of their domestic affairs There Is in the South a stronger l feeling than ever among the fntelli- | gent well-to-do and influential ele- l in "a of no o1 adt tion of the negro and the encourage ment of the race to make themselves useful members of the community The progres which the negro has made when its statistics are reviewed. is marvellous. and 1t furnishes every reason to hope that in the next twenty, five years a still greater Improvement 1 In his condition as a productive mem Der of society, on the farm. and in the shop and In other occupations. may | come. The negroes are now Ameri' cans. Their ancestors came here years only country and their only flag They have shown themselves anxious to live for it and to die for 1t. En- countering the race feeling agains them, subjected at times to cruel 1njus
 tice growing out of it. they may well have our profound sympathy and ait | in the struggle they are making. w are charged with the sacred duty o
 
 as we can. And recognition of theil distinguished men. any appointment tt office from among their number II properly taken as an encouragement and this Just policy shall be pur | sued.
 Feeling For Negroes.
 But it may we'll admit of doub
 whether, in the case of any race, ar appointment of one of their number tC a local office In a community in whicf the race feeling Is so widespread anC acute as to interfere with the ease ant
 facility with which the local govern
 ment business can be done by the ap
 pointee, is not of sufficient benefit b. way of encouragement to the race t' outweigh the recurrence and increase o
 race feeling which such an appoint
 ment is likely to engender Therefore
 negro race by appointments mus
 exercise a careful discretion not there
 by to do 1t more harm than good. Or the other hand we must be careful no race feeling manufactured In the inter est of individual political ambition.
 Personally l have not the slightes
 race prejudice or feeling, and recogni my heart deeper sympathy for thos
 who have to bear 1t Or suffer from fl
 and I question the wisdom of a polio which Is likely to increase 1t. Mean
 time If nothing is done to prevent
 better feeling between the negroes an the whites in the South will continue to grow, and more and more of tn white people will come to realize tha the future of the South is to be mucl
 benefited by the industrial and inte! lectual progress of the negro. Tn exercise of political franchises b those of his race who are intelligen and weII-to-do will be acQuiescej IT. and the right to vote will be withheld only from the ignorant and irrespon
 sible of both races.
 '"There is one other matter to whic } shall refer. It was made the sub } ject of great controversy during tn election. and calls for at least a pass , ing refernce now. My distinguishe predecessor has given much attentio ' to the cause of labor, with who's struggle for better things he ha