Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-03-04
TAFT OUTLINES POLICIES IN HIS INAUGURAL ADDRESS


the isthmus.. We must hold up their
hands. and, speaking for. the incoming
administration, l wish to say that /
propose to devote all the energy posi-
BILE and under my control to the push
ing of this work ON the plans which
i have been adopted and to stand behind
the men who are doing faithful hard
work to bring about the early complies
ton Of this the greatest constructive
enterprise of modern times.
Free Trade With Philippines.
| The governments of our Dependent
! cies in Porto Rico and the Philippines
are progressing as favorably as could
be desired. The prosperity of Porto
Rico continues undated. The bust
hess conditions in the Philippines are
not all that we could wish them to be-
but with the passage of the new tariff
| bill permitting free trade between the
United States and the archipelago,
with such limitations in sugar and
tobacco as shall prevent injury to the
| domestic interests on those products,
we can count on an improvement in
business conditions in the Philippines
| and the development of a mutually
profitable trade between this country
and the islands. Meantime our gov
eminent in each dependency is uphold
ing the traditions of civil liberty and
| increasing popular control, which might
be expected under American auspices.
| The work which we are doing there
rebounds to our credit as nation.
Words of Friendship For the South.
I look forward with hope to increas.
ing the already good feeling between
the south and the other sections Of the
country. My chief purpose Is not to
effect change in the electoral vote Of
the southern states. That is a second
airy consideration. What / look for
ward to is an increase in the tolerance
Of POLITICAL views of all kinds and
their advocacy throughout the south
and the existence of a respectable po-
litical opposition in every state-even
more than than this, to an increased
feeling ON the part of all the people in
the south that this government is their
government and that its officers in
1
The Negro Question.
The consideration of this question
cannot, however, be complete and full
without reference to the negro race,
it's progress and its present condition.
The thirteenth amendment secured
them freedom, the fourteenth amend
: ment due process of law, protection
| of property and the pursuit of happf-
ness, and the fifteenth amendment at
tempted to secure the negro against
any deprivation Of the privilege to
vote because he was a negro. The
thirteenth and fourteenth amend
ments have been generally enforced
and have secured the objects for which
they We're intended. While the fif-
teenth amendment has not been gener-
, ally observed in the past, it ought to
, be observed, ard the tendency OF
. southern legislation today is toward
, the enactment Of electoral Qualifica
lions which shall square with that
amendment.
, No Repeal Of Fifteenth Amendment.
: OF course the mere adoption Of a
: constitutional law is only one step in
, the right direction. 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
irresponsible element can be prevent.
ed by constitutional laws which shall
exclude from voting both negroes and
: whites not having education or other
, qualifications thought to be necessary
| oil tn a
: Of the control of an ignorant electorate
: has therefore passed. With this change
{ the interest which many of the south
e ern white citizens take in the welfare
l Of the negroes has increased. The col
g ored men must base their hope on the
results of their own industry, self re
straint, thrift and business success as
t well as upon the aid and comfort and
; sympathy which they may receive
: from their white neighbors of the
I south. There was a time when north
r erners who sympathized with the ne
n gro in his necessary struggle for bet
Y ter conditions sought to give to hin
i the suffrage as a protection and to en-
: force its exercise against the prevail
t ing sentiment of the SOUTH The move
e ment proved to be a failure. What re
e mains is the fifteenth amendment t,
It the constitution and the right to hav,
b statutes of states specifying qualifica
e tons for electors subjected to the ties
d Of compliance with that amendment
e This is great protection to the negro
+ 1t never will be repealed, and it neve
e ought to be repealed. If it had no
v been passed it might be difficult nov
4 to adopt 1t. but with it in our funda
v mental law the policy of southern leg
d islation must and will tend to obey II
e and so long as the statutes of tn
e states meet the test of this amend
=, ! mont and arc nor OfhprwiSo in cOu