The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1909-03-11
PRESIDENT TAFT'S
SOUTHERN POLICY
Extract From inaugural Address as to Attitude
Regarding Negro Appointments.

A\S6SAA
/ look forward with hope to in
creasing the already good feeling be-
tween the South and the other Sec
tions of the country. My chief pur-
pose is not to effect a change in the
electoral vote of the Southern States.
That is a secondary consideration.
What | look forward to is an in
crease in the tolerance of political
views of all kinds and their advocacy
throughout the South, and the exist
ence of a respectable political oppo-
sition in every State; even more than
this, to ar increased feeling on the
part of all the people in the South
that this government is their gov
ernment, and that it's officers in their
States are their officers.
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 18th amendment Sc
cured them freedom; the 14th
amendment due process of law, pro-
tection of property and the pursuit
of happiness; and the 18th amend
ment attempted to secure the negro
against any deprivation of the privi-
|lege to vote because he was a negro.
The 18th and 14th amendments have
been generally enforced and have
secured the objects for which they
were intended. While the 18th
amendment has not been generally
observed in the past, 1t ought to be
observed, and the tendency of South
ern legislation to-day is toward the
enactment of electoral qualifications
which shall square with that amend
ment. 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 we'll.
In time both will come. Hence it is
clear to all that the domination OF
an 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 con-
troll 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 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 time
when Northerners who sympathized
with the negro in his necessary
struggle for better conditions sought
to give him the suffrage as a protec-
ton, and to enforce it's exercise
against the prevailing sentiment of
the South.
The movement proved to be fail
uro What remains is the 18th
amendment to the constitution and
the right to have statutes of States
specifying qualifications for electors
subjected 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 funda-
mental law, the policy of Southern
legislation must and will tend to
obey it, and so long as the statutes
of the States 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 nor within the
province of the Federal government
to interfere with the regulation by
Southern States of their domestic
affairs. There is in the South a
stronger feeling than ever among
the intelligent, well-to-do and influ-
entail element in favor of the indus
trial education of the negro and the
encouragement of the race to make
themselves useful members of the
community. The progress that the
negro has made in the last fifty
years from slavery, when it's statis-
tics are reviewed, is marvellous, and
it furnishes every reason to hope
that in the next twenty-five years a
still greater improvement in his con-
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