The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1909-03-04
rebounds to our credit as q nation.

rebounds to our credit as d nation.
Words OF Friendship For the South.
look forward with hope to increas
ing the already good feeling between
the south and the other sections Of the
country. Ny chief purpose Is not t.
erect q 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 respectable po
Htical 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 theil
government and that its officers In
their states are their officers.
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 happi-
ness, and the fifteenth amendment at.
tempted to secure the negro against
any deprivation Of the privilege to
vote because he was negro. The
thirteenth and fourteenth amend.
ments have been generally enforced
and have secured the objects for which
they were intended. While the fif.
tenth amendment has not been gener-
ally observed in the past, it ought to
be observed, and 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. It must be fairly
! and justly enforced as well. In time
both will come. Hence 1t 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
for a proper electorate. The danger
Of the control Of an ignorant electorate
has therefore passed. With this change
the interest which many Of the south
ern white citizens take In the welfare
Of the negroes has increased The col
Ored men must base their hope on the
results Of their own industry, self re-
straint, thrift and business success as
well as upon the aid and comfort and
sympathy which they may receive
from their white neighbors of the
south. There was time when north
erners who sympathized with the ne
gro in his necessary struggle for bet
ter conditions sought to give to him
the suffrage as protection and to en-
force its exercise against the prevail
Ing sentiment of the south. The move
ment proved to be failure. What re
mains is the fifteenth amendment to
the constitution and the right to have
statutes Of states specifying qualifica-
tons for electors subjected to the test
of compliance with that amendment.
This is a great protection to the negro.
It never will be repealed, and it never
ought to be repealed If it had not
been passed itsmight be difficult now
to adopt It, but with it in our funda-
mental law the;policy Of southern leg
islation must and will tend to obey It,
and so long as the statutes Of the
states meet. the test Of this amend
ment and are not otherwise In con-
| f1ict with the constitution and laws of
the United States it is not the DISPOSE
ton or within the. province of the fed
eral government to Interfere with the
regulation by southern states Of their
domestic affairs.
"Negro Is Now American"
There is in the south a stronger feel
ing than ever among the Intelligent,
well to do and influential element in
favor Of the Industrial education Of
the negro and the encouragement Of
the race to make themselves useful
members Of the community. The
progress which the negro has made in
the last fifty years from slavery, when
Its statistics are reviewed, Is marvel
Gus, and it furnishes every reason to
hope that in the next twenty five years
still greater Improvement In his con.
dttion as productive member Of So
ciety, on the farm and in the shop and
In other occupations, may come. The
negroes are now Americans Their
ancestors came here years ago against
their will, and this is their emily coun-
try and their only flag. They have
shown themselves anxious to live for
It and to die for 1t. Encountering the
race feeling against them, subjected
at times to cruel injustice growing out
Of II, they may well have our prof
sympathy and aid in the struggle they
are making. We are charged with the
sacred duty Of making their path as
smooth and easy as we can. Any
recognition Of their distinguished men,
any appointment to Office from among
their number, IS properly taken as an
encouragement and an appreciation Of
their progress, and this just policy
shall be pursued.
The Appoin of Negroes.
But it may well admit OF doubt
whether in case Of any race an APP
pointment Of one Of their number to
local Office In a community in which.
the race feeling is so widespread and
acute as to interfere with the ease and
facility with which the local govern.
ment business can be done by the ap-