Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-03-05

cies in Porto Rico and the Philippines
are progressing as favorably as could
be desired The prosperity of Porto
Rico continues undated. The business
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 mutually
profitable trade between this country
and the islands. Meantime our gov
eminent in each dependency is uphold
ig the traditions of civil liberty and in
creasing popular control which might
be expected under American auspices.
The work which we are doing there re-
bounds to our credit as a nation.
1 look forward with hope to incrcas-
ing the already good feeling between
the South and the other sections of the
country. My chief purpose is not to
SllcCI u SlidIlSc III lilC SItStOloi NolS VI
the Southern States. That is a sec
ondary consideration. What 1 look
forward to is an increase in the toler-
arce 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 this, to an increased feel
ing On the part of all the people in the
South that this government is their
government, and that it's officers in
their states are their officers.
The consideration of this question cam
not, however, be complete and full with
progress and it's present condition. The
18th Amendment secured them freedom ;
the 14th Amendment due process of law
protection of property and the pursuit
of happiness; and the 18th Amendment
attempted to secure the negro against
any deprivation of the privilege to vote,
because he was a negro. The 18th ard
18th Amendments have been generally en-
forced and have secured the objects for
which they were intended. While the
18th Amendment has not been generally
observed in the past it ought TO be OBJ
served, and the tendency of Southern
legislation today is toward the enact
ment of electoral qualifications which
shall square with that amendment. Of
course, the mere adoption of a constitu-
tional 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
domino ton of an ignorant irresponsible
element can be prevented by constitu-
tional laws which shall exclude from
voting both negroes and whites not hav-
ing education or other qualifications
thought to be necessary for a proper cleo
torate. 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 in
creased. The colored men must base
their hope on the results of their own in
dustry, self-restraint, 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 a time when North
| erners who sympathiZed with the negro
| in his necessary struggle for better con-
! ditons sought to give to him the suf-
| frage as n protection, and to enforce it's
exercise against the prevailing sentiment
of the South. The movement proved to
/ be a failure What remains is the 18th
! Amendment to the Constitution and the
/ right to have statutes of states specify
! ing qualifications for electors subjected
to the test of cOmDliance 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 legis-
lation must and will tend to obey it, and
so long as the statutes of the States
met the test of this amendment and are
not otherwise in conflict with the con-
stitution and laws of the United States.
II is not the disposition or within the
province of the Federal Government to
interfere with the regulation by Southern
states of their domestic affairs. There is
in the South stronger feeling than ever
among the intelligent. well-to-do and in
flunntial element in favor of the indus
trial education of the negro and the en-
couragement of the race to make them
selves useful members of the community
The progress which the negro has made
in the last so years from slavery, when
its statistics are reviewed, is marvellous.
and it furnishes every reason to hope that
in the next % years still greater i'm
provement in his condition as a produc-