The Cairo bulletin., 1909-03-05

only one sreh :-"tne right uIrectc1.
II must be fairly and justly enforced
as we'll In time both win come
Hence it is clear to all that the dom
ination of an ignorant. irresponsible
element can be prevented by consti
tutional laws which shall exclude from
voting both negroes and whites not
having education or other qualifca
tons thought TO be necessary for
proper electorate, The danger or 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
colored man must base their hope on
the results of their own industry, 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 time when north
erners who syIADathiZed with the ne
gro in his necessary struggle for bet
ter conditions sought to give TO him
the suffrage as a protection, ana to
enforce its exercise against the pre-
yailing 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 specifying
qualifications for electors subjected to
~.
amendment This is a great protec-
ton to the negro. Ii will never be re
pealed. and it never ought to be re
pealed If it had not been PASSED, it
might be difficult now to adopt it; but
with II in our fundamental 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 conati
tuition 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 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. Toe
progress which the negro has made in
the last so years from slavery, when
its statistics are reviewed is marvel
Gus, and it furnishes every reason to
hone that In the next % years sill
greater Improvement in his condition
as a productive member of society. 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 only country
and their only flag They have shown
themselves anxious to live for 1t and
willing to die for it, Euc0urtefing
the race feeling against them. SUBJ
jected at times to cruel injustice grow
ing out Of 1t. they may wen have i IT
profound sympathy and aid In the
struggle they are making. We are
charged with the sacred duty of MAX
ing their path as smooth and e9sy
as we can. Any recognition Of their
distinguished mon. any appointment
to Office from among their number, Is
properly taken as an announcement,
and an appreciation Of their proBrts8,
and this just policy shall be pursued.
Coming Era of Better Feeling
Between Whites and Negroes.
But it may well admit of doubt
whether in the case of any race, an
appointment of one Of their number
to local Office in a community in
which the race feeling is 80 wide
spread and acute as to interfere with
the ease and facility with which the
local government business can be
done by the appointee is OF sufficient
benefit by way of encouragement 10
the race to outweigh the recurrence
and increase of race feeling with such
an appointment Is likely TO enGender.
Therefore, the executive, In reCoBnlZ'
ing the negro race by appointments,
must exercise a careful discretion not
thereby to do II more harm than good,
On the other hand we must be careful
not to encourage the mere preten5e
of race feeling manufactured In the In
terest OF individual political ambition.
Personally | have not the slightest
race prejudice or feeling, and recogni-
ton OF its existence only awaaens In
my heart a deeper sympathy for those
who have to bear IL or suffer from IL.
and | question the wisdom of policy
which Is likely 10 increase IT, Mean
time, II nothing is done TO prevent,
better feeling between the negroes
and the whites IN the south will con-
tinue Ia grow, and more and more OF
the white people will come 10 realize
that the future OF the south is to be
much benefited by The industrial and
intellectual prngr"es IT tho "-'rr