The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1910-06-23

tion weakened enforcement Of law.
The negro race is to all intents crd
purpose an ignorant and vicious race.
What has made the race thus ignorant
and vicious we are not TO suggest. We
are discussing conditions, not causes.
The grave conditions that confront our
elaborate is a race devoid of sufficient
ieniightment TO use ballot intelligent
ly. when that ballot represents at all
times the emblem Of sovereignty.
What can be the future Of popular gov
ernment when there are thousands of
|illiterate voters, the ballot Of any one
being sufficient to nullify the ballot
Of our most intelligent statesman?
If the negro is capable Of self-gov.
|ernment then the history of the ages
lis a repetition of lies. From Rama
ses to Roosevelt no negro nation has
ever been given to the world. The
race has never established single
dynasty. It has never produced a
Isingle warrior 1t has never Termed
lor known a government of any char
acter and the only authority It has ever
acknowledge, has been the authority
of some alien race.
| If the negro is incapable of self-gov-
Iernment, then is he capable of gov
lerning some one else? Should a race
that has demonstrated its own govern
mental incapacity be entrusted with
partial powers of governing Its own
land other races? This is the power
given the incapable and illiterate negro
race when it is given unrestricted pow
Ier OF suffrage.
Not only is illiterate negro suffrage
dangerous at all times, but it is es-
Ipecially dangerous at the present time.
| In certain sections of Oklahoma the
NEGRO race already equals or exceeds
| in number the Caucasian race. In such
sections they are already organizing
flor the purpose of electing negro pub
llic officials. They do not organize for
1.-THE advancement or maintenance of
lany political or economic principle.
Their only purpose is to put in power
the most illiterate race of our cosmo-
lpolitan citizenship, and race that five
Thousand years of history has shown
| to be utterly incapable of self-govern-
ment. The only section on the face
of the globe where there is danger to
lAnglo-Saxon ascendancy is in certain
counties in Oklahoma.
The danger is also aggravated at
this time by the unprecedented tide
Iof negro immigration to Oklahoma.
| Thousands of negroes Of the illiterate
class are pouring into the east side
every month. They come animated
Iby the hope of negro equality. In al
most every southern state their race
lis practically disfranchised. They are
looming to Oklahoma seeking the power
of suffrage. Negro agents and negro
preachers encouraged by Booker T.
Washington are diligently canvassing
1.-THE south, urging the negroes to come
to Oklahoma When we consider the
number of negroes in the south we can
hardly over-estimate the seriousness
of the present danger.
| To safeguard the state against the
aforementioned evils this constitution
al amendment has been proposed. Its
avowed purpose is to curtail illiterate
NEGRO suffrage, TO prevent negro as
cendeney, and incidentally, to dis
courage negro immigration That
Estates have the power to adopt such
measures cannot be questioned Thai
this identical amendment is legal il
demonstrated by the constitution O
North Carolina, and that the necessity
for the amendment exists is seen il
the illiterate rabble now invading ou
Estate.
Nor can it be established that thu
proposed amendment is unfair or I'm
Iiust to the negro The negro bred il
the days of slavery, who is not yet abl
to read or write, has not sufficient in
telligence to be a competent voter Thl
negro bred since the emancipation
who has not learned to read and writ
is in no sense worthy of suffrage pow
er We would place an embargo OF
negro illiteracy. We would help hin
by taking from his hands a dangerou
ballot, useless to himself and danger
GUS to others.
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