The advocate. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1901-1913, 1911-02-16
BY THE PEOPLE POSTPONED BY
- ROOTS FoRGEFUL ADDRESS -
"AGIN" THE BILL.
Negro Bars the Way
south unwilling to cndangcr its cher.
1shed grandfather clause. vii! vote
against submitting GonstiGntionat,
amendment. -.~.. -..a-... :
(Thompson's National News Du-

reau.)
| Washington, D. c., Feb. 16-The
great speech of Senator. Elihu Root.
or New York, last Saturday, in op-
position to the election, of United
States Senators by direct vote of the
people, has turned the tide against
the Borah bill, and there is every in
dlcation that the -. movement to
change the method of choosing men-
bers OF the Upper House of Congress
us gone a-gltmmering: And all be-
tcause OF the 2emni present. race prob
lem.''' '''.. ...i g.
+ The Southern Senators and the
progressive Republicans were
practically unanimous for the direct
election method until Senator South
erland injected an innocent-lookine
amendment the effect Of which was
TO give Congress the power of super-
V1slng the elections, displacing that
portion OF the Borah bill which nro-
TVfdeu that the States should have on
tire control of the elections, The
southern Senators saw at once that
the -Southerland amendment placed
IN jeopardy their pet schemes of dis
franchisement by randfo+har
clauses" and other, restrictive Do
vlces' and all at once, with "a pros
pect OF the. passage of the samend-
ment staring them in the IA ce, the
aroor or the South for, popular cleo
tloh or Senators cooled to a 'IipoiiLnt
several degrees below zero. What
'leVer Improvement the direct method
might nave over the present sybtem
Vahlsheo into. thin air the moment
hhere: game a. menace to the, nolicies
oy which the white South has main
tanned Its power. The speech nf
senator Depew foreshadowed fbe
standpat' position. of the northern
senators of the "Qld school," and it
lellalned ony for Senator Root To
palt the. "progressives" with his
mastery address of last Friday and
iorce show of hands and minds on
the measure, plus the Sutl1Krland
amendment. Although there ,fs mo-
| \,
thlng OF the old "force bill" IN
Cne sutherland clause, the South
thlnks 1t paves the way toward q
dangerous authority for the federal
government, and they are afraid #
carries a charge Of dynamite encased
iiin tlnsel covering. They are
AFRAID of it, and it is dollars tn
doughnuts that they will dodge tho
issue and allow the Senator's to no
CHOSEN in the usual fashion. If does
seem mat no question can ever be
ueclded on its intrinsic merits when
there is injected into it the SLIGHTEST
%1avor Of the race problem "
| Senator Root has been warm1v
congratulated by whites and blacks
upon MS stalwart defense of the
powers of the federal government
ana upon the rare courage displayed
oy. a leading Republican in unbold-
ing. the virile policies that made tho
parry strong from its infancy. Many
letters have come to the eminent
NE" Yorker from Negroes all over
the country, p1'aising the stand bo
mas tahen and requests by the
scores have been made for the fu,I
text or his speech, that it. NAV he
s1udled carefully and preserved for
Senator said: u
II the Republican party Is. to
MAINTAIN it's hold upon the co,ored
vote OF the country, it's leaders must
stand up as you are doing for tho
old-fashioned principles of Lincoln
ana Grant, who fought for the ink
.esrlty or the nation and for civil
.oeTty or the purest kind. It must
nave the courage Of its convictions.
ana place right above expediencV, in
oealng with the people. The Negro
llaS always stood UP for his friends
no Will continue to do so, but #
must be made clear to him inst who
are his friends. Party names do,no+
mean today what they meant twenty
I'VE years ago, and the men who So
cure the suffrage Of my race must
prove by words and deeds that thew
are true to the ideals that moved
patrlots to, battle for four long years
III the 1r defense, and that the fruits
" that war, ,crystallized in the 18Th.
l4th and 18th amendments. shall
not De sold away for mess OF not
tage." p''0
From the speeches Of Senators
Root, DeDew and Lodge on various
phases OF the Senatorial question.
ana the stif stand Of President Taft
for reciprocity with Canda and
against the peonage infamy. it would
seem that the campaign Of 1912 IS
taxing shape, and from now on there
Will doubtless be music In the air. "
v>a~-~~"sa-s~~~-a~Sr~~r