The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1911-03-02

dHCcS OI oeHdtOE ROOt Oh I've" IOFks
Idaho :Senator :Speaks Bold Truth
About the Race Questior-Negro is
Used as a FootbaII-North Friend TO
Negro at Long Distance.
Thomas J Pence in News and Observer
Washington, ID. e., Feb. 16.-The
bravest and most courageous speech
TO which a Republican has given Ut
terance in Congress since the Civil
War, fell from the lips OF Senator
BOrah, of Idaho, in the Senate today
in behalf of his resolution looking to
the 81, ctiOn of Senators hy popular
vote 1t was a masterlY effort, elO-
gu-nt and logically fnTcefuI in its ar
rnignment OF the hlpOCritical atti-
tud" of tie Republican party toward
the negro.
Mr.. Burah unmasked Elihu Root,
who, III desperation, waved the
bloody shirt to accomplish the defeat
of the popular election OF Senators.
He showed the true, inwardness Of
the SOuthprland amendment to give
the Federal government contro! of
the Senatorial elections and he did
30 in an amazingly frank way that
attracted the admiration of the Sena-
tors from the South. Senator BOrah
is the biggest man intellectually on
the Republican side of the Senate
and he showed today that he takes
rank with Senator Bailey as the fore
most of Congressional orators and
dpbaters.
Mr.. Burah's discussion Of negro
suffrage threw the old-line Repub-
licans i'll the Senate in II panic,
and not one of them dared reply or
even attempt TO interrupt him.
Among other things the brilliant
Idaho Senator said: II do not know
how long the North is going to play
the hypOcrite or the moral coward
on this negro question. 1t is always
assumed, when we come to discussion
of the negro question, that there is a
superiority of wisdom and OF judg
ment and CT virtue and tolerance i'll
the North with reference to dealing
With that question than is found i'll
other parts of the country. Call the
roll of States in this Senate chamber
where they have negro population
and present the record with reference
to the manner in WHICH the North
has dealt with this question, and
tell me what authority any one has
to stand upon the floor of the Senate
and ohide any part Of this body as
to the manner In which it sees tit to
deal with this question.
"The Northern States exhibited
the same animOsity, the same race
prejudice and race hatred that has
been developed in other parts of the
Union. While | know this will CRATE
upon the feelings of some. since the
question has been raised in this cham
Der, propose to vote as the Senator
from New York said we should-in
regard to this matter
eve have burned negroes at the
stake, our Northern lands are cursed
with race war; we push him to the
outer edge of the industrial world;
we exhibit toward him the same in
tolerance as they do in other parts
of the land and in the same way.
have not a particle of doubt II we had
to deal with this subject in all its
wide spread ramifcation as Others
have to deal with it, Judging from
what happens in Colorado and Illi-
nOis and in numerous other States,
we should exhibit the equalities and
the weaknesses and the same intOler-
ance that others have been chldeQ on
the floor of the Senate chamber with
possessing
"Secondiy, want to ask my friends
who have raised the question of pro-
tecting the negro of the South, and
who assert that we have the power
under section 4 to deal with the sub
ject, want to ask why we do not
exercise the power If We have it. We
have not only behind usin the North
ern States, in proportion to popula-
ton, the same record, but in addition
to that, we stand before the country
declaring that we have the power,
constitutional power, to deal with
this question, and yet we must admit
to every black man in the North and
to every black man in the South,
that we have not had the moral
courage to exercise that power.
Speaking for myself, l deny that
the power extends where the exigen-
cies OF this debate have sent it and !
resent the proposition that for forty
years these alleged wrongs have been
committed; that we have had the
power to deal with them and have
cowurdly refused to exercise that
power.
. lit is fine situation in which the
great Republican party finds itself il
this debate. 1t has been practically
asserted upon the floor of the Senate
| that under section 4 we can deal with
what are called the grand father
: clause OF State Constitutions. Their
I the question arises. when are we 60
! ing to deal with them2 1t is my de
] liberate opinion that we haven't al
iota of power to deal with the ques
tion OF suffrage of any State in thi
Union sc long as it complies with thu
I fifteenth amendment of the Constitu
tion and that can be tested unde
! the provisions OF that amendment
alone and of itself.
: The negro has been used as apOli
tical football about as long as ou
sense OF decency and the developing
/ intelligence of the negro will permit,
declared Senator Borah. "1f we hav
a constitutional power, which ma.
be used to his benefit, we ought t.
use it so, but il we have no such con
stltutional power, or no wrong is be
ing practiced, we ought no longe