The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-02-17
NEGRO PREJUDICE
 STRONG IN NORTH Senate Votes on Popular
 Election Day ROOT IS ANSWERED
Sutherland Provision Is Not Neces- sary-Borah Says Race Question Is Brought Up to Imperial
 Popular Vote

Washington, February 1s.-That preju- dice against the negro is just as intense in the north as In the south and that the north plays the hypocrite in it's contentious to the contrary, was boldly and buntly asserted In the Senate today by a republican senator.
 The speaker was Senator Borah of Ida ho. His declarations regarding the negro were made at the close of a prolonged speech in opposition to the Sutherland amendment to the Senate resolution pro- viding for the election of senators by popular vote. That amendment would have the effect of giving Congress con- trol of senatorial elections.
 The Idaho senator's procurement on the race question was made In response to the recent assertion Of Senator Root that without the Sutherland provision the resolution would deprive the southern negroes of federal protection in the ex ercise of their franchise rights. MT. Bo- rah dissented from the New York sen- ator's view and in doing so used lam guage which elicited congratulations from many senator's
 Will Vote Today
 Notwithstanding MT Borahs notice that he would ask the Senate today to sit until vote could be reached on the cleo tion resolution. the proceedings on that measure were confined to his own dis cussion of it. He succeeded, however, In getting a confession that the resolu- tion should be taken up tomorrow, im- mediately after the disposition of the roit- tine business and without waiting until o'clock, which will give an additional hour and a half The postponement was granted to accommodate number of senators who still desire to s lk on the subject
 MT. Borah ha already spoken for al- most three hours when he entered upon the consideration of the effect of the Sutherland amendment on the race prob- lem of the south. Tn his general re- marks he contended that as the resolu- tion stands, notwithstanding 1t gives the state legislatures control of senatorial elections, Congress still would have the right to interfere in protection of any citizen whose right of franchise had been interfered with.
 The Idaho senator expressed deep re- gret that the race question had been brought into the controversy and assert ed that its introduction was intended only to imperl the resolution. He began this portion of his address by paying his re spects.to the northern states.
 Borah Speaks
 T wonder how long the north is going to play the hypocrite and the moral cow ard on this question: he said, and he added that that section always had as- sumed wisdom and more tolerance In dealing with this problem than had been displayed elsewhere. He insisted that a call of the roll of the northern states In which there is any appreciable number of negroes would demonstrate that the north had not dealt more leniently with the ne- gro than had other sections.
 The northern states have exhibited tho same race prejudice that has been shown elsewhere" he asserted. "In the north we burn the negro at the stake and there, as In other sections, we have our race riots. we push our negroes to the outer edge of the industrial world. We exhibit the game prejudices, the same weakness and the same intolerance that Is apparent in the southland"
 ir. Borah declared that if Congress had power under the existing provision of the constitution giving congressional control over senatorial elections 1t should be exercised.
 If that right exists the north has the greater obligation under 1t. because 1t makes claim to 1t. We assert the power but we admit that we have not had the moral courage to exercise it. For him self, he denied the existence of any such power and said he resented such a posi- tion because of the position in which Con- gress was placed by 1t.
 Negro Is Political Football
 The race question, MT. Borah said, had been brought into the discussion fin the fond hope that 1t would do service in de- feating the resolution as a whole" He declared it had been used for similar purpose for the last 30 years. Concluding, he said:
 .'The negro has been used as a political football t.bout as long as our sense of decency and his developing intelligence will permit. We should no longer mis- treat him. but we should have the cour- age to inform him as to the real situa- tion.
 Tt does not benefit him to make him tn. subject of our sophomoric rhetoric The colored race has advanced to the point where we well may dispense with the perennial distribution of soothing syrup and give them solid food in the way of facts. We should tell him the truth and conceal nothing.
 ''The negro Is beginning to realize that the white man of the north is of the ssme race as the white man of the south and that In his blood Is the virus of do- minion and power. He should know that while his slave chains have been broken. tile chains of industry are being forged around him and will continue to hold him unless he himself can break them This badge was placed upon him by his maker and 1t can be removed only by the negro himself with the aid of those who have the courage to tell him the truth, which is that we have the power to guarantee tt him the equal protection of the law and to protect him against discrimlna sion. To attempt anything more would be ruinous to the colorcd man and demoraliz- ing to the white political body. He must work out the problem under the constitu- ton. { M
 "When the exigencies of debate are over 1t will be found that no measure will be offered In the Senate to protect any supposed right of the colored ma.i anywhere. If those who are interested will turn to the constitution they will find there the universal rule of equality. hc only rule tO be Hf,plied to the uepr,,