Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1912-04-26
$4,000 GIVEN
FOR negro SHOW
Emancipation Exposition May
g. Be Held in Savannah, T.

plunged into lengthy discussion OF
the race question before unanimously
passing a bill introduced by Senator
Bradley. Of Kentucky. providing for a
$250000 appropriation to be devoted
to an exposition. which will be held
probably at Savannah, Ga, to GALE
brate the semi-centenary OF the sign.
ing of the emancipation proclamation.
Senator Hitchcock of Nebraska pro-
tested that the measure. which had
been almost entirely rewritten by Sen
ator Root of New York. was loosely
and recklessly drawn" He led sim
gle-handed fight against the bill for
an hour and a half. but succumbed
when southern Democratic senators
supported the measure. 1t finally
passed without dissenting vote
NOTABLE DEBATE OVER BILL.
The debate over the bill was notable
for passionate eulogy Of the achieve
ments OF the negro race BY Senator
Root and a radical declaration In
favor of racial separation by Senator
| Newlands
Senator Bradley made two speeches,
| the first. a brief recital Of the fact
| that southern negroes faithfully and
| fearlessly protected southern women
| and children On the Confederate side
| or fought bravely in the union armies:
the second, a plea .'for justice toward
the inferior race on the part OF the
superior" and a sarcastic "skipning"
| of Senator Hitchcock.
The Bradley bill appropriates $780,
900, safeguarded by the supervision
Of vouchers by the secretary OF the
treasury and the supervision on build
ings by the secretary Of commerce
and labor for the use Of the Semi-Cen.
tennial American Emancipation Expo
sition company. negro corporation.
organized In Georgia by r. r. Wright
of Savannah. and others, for exposl-
ton purposes The company must
satisfy the president that 1t has raised
Sc. 1000 before he praclalms the time
and place of the exposition which Is
designed to show the material prog
ress Of the negroes OF the United
States.
HITCHCOCK STIRS UP ROOT.
Senator Hitchcock contended that
the exposition like all others hereto.
fore held, would degenerate into an
amusement enterprise and lose all
educational aspect. 1t would create
lot of Jobs for negroes to waste gov
eminent money, he said. This brought
out Senator Root in his most impress
sive vein.
Congress has appropriated millions,
similarly safeguarded for expositions.
from which 100000 blacks are prac-
tically excluded" he declared, when
the senator from Nebraska opposes
this very reasonable appropriation
that these blacks may take heart in
their struggle toward progress by wit
Messing the achievements of each 9th
er. The whole trend of social devel-
opment Is toward separation Of the
two races in all affairs Of life. Yet
this first step toward encouraging
them to help themselves to become
useful, law-abiding, thrifty and indus
trious citizens Is opposed. The eman-
cipation proclamation was the most
magnificent act that ever affected the
destinies OF a race, and 1t is fitting
that it should be commemorated unto
those people by an exposition. We've
done little enough for them. We have
done much pushing away and little to
make them less Of burden to us and
more of satisfaction to the members
OF their own race. The last place
expected opposition is from the soil
where the Kansas-Nebraska struggle
should be so we'll remembered"
SHARP THRUST AT ROOT.
~+O7 the soil of Nebraska, which the
senator from New York is kind enough
to mention" retorted Senator Hitch
cock testify, "the negro is doing as
we'll as in New York"
Mr.. Root, whose ordinary tempera
ture Is at the freezing point, began to
tell how the negroes who appeared be-
! fore his committee in advocacy Of the
Bradley bill had touched his heart
He thought even the hard heart" of
Senator Hitchcock would have been
touched, he said.
Mr.. Newlands, member Of the
Root committee, then launched into
the speech that disarmed Mr.. Hitch
cock.
II am a radical on the race ques-
tion," he said. II would bar all COL
ored immigration as a protection for
the future Of the republic. l would
disfranchise all save members of the
white race. do not believe two races
Of different color can live on the same
! soil without one being subservient to
the other And think amalgamation
would be the greatest shuddering
curse that could be visited on the
country" But Senator Newlands said
he had been impressed by the dignity
and earnestness Of the negroes who
had appeared before the committee
and would support the bill.
Il don't see any conflict between the
two races In the future" said Senator
Bradley, who again took the floor, "if
the negroes, who compose one-tenth Of
the population, can overcome us we
ought to be overcome. plead for help
for the negro. for Justice to this down.
trodden race. Give them light, let
them rise If they can"
| The Minister'S union, as It IS now