Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1912-11-21
RACE PROBLEM IN The SOU III
Conditions Are Becoming Worse
and Worse, Says Gov. Vardaman.
Nisstssippi StntcsmnW bcrlnrcs Tba,
Fifteenth tMcndmcnt 20 the Com
stitutiOn should Dr Krpcnlcd.
by Why Of n solution.


elect J. X. Vardaman of Missssirni in
his lecture at ihc high school assembly
hall last evening. lie was abiding to
the race question. which is paramount IN
his State ana other southern States. and
for two hours he addr, ssed an assembly
which filled the hail on this and other
important questions. In dealing with the
negro question Cuv. Nsriaman took
view directly opposite to that usually
presented in Vermont. but spoke as one
who knew AMI dealt with the matter in
an intimate ana frank manner.
Prof VI. r. Chittcnden introduced tho
speaker ns the ex-governor and senator
OF Mississippi saving that he was four
years governor OF the state and had been
elected to the United States Senate by a
popular uote which carried 75 of the 70
counties In his district
BY far the most interesting part Of the
address was that which had to do with
conditions in the South arising out of the
negro troubles. He took up. however.
many other subjects. such n the recall
of Judges, and said that IN no country
was the judicial bench allowed 20 exercise
such power as in the United States lie
feared usurpation of power by Judges ana
I
decisions during tho past 40 years had
been story If usurpatiOn Of power. Tho
constitution was never intended to give
on small outerie Of men the right to
overthrow the will of e2,ooo,Ooo Of people
and II there was any body who ought to
bc called and recalled and kicked off
tn. face of the earth it was the bench of
tho supreme court.
/ - ;s', lie
also came IN for his criticism as we'll as
I the expense Of maintaining and increas-
ing the army and navy. Two thirds Of
! tho money appropriated by Congress IL
to pay for wars already fought or to pre-
pare for another one" declared Governor
Nardaman.
| 1t was on the negro question, however.
! that tho speaker grew most eloquent and
! he gave his Views foarlessly to what he
| supposed would be iSclincd to be a hos
tile audience. He began at the time of
| tho war and said that neither he nor any
other southerner hated the negro, and
that when tho war broke out every man
and boy of any size left their homes and
their loved ones in the care Of the faith
| ful slaves After the war he had worked
side by side with them, during the time
Y hen his family was suffering from re-
| verses. He knew them in every phase of
their lives. 1t was not until several years
after the war that any white woman was
assaulted by the negroes, and this was
| the result of the training. At the present
time no home was left unguardcd for u
moment and no white woman was al
lowed to walk a block through the most
settled district in town without 4 whit.
escort. \ reign Of terror hung over the
entire southern country. tn" result OF
the freedom afforded the negro an! liz
belief which has been instilcd iutu him
that he is the equal Of the whit" man.
Senator Nardaman quoted Thomas JEFF
forson, who forosaw the troubles thai
would ultimately arise from tn" freedom
Of the slaves, which hc knew would som"
time come. II" read extracts which
showed that jefferson believed the
question could never be solved ny making
the negro tho social md political equal IF
H." white man. Extracts from Abraham
Lincoln expressing the same opinion Wei,
also read.
The speaker then went into the phys
cal differences in the two races rcfrrr!ug
to the difference in tn" shapes Of IT,,
skulls and to the manner in which thD
men Of both races developed Durine
early childhood the negro was fully n.
sclf-roliant as tho white child aud rrO-
dressed probably as rapidly untN the az,
Cf puberty, and there the difference ho-
gan The white race went on and tn,
llacl; remained stationary or even won'
back
, The black races tn Africa were usn.
eli
tallstc habits in the same manner tina
they did five thousand ycar' ago. The
: would not progress AMI over !" they wcl'
lifted ont Of themselves for generation
they went sack
Absorption was no solution Of the Qucs
ton for the reason that the rijr Of Cos
} forbade ii. AS an illustration he quoted
from history showing the extinction o
the white races which had mixed viii
the black in the East just that has
! made the white race what it is to-day
1t has maintained its int gritty ana ha.
ruled the world.
He then went cXhaustiVey into III,
physical differences. You have proba
bly, noticed an aroma arising from
; colorcd gentleman in your vicinity an'
thought perhaps that II was the resul
Of draught," said tho governor, ''bu
q the entire Mississippi river couldn't ge
: that smell away. That keeps away tn
" poisonous mosquito which carries tn
malaria and yellow fever germ" H.
I then went or to say that Il was no
q until 1873 that colored man ever ha,
d the yellow fever in Mississippi and tina
in every case the negro had white bloc,
In his veins Even medicine does not af
G feet tho negro as It does the whit
a man.
The governor then compared the df
l.. ference in conditions in Vermont. wher
there We're only s26 negroes in 1907 &
- Mississippt where they constituted
n per cent. Of the population. Whiske
:. and cocaine have combined to make de
!, mons Of them there After painting wit
realism the conditions arising from this
c the speaker went on to the remedies
. lie thought the first of these should b
- the repeating OF the 18th amendment I
n the constitution. which had never bee
q ting off from them the right to vot
a and to hold office, IT would forever pre-
: cude their hope of social and politics
= equality.
/ Senator Nardaman's speech was fu
4 of witty epierams and showed that
;, knew how to effect a clever play o
"a words His alusion to Colonel Roos,
welt as a political spasm' brought dow
, the house.
|
- WANTS VT HEDGEHOGS.