Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1913-02-07

ldOlcS Oh IHL8 CILy Auu ctotCs LAW
the names of fifty white ladies In
Iowa. and one drom a southern lady,
all wives Of white men In the highest
learned and honorable professions,
and every one OF these denounce this
bill as unnecessary, If not a reflection
upon the virtue and integrity OF their
ladyships. / even have their permis-
sion to use their names, but refrain
from doing so because of my high re-
gard for them and the fear that nam
Ing them might provoke kind Of
controversy and comment that would
cause me to push my black fist into
some gentleman's face.
IL. Will the enactment of this bill
increase or diminish the rising tide
of race hatred within the borders Of
our state?
13. Are the white men of this state
(and I am speaking especially of the
better class OF them) and of this ma
tion anxious to have the black peo-
pie look upon them as enemies ever
ready to increase their burdens and
add to their disadvantage, misery and
oppression? / think not; l hope not.
IA. Why is 1t necessary to put such
serious emphasis upon the indiscreet
act of a black pugilistic sport and q
waywardly inclined white woman, and
when I refer to the woman as way
wardly inclined, am telling the truth
just half as bad as it is, and I invite
you gentlemen to more careful in
vestigation of this matter which oc-
Cured in Chicago which I understand
to be urged as reason for the pass.
age of this measure.
Is. If measure against sexual de-
pravity could have been enforced
against white men of this country
from two hundred and fifty to three
hundred years ago 1t would certainly
have given some protection to the
black slave women Of the land.
16. Who is responsible for the
mixed racial cohabitation as we see
it's results today in every part of our
land? Surely not black men.
II. If you gentlemen can frame an
other statute, general in it's nature, to
give more protection to the virtue and
integrity of the women of our state,
name it, and we are with you.
Concluding my brief statement, it
may not be out of place to refer to the
ample protection which the women of
Iowa have against rape, and which
the immature girlhood Of the state has
against the same outrage. We have
the age of consent for marriage fixed
at fourteen year; we have the entice-
ment statutes; statutes against lewd-
ness; statutes against adultery;
against kidnapping; against solicit
ing for improper purposes; against In
v,ck ON cryn h
the common law and the Bible.
Now / repeat, II anything more can
be done to give general protection
and assist in the uplift of the women
of our state, desire to be countex
as favoring such a general legislation.
In all that have presented and in
all that l may present to this Com
mittee, i do not mean to say more
than to ask that ttSsfair name of my
state be not among the first to mark
it's degeneracy by returning to the
most dangerous reactionary measures
of class legislation aimed directly
against it's most patriotic and defense
less citizenship.
Some years ago, returning for a
graduating exercise to Howard Uni
yersity, that stands on the hill above
the dome of the National Capitol,
thought it we'll to have the splendid
laws of my state presented to that
institution, and Major Lacey, who was
then filling seat in the United States
Congress- from my own Sixth District,
kindly coisented to present the Code
to the Law Department OF that great
University. I can never forget the
words that he used in presenting tnat
Code, and those words have come
down to every graduating class In the
University since the year 1900, when
they were uttered by the Iowa states
man, and these were the pointed
words that he used in making that
presentation:
"My> Friends: 1t gives me great
pleasure to present to the Law De-
partment of the great University OF
Howard the Code of Iowa, containing
all the laws of that great and gooa
commonwealth, a commonwealth that
has from the beginning, and before It's
beginning as a state, proven It's
friendship and kindness to your peo-
ple, and l am pleased to assure you
that from front fly leaf to back cover
you will not find anywhere In 1t SIN
gle line or letter against the colored
race"
Now, gentlemen Of the Committee.
7 expect to return to Howard some
time within, the next few years 1or the
last time. After making that visit and
coming back west, l shall not see the
staid and dignified east again. When
it pleases Providence to mark my END,
doubtless what remains OF me Will pc
taken to the faraway State OF Vir-
ginia and given grave by the side
Of my departed mother, but, gentle
men of the Committee, while live.
desire to be able to give the assur-
ance to Howard University and to-
the people Of the country that Iowa
stands fast where she has always
stood, and has, Notwithstanding the
waves and emotions of prejudice, con-
tinued to refuse to write lines In her
statutes unfriendly to the colored
race. .' -.
In connection with my statement in
opposition othis bill. l desire to in
corporate what was said by the Hon
orable Harvey Ingham, the Editor OF
the Register and Leader OF this city,
in the issue of that paper published
on January 18th. 4
And l wish to add that this ques-
ton of race mixing Is not so much q
matter OF any kind OF law as It is
matter Of racial and individual inclin-
alton, and If there are students OF
ethnology and anthropology In this
Assembly, they know what the his
tory Of man and the history Of races
Of men have already shown in 4connec-
ton With this subject It has been
true in all ages that hostile efforts
against the sexual mixing of races